Captain Robert Doflar, Pioneer of Shipping and Lumber

Industries, Expires

Captain Robert Dollar, San Francisco lumberman and Pacific Coast shipping leader, died at his home in San Rafael, California, May 16, at the age of 88, after an illness lasting l4 days.

Captain Dollar was born in Falkirk, Scotland, March 20, 1844. His start in life rvas told in an article entitled "Mv Early Recollections of Lumbering," which he wrote espe- cially {or The California Lumber Merchant, and which lppeared in the issue of August 1, 1931. His schooling ended yh._"-at 1l years old he rvent to work in a machini'shop. At 13 he emigrated rvith his father to Canada soon after the death of his mother. His first iob in Canada was in a stave mill in Ottawa. At 14 he r,vis working in a lumbbr camp as chore boy, and after seven years of work that included hard work in the rvoods all dav and clerical work at night, he_ was made foreman in charge of a camp at the age of 21. He started in the logging business for himself in the Muskoka district of Ontario when he rvas 28, and later went into partnership with H. H. Cook, big Canadian lumberman. Their camps were on Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, and they e.xport!4 logs to Great Britain and sold logs io the sarv mills. When they cut out the large timber lhere he moved over to Michigan, and after oper-ating there for some time moved to California, rvhere he purihased the Meeker tract in Sonoma County as a beginning for his lumber operations on the Pacific Co".t. La"ter he"extended his lumber holdings to the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia.

The Robert Dollar Company operate lumber yards in China, and are importers of Philippine hardwoods, being the agents of the Insular Lumber Company. The compan! carries on an extensive export lumber business which tbtats from 14O,000,(B0 to 150,000,000 feet per year.

*.C-aptain Dollar, the hero of Peter B. Kynes, ,.C"ppy Ricks", started in the shipping business when he *as o'rret fifty years old with one small vessel, the Newsboy, and shipped his first cargo of lumber to China in 1901. 'From this beginning he acquired the largest fleet of vessels ever operated under the American flag by one company.

He inaugurated_the Dollar rvorld pasenger ind freight service when in 1924, and although over 80 years of age, he personally worked out the plans and sailed on the fiist loyage calling on 400 shippers and prospective customers. The next year, he made a similar voyagi making over 500 business calls. Mrs. Dollar accompanied him on both trips. He never retired, and up to within two weeks of his deith was at his office every morning at 8:30 ready for a full day's work. The Dollar banner floats on the mastheads of over 75 ships, including the huge liners President Hoover and President Coolidge and othEr palatial round-the-world vessels.

He received numerous honors, including three decorations by Chinese rulers. He made mani charitable bequests a1d established a chair of Christian sociology at the San Francisco Theological Seminary.

He was president of thJRobert Dollir Company, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Dollar-S.S. Lines. Inc., Ltd., and a director of the American Internationai Corporation, Sjrn Francisco Savings Bank, aid the Anglo- London and Paris Bank of San Francisco. Among-his other interests were the Canadian Robert l)ollar Com[any, Dollar Portland Lumber Company, and the Adriirai Oriental Company.

_.-Captain Dollaronce rvrote a short autobiography of his life by de-c1d^e^s. This was as follows: 1-10 yiari-Helped mother.rc-20 years-Bought. farm for father. 20-30 yelrs

-Rose from chore boy to lumber camp owner. 3Gr{O years paptain Dollar rnarried Miss Margaret Proudfoot in 1874, and they celebratecl their golden wedding anniversary seven years ago. He is survi.'ea Uy Mrs. D-ollar and his three sons, A. Melville, R. Stanley, and J. Harold Dollar, his successors in the huge business he- founded; David Dollar, a brother, and Mrs. Robert Proudfoot. a sister. Funeral services lvere held in ,the First Presbvterian Church, San Rafael, N{ay 18. Sixty honorary pall6earer5, bd by Gov. James Rolph, Jr., N,Iayor Angelo-Rbssi of San Francisco, and Mayor William S. Nock of San Rafael, were in attendance.

-Extended lumber business. 40-5O years-Foundnew lumber markets. 50-60 y_ears-Added shipping to lumber business.. ffi-7o years-Developed shipping ind foreign !?4q. 70-80 years-Developed shipping in Far Eait. 9GPQ y"_"t.-Established greatest American passenger and freight fleet.

Representatives of foreign governments, State, civic and business leaders were there to express their sorrow at the passing of this man rvho was one of the world's greatest crtrzens.