Evening star., 1927-10-12
QUIT OFFICE WORK
TO FLY AT FAIRS
Ruth Elder Remembered by
Old Friends as Child of
Tomboy Tendencies.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. October 12.-From the
obscure boredom of out-ofdate maga-
zines and the somnolent buzz of a
dentists drin in a Lakeland. Fla.
office, Ruth Elder, "the prettist girl
who ever learned to fly" rose today
to a position of emirence behind the
roaring motor Of transatlantic plane
by a combination of daring, initiative
| and beauty.
Miss Elder, who took off for Paris
| with Capt. George IIaldeman. was
| born in Admission, Ala, September
| IL, 1902, fourth in a family of five
children Of Mr.. and Mrs j. o. Elder.
| Neighbors remember Ruth as a vivid
child of tomboy tendencies, who grew
up to be a leader of her six in the
| Quintard School at Admission. a main
| stay in basket ball and a factor in
social and scholastic affairs.
Married Electric Salesman.
After finishing high school Miss
Elder learned stenography and worked
for a while in Admission, later marry
ing Lyle Womack, an electrical ac-
| cessories salesman, and removing to
Lakeland Fla, previously she had
been divorced, although she refused
TO identify her first husband. She
has no children. It was at lakeland
that she met Capt. Haldeman, who
natural aptitude for the air and soon
! she and Haldeman were doing stunt
/ flying at county fairs and carnivals!
1t was Col. Lindbergh's successful
| transatlantic flight that fired her with
| the desire to be the first woman to
| span the ocean by air. Lakeland
business men liked the idea and in
| terested a group Of Wheeling. w. Va,
| capitalists in it. With the aid OF T.
H. McCardle, a retired Florida real
estate man, and Edward Cornell, a
| Florida grapefruit grower, she raised
$4,000 in Wheeling and organized the
| Wheeling Aero Exhibit Corporation.
| With the project thus supported,
Miss Elder and Haldeman went to
| Detroit, where the Stinson.Detroiter
monOplane in which they took off was
built for them.
Publicity" Charge Fails.
After a flight from Detroit to Lake
land and Wheeling, Haldeman and
Miss Elder flew TO Curtiss Field,
where they awaited suitable weather
| for a take-of. AS days heightened
! into weeks there were rumors that
the flight was publicity stunt, but
these whispered charges failed when
the standing of the Wheeling hackers
was found to be unimpeachable.
| While at the flying field Miss Elder,
a colorful figure in sports attire,
habitually wore a red bandeau about
her hair. This came to be known as
the Ruth ribbon" a fad which the
crowds of young girls who frequented
the field adopted at once.
= Miss Elder surprised even the best
pilots when she passed her license
test with an amazing repertory Of
stunts and was even more successful
in her physical tests. An Army
surgeon pronounced her ''the perfect
American gtrf," emitting her to use
the legend in bold letters along the
bun fuselage Of her plane.
Took Honeymoon by Plane.
Her pilot, Capt. Haldeman, who is
90, was born in MACPHERSON, Kans.,
but has lived In Lakeland for tho past
Is years. He was in the automobile
business there, but has spent much
time in the air since the war, once
making a tour of the United States,
following the coastal lines. During the
war he served as an instructor at
| flying fields in this country, resigning
in 1919 as an officer in the Air Service
| Reserve.
In 1920 Haldeman flew to Thomas
vile, N. c., met his bride, Miss
Virginia Lufsey of that place, at the
church door and was married. He
slipped the girl into his plane and
scared away to Florida, Cuba and the
West Indies on bridal trip. Halde-
man later devoted much time to the
study Of weather and navigation
| charts.
Mrs. Haldeman was at the field yes.
| terday and embraced her husband and
Miss Elder in q farewell greeting just
befor. the American Girl took off.