Show Prettiest Flying Girl Describes Ruth Rath Elder Leaves Job as Dentists Dentist's Office Girl to Become Flyer Puts Cynics to Rout When She Reveals Skill as I Aviator and Passes Fine FinC Physical Examination NEW YORK Oct 13 By By The Associated Press Press From From IN the obscure boredom of out date magazines and an l the somnolent buzz of a dentists dentist's drill in a Lakeland Fla Fin office Ruth Elder the prettiest girl irl who ever learned to fly rose today to ay to a position oC or eminence eminence by a combination of daring initiative and anti beauty Miss Mis Mi Elder who took off for Paris with Captain Haldeman was born in Ann Anniston Is ton Ala September Sept 12 1902 fourth in a family of five children of Mr Ir and Mrs J. J J O. O Elder Neighbors remember Ruth as n a II vivacious child of tom boy tendencies who grew up to be a a. leader of her sex in the Quin- Quin Quintard Quintard tard school at Anniston a mainstay in basketball and a factor in social and scholastic affairs BECOMES DECO IES STENOGRAPHER After finishing high school Miss 1 Elder learned stenography and worked for a while in Anniston later marry marry- marrying marryIng marrying ing Lyle Womack an electrical accessory sony sory salesman and removing to Lake Lake- Lakeland Lakeland Lakeland land Fla Previously she had been divorced all although hough she refused to identify her first husband She has no children It was at Lakeland that she met Captain Haldeman who taught her ier to fly Ruth showed a natural aptitude for the air and soon she and Haldeman were vere doing stunt flying at county fairs and carnivals It was Colonel Lindbergh's trans trans- transAtlantic transAtlantic Atlantic flight light that fired the Ala Ala- Alabama Alabama bama barns beauty with the desire to be the first woman to span the ocean by air Lakeland business men liked the idea and interested a group of Wheeling W W. Va capitalists in It With the aid of T T. H. H McCardle a retired Flor Flor- Florida FlorIda Florida ida real estate man and Edward Cor Cor- Cornell Cornell Cornell nell Florida grapefruit grower she raised in irs Wheeling and or organized or- or organized organized the Wheeling Acro Aero Exhibit corporation PLANt PLANE IS Ii BUILT With the project thus supported Miss Elder and Haldeman went to 10 De De- Detroit DetroIt troit where the Stinson monoplane in which they took toot off oH was especially built for them After a 0 flight from Detroit to Lake Lake- Lakeland Lakeland Lakeland land and Wheeling Haldeman and Miss Elder flew to field where they awaited suitable weather for a 8 take As days lengthened into weeks there w ware rc re rumors that the flight was a publicity stunt but these whispered charges failed when the standing of the Wheeling backers was vas found to be unimpeachable While at the 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 oung girls who frequented the field adopted at once SURPRISES PILOTS Miss Elder surprised even the tit best pilots when she passed her license test lest with an amazing repertory o or of stunts and was wa ryen more successful in her physical I tests t An army sur sur- surgeon surgeon geon pronounced her the perfect sur-I sur American girl entitling her to use the legend in bold letters along the buff fuselage e of her plane Her pilot Captain Haldeman who is 29 9 was born in tn McPherson Kans but has lived in Lakeland for the pat pan 13 years ears 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 the war he served as an Instructor at lyIng fields in this country countr resigning in 1919 as an officer in the air service servIce service ice reserve resene FLYING hONEYMOON IOOS In 1920 Haldeman new flew to Thomas- Thomas yule N N. C. C met his bride Miss yin Vir Virginia ginia ZInia Lufsey of that place at the church doo and was married He lie slipped the girl into his plan plane anc and nd soared away to Florida Cuba and West Indies on a bridal trip Mrs Haldeman was at the field yesterday and embraced her husband and Miss Elder in farewell greeting Just before the American Girl took off ot of f |