Siskiyou
County
Biographies
PAUL A. ROSS
Paul
A. Ross, foreman of the Southern Pacific roundhouse at Weed, is a man of
unusual qualifications in mechanics, his specialty being steam boilers, in
relation to which he is regarded as an expert.
He is a man of wide experience, having visited practically every part of
the globe, and his record is marked by a number of thrilling and sometimes
unpleasant incidents. Born in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 12, 1886, he is a son of Herman and Augusta
(Evert) Ross. His father, who is of
Scotch-German stock, was born in West Prussia, Germany, and as a young boy, in
1820, came to the United States, settling in Germantown, Pennsylvania. He was a blacksmith by trade and also did
considerable farming. In later years he
and his wife returned to Prussia, where they inherited some property, and his
death occurred at Kiel, at the age of one hundred and three years. He is survived by his widow, who is now over
ninety years of age. They became the
parents of seven children: Hulda, the wife of William Stark, a shoemaker; Ida, the
wife of Hans Knapp, a tailor; Paul A; Gretchen, deceased; William, who is a
machinist in government employ in Germany, being connected with the street car
system in Hamburg; Gretchen, the wife of Richard Stanitz,
who runs a factory and store at Nurnberg, Germany; and Wilhelmina, deceased.
Paul
A. Ross received his early education in the grade schools of Germantown,
Pennsylvania, and did not learn the English language until fifteen years of
age, his early instruction having been received in German schools. Subsequently he took three courses in the
International Correspondence School, covering navigation, engineering and boiler
making. He went to work in New York City
in a machine shop, serving as a sweeper for one month, after which he began to
learn the boiler making trade, the principles of which he had already
studied. His wages were small and in
order to assist in meeting his expenses he got the job of setting up pins in a
bowling alley, which job he held throughout his four years of apprenticeship. While employed in that machine shop Mr. Ross
was the principal mechanic in the making of a miniature locomotive, about three
feet long, complete in all of its parts.
This engine has been on exhibition ever since and will be exhibited at
the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933. It
cannot be sold without Mr. Ross’ consent, as he owns it and intends to give it
to his daughter. Its construction was
approved by the Masters’ Union of New York City.
After
finishing his apprenticeship as a boilermaker, Mr. Ross entered the employ of
the Baumert Cheese Company, looking after the boilers
in the factory at Watertown, New York, and other places. Later he went to Tampico, Mexico, where his
uncle owned a large property, known as El Blancho
Rancho. He and three companions
attempted to make the journey to the ranch on foot, but in the jungle country
they ran out of provisions and water.
They buried two of the party who died en route, and Mr. Ross was set
upon and badly beaten by Mexicans, who left him lying by a roadside, dead as
they thought. However, an old Mexican
woman rescued him and nursed him back to health, over a period of three
months. He finally reached his uncle’s
ranch, where he served as foreman over Mexican employees for two and a half
years. His relations with the Mexicans
were none too pleasant and finally, after having been stabbed twice and shot
once, he resigned and returned to the United States. In 1906 he returned to New York City and
enlisted in the navy, in which his experiences were more pleasant. He made a trip around the world on the United
States steamship “Tennessee,” and visited all foreign countries, including
Panama. Later he spent two years in Porto
Rico and three months in Jamaica. In
1912 he came to California, locating first in Los Angeles, where he secured
work as a boilermaker for the Southern Pacific Railroad, remaining there until
1917. He then came to Weed and entered
the employ of the Weed Lumber Company, now the Long-Bell Lumber Company,
serving as boiler inspector for five years, or until 1922, when he went to work
again for the Southern Pacific Railroad and is now in charge of the roundhouse
at Weed, a very responsible job, but one for which he is well qualified.
In
1912 Mr. Ross was united in marriage to Miss Annabell
Berthelemy, who was born in Paris, of French
parentage, but was reared in London, England.
Her father, Henry Berthelemy, was at one time
the owner of the Hotel Tavern in London.
Mr. and Mrs. Ross are the parents of a daughter, Katharina A. M., who is
now attending high school in Weed.
Politically Mr. Ross is a Democrat and takes a live interest in public
affairs. He is a member of the Improved
Order of Red Men, of which he is press agent; and the Loyal Order of Moose, of
which he is a past dictator and has been secretary for the past five
years. Since 1914 he has been a
communicant of the Roman Catholic Church.
He fluently speaks three languages, English, German and Spanish. In 1926 Mr. Ross and his family went by
automobile to Tampico, Mexico, where he visited scenes of his former unpleasant
experiences. He is greatly interested in
everything that concerns the progress and welfare of his community and is
recognized as a man of sterling character, wide information and commendable
traits, commanding the respect of all who know him.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 2 Pages 232-234. Pioneer Historical
Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Siskiyou County Biographies