Douglas Island news., 1919-02-14
HELPED MANY
 TO GREAT WEALTH
John Rosene, Who Died Recently in Seattle, Started Many Alas
 kan Enterprises

John Roscnc. pioneer promoter of corporations responsible for the carly development of Alaska. the man who. in fact. interested the GuggonhcIm capital in the northern territory. died early in the morning of January 2Gth of heart disease at his apartments ut The Ben Lomond, lO2T Bellevue Court Although m for some time, he did not take Co his bed until two days before his death. Al his bedside were his daughter. Mrs p. C. White, and his son, John Rosenc Jr. Mrs. Rosenc died eight years ago. The funeral win Doc held from the Bonncy-Watson uarlors.
 The history of Alaska, said Mir. Roscue's friends, will disclose prob ably mo individual who ever accom- plshcd SO much towards loosenIng tbc purse strings of capital for the development of Alaska's industries. His touch brought veritablc horde of gold for these purposes from tho Guggcnhcims, from Russian finan- cal men and from Seattle residents. Hc made fortunes for many; he never did profit to any great extent himself yet he was almost invari- ably thc titlular head of all the cor poratious which he organized.
 Tho gold rush to the Yukon in 1896 caught Mir. Roscno in its swirl. Born ou a farm near Christiania. Norway. 1861, Inc took to Che sea at uu early age and eventually driftcd to Che United States. "Drifted" is literally correct. for Inc was rescued
 rom a shipwrcck and taken to Phil adelnha in 1880. He was engaged m he grocery business there when the gold rush occurred following the 1896 discovery. He was one of thc narly arrivals ut Dawson.
 The commercial aspects of the sit uation struck Mir Roseuc as most significant. SO instead of becoming a soId-diggar he went out to find the capital that would develop the ter utory thc whole territory in fact. Uc interested thc Gurgcnhcims carly fu the day. That capital is still the largest represented in Alaska dcvcl- onmcut He also received backing from such men as J. D Trcnholmc, Moritz Thomson W. D. IIofius and others In time Inc obtained sub stauual backing from Russian capi- tal
 As result of these activities, the following are some of the corpora- tC.- he organized and of which he. wr. president always at the incCp- lion of che movement: Northwestern commercial Company of Seattle; Northwestern Lightcragc Company of Nome: Northeastern Siberian Co. Ltd. of St Petersburg; Northwest em Steamship Company Ltd, of Seattle: Northwestern Fisheries Co.,. lf Seattle; Copper River & North western Railway and the Seward Peninsula Railway Company. The steamship company became the AL aska Steamship Company and the. fisheries corporation was absorbed bv the Booth Fisheries Company
 During an the time he was bring ing Guggenhcim capital into practi- cauy au of his ventures. the actual representative on the directorate board was the late Capt D. II. Jarvis. of Seattle.
 At Che time of his death, Mir. Ro- scnc was interested in a railroad safety appliance. He had offices in tho Pioneer building, and was at his dcsl, as late as Jan. 23rd. The. last several years. however. he had spent most of his time in New York City.
 His last venture in the North was tho organization Of the Northern Exploration and Development Com pany, which is still in existence.
 Mir. Roscnc was a member of the Rainier Club. the Arctic Club and the Alaska Pioneers Society. He was a Knight Templar and a shrinor in his Masonic affiliations.
 The death of the Alaska pioneer occurred on the thirty-third anniver- sary of his marriage to Miss Mary A. Corlins of DeKalb, m. lt was
 also the eighth anniversary of tho
 marriage of his only daughter, who
 ls the wife of Major Perciyal Gordon
 White. at present in charge of an .A E. F. evacuation hospital in
 France.