The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1937-04-22
Travellers Use
All Methods
For Journey
Man From Alaska Embalmed
Wiley Post And Will
Rogers
VISITED IN NEW YORK
Made Trip Through Panama
Canal From West To
East Coast

MI anO MrS. n. II. ftOSS, OI dIT-
banks, Alaska, arrived in this city
Friday morning and remained until
Saturday morning visiting with
Mr.. and Mrs. J M. Pendroy. Mrs.
Ross and Mrs. Pendroy are cous-
ins. Mr.. Ross Is an undertaken and
operates an undertaking establish
ment at Fairbanks. One Of the
highlights Of his business career
occurred when the bodies of Wiley
Post and VIII Rogers were brought
to his establishment from Point
Barrows, where the fatal airplane
crash occurred. Mr.. Ross embalm-
ed the body Of Wiley Post, while
his brother embalmed the body of
will Rogers.
In a delightful half-hour chat,
the writer learned that Mr.. and
Mrs. Ross left Alaska on january
18th, for an extended tour of the
States. Their Journey was made in
relays and included all manner Of
modern travel From Fairbanks to
Juneau, Alaska, they made the trip
by airplane. Owing to the maritime
strike on the Pacific Coast they
then boarded a Canadian steamer
with Seattle, Wash, as their destin-
alton. At Seattle they joined
friends and motored down the
coast to Los Angeles, CAL, where
they again boarded a steamer and
making the trip through the Pan
anna Camel, landed in New York
where they visited with relatives.
From New York they continued
their journey by train to Michigan
and spent sometime visiting rela-
tives in that state. They then jour-
neyed to Toledo, Ohio, where they
purchased a new car and then
leisurely made their way to this
city. On Saturday morning they
motored to Park Rapids for a visit
and from there will leave for parts
in North Dakota and after some
time spent in that state will con-
tinue their journey home to Fair
banks, Alaska.
Mr.. Ross went to Alaska in 1898
at the age Of % years. He was lur-
ed to that country by the word
gold" during the stampede to the
Klondike region. He located first
at Dawson, but later followed the
stampede to the Yukon. When the
Fairbanks camp was established in
1903 he located there and affiliated
himself with the business interests
as that city developed. For several
years with considerable success he
followed the occupation of mining.
Mr.. Ross was a member of the
territorial legislature for eight
years and with his long business
career is well versed in conditions
of Alaska both from an economic
and political standpoint. He stated
that they never had cause for a de-
preston in the interior Of Alaska,
as gold mining the chief source of
employment, has been successful at
all times. An influx of laborers,
however, temporarily caused slight
1y hard times, but the unemployed
were taken care nj by the constant
increase in gold demand.
Prospecting is on the increase
and new mines are being opened
I'D. owing to the rise in gold pric-
es. He stated, however, that devel-
opment is being made more
through new mthods Of mining,
rather than the price increase
Among the new methods adopted
is the use Of tractors with Diesel
engines, called Dull dozers," to
strip the ground. This is the cheap
est method devised for that work,
and 1t has made possible q consid-
cradle growth in the mining indus
try.
Matanusl1a Colony, sponsored by
our government, is 1926 miles from
Fairbanks, stated Mr.. Ross. He
went through the valley some years
ago before the colony was estab-
lished, and found good land and
soil there. When the railroad was
built to the valley several farmers
located there, most of whom were
forced to quit and abandon their
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