Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-22
MAKES A TRIP TO
ORIENT AND BACK
BESSIE DOLLAR ARRIVES AT
SAN PEDRO
Cargo Consists Chiefly Of Cement.
Owner Buys Two Vessels for
Merchant Fleet While
In Japan
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
SAN PEDRO June 21.-The first dri-
entail steamer coming direct from the
far east to this port arrived early this
morning, twenty-one days out from
Yokohama.
The arrival of the steamer Bessie
Dollar in the outer harbor here last
night direct from Yokohama and other
oriental ports is something of an epoch
for San Pedro as heretofore when
steamers came In with goods from that
part of the world they had previously
touched at San Francisco and dis
charged a large portion of their wares
there.
Contrary to expectation the Bessie
Dollar did not bring a variety of orien-
tai goods, which the owners expected to
get when they went over. but has a
cargo of 1000 tons of Portland cement
which will be discharged at the Cres-
cent wharf here as fast as possible.
The steamer Is one of the largest
which ever sailed into this port, being
something like 400 feet in length. 1t
was built for the Dollar Steamship COM
pany at Glasgow by the Rogers Ship
building company and is a stanch and
able vessel. 1t is under command of
Capt. Cow, who has been with the COM
pany long time, and has a crew
aboard her now of forty-two Chinese
exclusive of the American officers.
Flies British Flag
The vessel is flying the British flag,
although belonging to a strictly Paci-
fic coast company. Early this morning
the collector of the port and the United
States health officer boarded her, the
latter reporting everyone aboard in the
best of health.
hoo oY-1 fl,a uacca1 xUbnr1 Oh ratiirnod
on this trip were Mr.. and Mrs. Robert
Dollar, the former being president of
the Dollar company. Mr.. Dollar went
over with the other ship six months ago
for the express purpose of looking up
the steamer NJ. S. Dollar which had
been chartered to the Russian govern
ment at the beginning of the war be-
tween that country and Japan and
which was taken by the latter country
and advertised for sale as prize of
war. Mr.. Dollar heard of the trans
action and went over to purchase. The
Japanese officials did not sell the boat
on the day it was advertised to be sold
but put it up several days previous. Mr..
Dollar was not present but he had sus-
picioned just such move on the part
of the new owners of the boat and had
representative on the spot who was
unknown but who bid it off at $4,000
and secured possession.
Loss Covered by Insurance
The steamer had been insured to the
Dollar company by Russian insurance
company for $1SO,OOO and the loss had
been fully paid, so that Mr.. Dollar is
we'll satisfied with his stroke of business
in receiving more than 100000 for the
use of his vessel during the time 1t was
in possession of the Japanese, having
now the boat back again, which, with a
few thousand dollars repairs, will be
as good as ever.
He also purchased another steamer
while there which was sold as prize.
When Mr.. Dollar went to the eastern
ports about six months ago he took
along a large number of oranges, lem
ons and other fruits from Southern
California and many boxes of fine ap-
pies from oregon with which to in
gratiate himself into the good graces of
the potentates of the different places
where he expected to do business. 1t
had it's effect, he says. making him
popular while there and securing his
company considerable business.
"Hotel del Coronado" leads them all.