Louis Blaustein, Oil Magnate, Philanthropist, Dead at 68

LOUIS BLAUSTEIN OF BALTIMORE, PROMINENT IN THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY, DIED HERE YESTERDAY AT THE AGE OF 68, OF CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE. MRS. BLAUSTEIN, THEIR SON JACOB, AND THEIR DAUGHTERS, MRS. ALVIN THALHEIMER AND MRS. HENRY A. ROSENBERG, WERE WITH HIM AT THE END.

MR. BLAUSTEIN CAME TO NEW YORK AS AN IMMIGRANT IN 1883, AND ENTERED THE OIL BUSINESS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY — PEDDLING KEROSENE IN CANS FROM A HORSE-DRAWN BUGGY. LATER HE WENT TO WORK FOR THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY IN BALTIMORE, WORKING HIS WAY UP THROUGH EXECUTIVE POSITIONS UNTIL HE ACCUMULATED A SMALL CAPITAL AND STARTED HIS OWN AMERICAN OIL COMPANY IN 1910.

THE BUSINESS GREW UNTIL ITS FILLING STATIONS WERE TO BE SEEN ALONG EVERY ROADSIDE FROM MAINE TO FLORIDA. IT OWNED VAST REFINERIES, STEAMSHIP TERMINALS AND FLEETS OF TANK TRUCKS. IN 1924 THE PAN-AMERICAN PETROLEUM AND TRANSPORT COMPANY BOUGHT A HALF INTEREST IN THE BLAUSTEIN FIRM FOR $5,000,000.

IN THE LAST TWENTY-FIVE YEARS MR. BLAUSTEIN HAD CONTRIBUTED LARGELY TO CHARITY, MOST OF HIS DONATIONS BEING ANONYMOUS.

MR. BLAUSTEIN MARRIED MISS HENRIETTA GITTLESON, OF AN OLD BALTIMORE FAMILY, IN 1890. HIS SON, JACOB BLAUSTEIN, WHO WAS WITH HIS FATHER IN THE OIL BUSINESS FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY.