ALASKAN MOTION PICTURE PIONEER DEAD
Funeral services for William
David Gross, widely known
Alaska pioneer and motion pic
ture exhioilor were held in
Seattle on April 29. Mr. Gross
was interred in the family crypt,
Washelli Cemetery, Seattle.
Mr. Gross was born in Russia on
Dec. 25. 1879, and was brought to
the United States in early childhood
by his parents. Zalmain and An*iie
Gross. He was educated in Seattle
schools.
In 1909 he married Hansine
Campen at Fairbanks. Survivors
include a son. Zalmain D. Gross of
Seattle, and three daughters. Mrs.
Zelma Gross Wheeler of Juneau;
Mrs. Son.ia Gross Entner and Rom
elle C. Gross, both of Seattle.
One of Mr. Gross’ great interests
in recent years was the annual
collection of Christmas funds for
Alaska Pioneers at the home in
Sitka. He collected about $6,000
some years ago which went toward
purchase of the “sourdough” or
‘•prospector” statue in front of the
Pioneers Home.
Opened Clothing Store
Mr. Gross came to Alaska on the
“City of Seattle” and established a !
clothing store. Red Front, at Dyea, I
near Skagway in 1897. He moved to I
Dawson. Yukon Territory, in 1898 '
where he also established a cloth
ing store under the same name.
In Seattle on a buying trip, he
noticed the growing popularity of
“animated photographs” and bought
a projector and some reels of film,
leading toward introduction of mov
ing pictures at Dawson in early 1900
(admission $1. three showings night
ly, each show 15 to 20 minutes long
depending on speed turning projec
tor).
He sold his Dawson business in
1904 to attend Louisiana Purchase
Exposition at St. Louis. Mo., and he
went to St. Paul. Minn., where |
heavy clothing for Alaska was man
ufactured.
Lived in Fairbanks
He then returned to the territory
and established Gross Clothing
Store at Fairbanks and also intro
duced movies here. In 1910 he sold
the Fairbanks businesses and went
to the Jeffries-Johnson heavyweight I
boxing championship at Reno, Nev., j
returning to Alaska at Nome in 1910.
STORK
TATISTICS
April 24
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Wolfcale, California Trailer Court,
at 2:13 p.m.. a daughter, Kim Len
ore, weighing 7 pounds.
April 25
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Walter
Tyler. 10’2 Mile Badger Road, at
3:20 p.m.. a daughter. Patricia Jean,
weighing 6 pounds, 14 ounces.
April 26
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Alton Ash
craft, 24 Mile Richardson, at 8:15
p.m., a daughter. Billie Ruth; weigh
ing 7 pounds, 7 dunces.
April 27
Born to Mr. and Airs. Clifford Nel
son, Delta Junction, at 4:16 a.m.
and 4:20 a.m., two daughters, Jeanne
Lee and Joanne Louise, weighing 4
pounds. 5' i ounces and 4 pounds,
ID4 ounces.
April 28
Born to Mr. and Mrs. George Al
lien, 1225 9th Avenue, at 4:43 p.m.,
a daughter, Quentin Christine,
weighing 6 pounds.
Bern to Mr. and Mrs. Walter War*
iner, 97 Dunbar St., Hamilton Acres,
at 4:10 p.m., a daughter, Phyllis
Dianna, weighing 7 pounds, 9
ounces.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Liv
ingston, 417 Church St., at 5:05
p.m., a son. James Alan, weighing
6 pounds, 6'4 ounces.
April 29
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Cummings, 300 4th St., at 10:50 a.m.,
a son, George Gerald, weighing 10
pounds, 2 ounces.
April 30
i Born to Mr. and Mrs. Norman
Rockney, 507 Second Ave., at 5:58
p.m., a son. Darby Wade, weighing
9 pounds, 3% ounces.
May 1
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Emorie
Nissinen, 807 Lakeview Trailer
Court, at 11:11 a.m., a daughter,
Weighing 7 pounds, 13% ounces.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. DgjydJSWM**’
merfeldt, No. 4 Walsh fHalL-<Uni
versity of Alaska, at 7:49 a.m.. a
daughter, weighing 8 pounds 6V2
ounces.
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NAME-AGE .
OCCUPATION_
ADDRESS__
where he introduced motion pic
tures with nightly showings.
He described these early movies
as having neither plot nor conti
nuity but simply representing cry
ing children, horseback riders,
wind-blown flags, moving trains
and vessels.
He established the first “picture
house” and introduced movies in
Ketchikan in the fall of 1911 at the
Coliseum Theater and within two
years had established theaters by
the same name at Wrangell, Juneau,
Petersburg, Skagway, Haines, Doug
las, and Sitka all of which have
been in operation since except at
Juneau where the 20th Century re
placed the other theater destroyed
by fire in 1940 and at Wrangell
where the theater also burned.
Free Admission
Admission to the Sitka theater
has been free to Pioneers’ Home
residents, with wheel chair and
other aids provided when necessary.
He was a member of the Moose
Lodge, and for many years he main
tained a home both in Juneau and
in Seattle.
New Veterinarian
Clinic Is Planned
For Fairbanks
Fairbanks will soon have a new
Veterinarian Clinic, according to
Dr| James Beckley, DVM.
Dr. Beckley soon will start con
struction on a new five-room clinic,
which will be located behind his
present clinic at 1522 Cushman.
The new clinic, designed by
Wayne White, will have a waiting
room, an office, and two operating
rooms.
The building, which will front on
Stacia St., will be of block and
aluminum siding.
Beckley hopes to have his new
building completed by the middle
or end of July.
Business Up For
Process Servers
Alaska State criminal and civil
prcyaases serv^d^uring the first
‘TfuanpCwr.of J4r&2 increased 31 per
*verr^iose served during the
same quarter last year, according
to Commissioner of Public Safety
Martin Underwood.
Officers of the Alaska State Police
service section served a total of
3,699 processes during the three
month period. Prooerty seizure
during the same period was up 48
[ per cent over that of last year,
| with a total of $63R 158 in property
seized by court order.
i —_ - -
Alaskan Beauties To Seek
Statewide Title On May 5
Three Alaskan beauties will vie here this week for the title
of Miss Alaska and a chance to represent Alaska at the Miss
Universe Contest in Miami Beach this July.
The 1962 Miss Alaska Pageant will be presented by members
| of the Community Recreation League on May 5.
The combined Pageant and Coro-*
nation Ball will be held at the Elks
Club.
Competing for the beauty title
will be Georgianna Harwood, Miss
Fairbanks: Teresa Hanson, Miss
Anchorage: and Patricia Green,
Miss Matanuska Valley.
Carnival Queen
Georgianna was selected Miss
Fairbanks during the Miss Fair
banks Pageant, which was held
during the Winter Carnival.
Teresa was the 19C1 Fur Rendez
vous Queen, and has been selected
to represent Anchorage this year.
In addition, she was a 1961 Junior
Miss, and 1961 Miss Red Feather.
The 19-year-old blond Ss five
feet five inches tall and measures
36-23-36. She is presently a student
at Alaska Methodist University and
has had extensive training in ballet.
Pat was a 1961 contestant for
Matanuska Valley Fair Queen, and
was named to represent the Valley
area, Pat, a 5'7” redhead, is a stu
dent at the University of Alaska.
Her hobbies include writing' and
singing.
Chairman Nampd
Chairman of this year’s pageant
is Geneva Pumpl - tf n ni ■ -
rations chairman Dolly Riewe, en
tertainmcnt chairman Colleen Bucy,
and ticket chairman Marion Strait.
Community Recreation League
members explained that the reason
for the separation between the Miss
Fairbanks and the Miss Alaska Con
tests this year was due to the time
factor. The group took over the two
contests t* rly this year and did not
feel they would be able to contact
all the other beauty queens through
out the State in time to assure their
entrance in the contest.
The theme for the Coronation Ball
will be Northern Lights.
Tickets for the combined Pageant
and ball will be S3. Tickets for the
ball only will be $2.50.
—
Cape Neivenliam
Bids Are Asked
Bids are asked for water supply
and storage facilities construction
at Cape Newenham Air Force Sta
j tion. Alaska.
Sealed bids will be received on
the project until May 10 and then
i opened publicly by the U.S. Army
Engineer District, Alaska.
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PRESERVATIVE PAINT SERVICE
1454 Cushman • PHONt GL 2-2396
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Ranchtone rustic finish . 4.95
1 4" brush . 5.98
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1 7" roller and cover.98
1 7" tray .‘...79
9x12 wrop cloths (plastic) .69
Complete Stock of Supplies