The Alaska daily empire., 1915-07-13
COL. BLETHEN
 DIES AT HIS
 SEATTLE HOME

SEATTLE. July ls-col, Alden J. Blethen, principal owner and editor in-chief oi. the Seattle Daily Times. passed from earth at l:4O o'clock yesterday afternoon, after an acute Illness that has continued for more than six months. Death was at his Highland Drive home on Queen Anne hiE. Several times within the last few weeks his life had been. dispaired or, and last Saturday afternoon his family and physicians announced that be could not survive the night Death came on the last day of the 10th year Of Col Ble,hen's control of the Sea.tle Times. of which he became the directing head July iS. 1886
 Col Blethen's illness began with @ severe attack of To grippe about Christmas time. He loft for Southern California. and then went East In search of health Getting worse. he returned home at Seattle where he made the last. long and stubborn. but unsuccessful stand against death
 Col Blethen is survived by @ widow and two sons and two daughters an of whom were stockholders in the Times Printing Co. and the Times In- vestment Co.. which owns all Of the Blethen properties except the Times. The eldest son. Joseph Blethen. is publisher of the Seattle Times. and the other. Clarence B Blethen, Is managing editor ID addition to owning the Times. the Blethens are the owners of more than a halcmnl- ion dollars worth Of Seattle real es- tate, and they have been heavy inves. tors in income paying securities.
 Col Blether came to Seattle in 1896 to investigate the Seattie Times property which he had leasned was for sale at a bargain His New Eng land Bank had failed at Minneapolis. and with 1t went a fortune that he had been Q third of a century in ac- cumulating, SO he was many thous. ands of dollars worse than broke when he undertook. when over 50 years of age. to make another fortune in the news paper business
 Col Blethen's first experience as an owner of city daily newspaper was the Kansas City Journal He sold that property at a large profit and ac- quired thc Minneapolis Tribune In ihe late sos not long after a disas- trous fire in which @ dozen of his em- ployees lost their lives. he sold the Tribune and engaged in banking. fall ing. as stated, after about ten eyars.
 The struggles of the Times with poverty under the Rlethen control were short lived He secured the pa- per in 1896 and supported the Bryan campaign that year The Bryanites swept the State. and the Times gained prestige and circulation. A year af- terward the Klondike rush provided advertising. and prosperity followed. From the money made in the Times Col. Blethen paid or his Minnesota creditors and accumulated an i'm. mense fortune
 The publication of the Times will be continued by Col. Blethen's sons.
 internient will be in Che Blethen lot. on the crest Of beautiful Lakeview cemetery which crowns Capitol Fin.
 Post-luteili9eneer on 8iethen.
 The Post-Intelligencer this morning. editoriaily referring to Col Blethen. characterizes' his as "a picturesque figure who was potential factor in the upbuilding Of the community" It says he achieved great newspaper success, and adds that he was a two sided man the stormy side the public kuew best; the kindly. genHer side was all too little known but 1t will endure iu pleasant memory. and his virtues will be long cherished"