The Lamar register., 1922-11-29
LAMAR PIONEER DIES
A. +. Bent, One of This City's Most
Prominent Early Leaders Died
Last Friday in Denver.


Lamar friends knew that he had been
severely i'll for some weeks, yet it was
with distinct shock and great sense
OF loss that they heard of his death
Mt his home in Denver last Friday
morning. His brother, J. w. Bent, and
wife had been called to Denver the
day before on news OF his having sus-
tanned the second paralytic ctroke, but
they failed to reach his bedside be-
fore his death. Mr.. Bent had not only
been prominent in the states business
life and politics, but for years he was
one of the leaders of every effort made
for the advancement of Lamar and his
name will ever be indelibly linked with
the history of our city.
Alfred Ernest Bent was born in New
Brunswick, Canada, August ~, 1862,
and the family moved to Girard, Kan
si.s, when he was but boy He early
engaged in business there and in Kan
s;is City and while he was but young
aAaAAl Vi - y NsAi tlN Nsllii' ~
mar in the summer of 1886, he was al
ready an experienced business man.
lie at once entered enthusiastically in
to the business and social life of the
new magic city, and organized the A.
L. Bent g. Co. land agency, which be-
came one of the leading real estate
la. Of tha .it.s LaHt a1en
one of the chief organizers of the
Lotus club, the first social organize
tion of the city. He was at the age
of % in April, 1855, elected as the
city's third mayor, and took a prom
inent part in the work of holding up
the city during the slump that came
with the collapse of the western boom
in '6S and 'S9. He was one of two
or three leading irrigation promoters
of the valley. and It was through his
efforts that the Lamar canal was put
through, and the small bitches south
OF town united in one organization,
which were afterwards organized into
Aut IOtN HNENNill- vas itNNAN-
er appointed by the court for both the
Lamar canal and what is now the Fort
Lyon canal and did much TO secure the
permanent work which now makes
them two of the leading systems of
the county. He was president for sew
eral years of the Lamar Commercial
Club and active in its work when it
was the main factor in building up
Lamar. He was the original owner
and promoter of both the Lamar tele-
phone system and electric light plant,
and interested in every other effort to
build up our city. In the big scrap
which centered around Governor Pea
body Mr.. Bent made his entry into
state politics and took an active part
in that fierce contest. He was elect
ed state auditor in 1904 and in 1906
state treasurer. He retired from poll
tics then to devote his whole attention
to the development of electric light
plants, and was still engaged in that
NbIh NJ llAt vi MS
He was a man of strong character,
fine business acumen, public spirit
ed citizen, and a good friend, one who
will always be held in high esteem by
his many old time Lamar friends. He
was twice married. First to Miss
Maude Black of Lamar in 1888, to
which union one son, Donald Bent, was
born. She died in Lamar in 1892, and
in 1895 he married Miss Edith Stan
ley of La Junta. To this union was
born two sons. The widow and all
three sons survive to mourn his loss.
He was prominent in secret society
organizations, especially the Masonic
order, and had been prominent in La
mar Lodge and Orient Chapter here,
having for several years been High
Priest of the latter. The funeral scrv-
ice was held in Denver on Sunday af-
ternoon.