The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-05-16
GRAND OLD MAN Of
PACIFIC FLEETS IS
DEAD AT Age Of 50
Captain Robert Dollar is Victim
of Severe Cold Which Be.
came Pneumonia
BEGAN CAREER IN WASHTUB
Fathers Sound Spanking Fall
ed to Prevent Him From
Becoming Magnate

San Rafael, Calf. May 16.-(R)-
Captain Robert Dollar, sS-year-old
veteran Of the shipping and lumber
industries. died at his home at ITO
a. M, P.S.T) Monday after an ILL
ness of two weeks.
The Grand Old Man of the Pa
cific." whose name is carried to the
far corners OF the earth by his fleets
of merchant ships. died as his family
watched at the bedside.
That the end was near was predict
ed Sunday night by his physician, DR..
Rafael G. Dufficy. He had been In
coma for more than SO hours. The
illness started with a severe cold.
which developed into bronchial pneu-
nonia.
Mrs. E. Dollar. who had been in
faithful attendance since the illness
began May 2. was supported by three
sons, Harold. Stanley and Melville
Dollar. and their wives and children.
Last March 20, Captain Dollar cele-
brated his eighty-eighth birthday and
in a statement said the world was "a
fine place for those who liked to
work." His entire life had been one
Of activity.
Captain Dollar began his nautical
career when he was six years old b,
launching a washtub on the Forth
and Clyde canal in Scotland.
Little did he suspect when he was
soundly thrashed by his father TO:
the episode. that he was then dss-
tined to become one Of the largest in
dividual ship owners in The world.
Debut Was Late
His actual debut in the shipping
business did not come until half a
century later when Dollar had arrived
at an age when many successful mell
retire from active life, yet he gained
world wide recognition and virtua
monopoly of the American trade or
the Pacific Ocean during the years
that rounded out the span Of three
score and ten.
Before the organization OF the Dol
lar Steamship company. he had con.
Quoted highly successful numbering
and milling operations in Canada, thu
United States and China.
Captain Dollar. who became known
as the Grand Old Man of the Pa.
cific." because Of his activities in fos.
tering commercial relations wit:
China and the Far East in general
commented as he saw his shippirs
business grow beyond all expectations
that II often think it is expanding to<
fast, but the curtailment of it pre-
sents quite a problem as the business
appears to demand expansion"
Captain Dollar purchased his frs
ship, "Newsboy." a small tub OF 30'
tons, as an adjunct to his lumberin:
operations in California, and mad
his first venture in the China trad
with the Arab" a $500 ton steamer
in 1901. BY 1921 the Dollar Steam
ship company had an imposing flee
and 10 offices in various parts Of tn
world, including Japan. China, tn
Philippines. Straits Settlements. In
dia. Russia and Greece.
In addition to controlling coastwis
; ocean travel along the Pacific states, hi
! steamships were the only American
passenger vessels running to the ORR
emit. He also had an important inter
est in passenger and freight steam
!ship lines to Alaska. He was presi
dent of the Dollar Steamship com
pany. Robert Dollar company, Ad
miral Oriental company, Dollar Port
land Lumber company, Canada
Robert Dollar company, and directo
of the American International corpor
alton. Anglo London and Paris bank
and San Francisco Savings bank.
He received numerous horrors. in
Guiding three decorations by Chimes
rulers. He made many charitable be
quests and established a chair o
Christian Sociology at the San Fran
cisco Theological seminary.
He was assisted by his sons IN nj
many interests. He was born In Fal
kirk, Scotland, March 20, 1874.