PERCY ROSS: BETTER TO GIVE... AND GIVE... AND GIVE

Although the Southeast Missourian never carried Percy Ross' "Thanks a Million" column, many folks in this area had heard of it or had seen it in one of the 800 newspapers nationwide where it was a fixture until last month.

The Percy Ross story would make a good movie. He is the son of immigrant parents and grew up in rural Michigan. In 1936 he went to work in Duluth, Minn., and made -- and lost -- a small fortune. But in 1969 he sold one of his companies for $8 million. He invested wisely, and his nest egg grew. And grew. And grew.

After giving away a thousand bicycles at a holiday party in 1970, Ross said he felt so good that he came up with the idea of a newspaper column. Readers told Ross why they needed money, and Ross decided if he wanted to give it to them.

He did. Over 17 years Ross gave away between $20 million and $30 million. Now the money is gone. He and his wife have just had their first vacation -- a cruise paid for by their children -- in years.

A well-deserved vacation at that. Thanks a million, Percy Ross.