Albert Miller Rousseau, for the past four and a half years editor, owner, and moving spirit of this paper, passed peacefully to his reward at 1:30 o'clock Monday morning at his home in this place, his death terminating an illness which began Monday, October 11, when he suffered a stroke of apoplexy. All that medical skill could suggest proved futile and after four weeks he quietly passed to the bourne from whence no traveler returns.
Mr. Rousseau was born at Knoxville, Iowa, January 1, 1855, making him nearly 65 years of age at the time of his death. While yet a child he accompanied his parents to California where he grew to manhood. In his youth he learned the trade of printer, which avocation he followed all of his life. In 1889 he, with E. J. White, formerly of this place, founded a paper at Sumner, Washington, which they conducted for several years. In 1898 Mr. Rousseau came north and followed his trade for two years at Skagway, bringing with him his wife and two small boys. In 1900 he came to the then prosperous town of Bennett where he edited and managed a small daily paper for Dr. P. F. Scharschmidt for a few months, coming on to Whitehorse that fall and, in company with the late Samuel McEacheren, founded this paper, which they ran as a daily for a number of years. In 1904 Mr. Rousseau sold his interest in the Daily Star and removed with his family to the State of Washington. Twelve years later he returned to Whitehorse and, with his son, Lovell C. Rousseau, purchased the paper from E. J. White, who had acquired it on the death of Mr. McEacheren in 1906.
From the time he returned to Whitehorse this man who had led the vanguard of journalism in northern British Columbia and Southern Yukon, was on the job every week with the exception of a short visit to the outside this fall, and from which he returned only five days before being stricken.
On taking over the paper in 1916 Mr. Rousseau succeeded E. J. White as American consular agent at this place, which position he filled with credit both to the American government and himself and which position he still held when summoned to a higher realm.
In addition to his wife, who carefully nursed him through his final illness, the deceased is survived by four children, all married, an elder daughter by a former marriage, Mrs. E. E. Beamer of Los Angeles, Lovell C. of San Francisco, Albert A. of Singapore, India, and Henrietta, now Mrs. H. C. Taylor of Saskatchewan. The latter, on receipt of a wire announcing the serious illness of her father, left immediately, accompanied by her husband, en route to Whitehorse, but they were stopped at Vancouver by a wire announcing his death and burial.
The funeral was held yesterday at 10:30 from the Presbyterian church, the simple but beautiful and impressive formula of the Christian Science church being observed, Mrs. W. C. Sime being in charge as reader. Mrs. C. W. Cash rendered an appropriate solo, "The City Foursquare." The twelve pall bearers, six active and six honorary, were all oldtime associates of the deceased, all being residents of twenty years or more in Whitehorse. Burial was in the local cemetery. As a tribute to him who was a landmark of the town, all business was suspended during the funeral hour. The floral offerings were many and the casket was literally buried in natural flowers, some from friends in, Skagway but mostly local. The exercises both at the church and grave were largely attended. And, Albert Miller Rousseau sleeps 'neath the waving pines of the far northland that to him was the best and most beloved country on earth.
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