The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-08-02
Gene DuRand, 10, Has Thrilled
/. Crowds in 80 States of
4 Union
Turns Eyes to Europe After
! Having Flown Over United
/ States
(RY CLARICE BELK)

(BY CLARICE BELK)
Small, dark. and eighteen-that's
Miss Gene DuRand, worlds champion
woman parachute jumper. who leaps
1000 feet from the wings OF an air.
plane each afternoon at the Missouri
Slope fair in Mandan.
Wing walking, rope-ladder work,
plane changing, and parachute jump
inR are all part of the days work
to Miss DuRand. At Is, she has
two years experience in stunt flying |
and several narrow escapes to her |
credit. No peril of life or limb holds |
any terror for this little dare devil.
At first glance one might take
Miss DuRand for - extremely good
looking little boy. She is slightly an
inch over five feet tall and weighs !
ITO pounds. In her flying costume.
with her dark hair shingled close. it
b hard to believe that she is girl.
"Oh, I've been all over" she will
kell you with a wide sweep of a
brown arm. "Thirty-eight states
have seen me fly, and I'm going west
This fall. George and Harry are try
tne to dissuade me, but why 20 back
70 Florida? I've seen all that coun-
try. and | want to see all that there
is to see. Then I'm going to Eu-
rope"
George Bogart and Harry DuRand
IRE Miss DuRand's travelling COM
panions and promoters. Mr.. Bogart
owns the plane from which Miss Du-
Rand does her aerial work, while
DuRand is the girls brother.
Wants to Hop Atlantic
Il suppose you are going to fly to
Europe, too" the Tribune reporter
asked Miss DuRand, jokingly.
But the girl was serious.
"Yes," she said, "they are work
Ing on . proposition for me now. /
want to be the first woman to fly
The Atlantic alone. All l need is the
proper backing. If ! can get that !
will fly across next May"
"But aren't you afraid?" she was
asked.
"Afraid Of WHAT" she retorted.
That is Miss DuRand's outstand-
Inc characteristic. She can think of
no reason to be afraid. The risk of
her life means little or nothing to
this clear-headed little girl.
Two years ago Gene DuRand, then
. Minneapolis high school girl, read
tf . girl parachute jumper who had
achieved some note. The story ap-
pealed to her, and before long she
marched down to doc" R. D. Ellis,
with whom she has been flying ever
bince.
II don't know just why began it
-
| had that other girl sized up pretty
we'll, and il she could do the things
Dhe did, 50 could l. And ! did,"
Newspapers Interest Her
II started to take up journalism in
North high when I went to school
there" she smiled, when questioned
Is to her unusual interest in newspa-
pers. but / found it was too much
work." Miss DuRand added, land so
{ went into parachute jumping"
DR.. Ellis, who pilots Miss Du-
R2nd's plane, was formerly q prac-
ticing physician in Chicago. but gave
up his medical work for aeronautics.
He is credited with having saved the
life Of his little flying partner in
more than one near accident, es-
pecially on one occasion. Miss Du-
Rand's chute caught eight feet below
the plane wings and she was unable
b climb back to the plane or to
break loose. DR.. Ellis landed the
plane on one wing in ground loop
b order to save the imprisoned girl
from instant death. Strained arms
md minor bruises were the only in
Duries she suffered.
Among other thrills Miss DuRand
has had during her short experience
= m extremely high jump to small
key off the Florida coast, the sur
rounding waters Of which were
Little Bit Worried
II knew I'd be all right if I landed
81 the Gulf Of Mexico" the girl
laughed. "Of course, it would be
pretty deep and pretty wet. but
can swim. My big worry was that
I might land in the little bay off the
Island where q swimmer had beer
lost the day before"
Accordingly, Miss DuRand jumped
lt an unusually high altitude and
slipped" her chute dangerously II
order to affect Z landing on dry land
Miss DuRand will finish the sum.
mer simplifying at various place.
and will then begin . contract with
The Universal Exhibition company
This contract will take her from
Minneapolis to Hollywood where shs
will double in movie simplifying.
At present Miss DuRand is jump.
lng from = Hispano biplane which
Was originally owned by Eugene
Dhauks, who holds the worlds loor
md endurance records. When no.
Tying 1t the fair, DR.. Ellis and Mis-!
DuRand take up passengers from 8
eIeld east Of Mandan on the Memoir.
II highway.