Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-08-01
Wellington R. Burt. the Democratic
Nominee for Governor.

From the Saginaw Courier.
Was born in Genesee county, n. Y,
OH August &c, 1882. When he was
years old his parents moved to Jack.
son county, Michigan, and began the
work of clearing and making new
home. He was the oldest child of a
large family and when he was only 13
years of age his father died leaving
him to become general manager and
provider.
The life of Il farmer was II vigorous
reality to him all through his youth
and early manhood. He attended
district school in Jackson county, one
year at the Albion academy, and one
year at Michigan Central College at
Spring Arbor.
At the age of % he left the farm
and set out to see something Of the
world In the course of his wander
ings he visited Australia, Van Die
mans Land, New Zealand, the Chin
cha Islands and South America, be-
ing variously employed as sailor,
miner and a contractor. After three
years he returned to Michigan with
large experience and small purse
He had seen the world and was salts
fed to come home to stay
Northern Michigan was then just
fairly waking to the Importance of
her resources as a numbering terrific
nv, and Mr.. Burt, % and full of ener-
gy, started north. He located 800
acres of Government land in Gratiot
county and began the work of making
farm in what was then a wilderness.
In the winter of 1857 he went into
lumber camp with promise of S13
per month for his work. At the end
of the first month he was made fore
man of the camp with promise of
S26 per month, and there labored five
months where now stands the thriving
village of St. Louis. In the year 1858
he determined to go into the lumber
ing business for himself, and with that
object in view located in East Sagi-
nav, which has been his home ever
since.
He erected large mill and salt
works at Melbourne, eight miles be-
low this city, which was destroyed by
fire II years ago, involving "A loss Of
100000. The firm then purchased
the New York Works, mill and salt
block at Milwaukee, which they oper-
ated year or two when he disposed
81 his interest in the concern to Ham
ilton, Mcclure d Co. He owns two
mills at Grand Marias, Lake Superb
or, n planning mill and lumber yard at
Buffalo, extensive pine lands in Mich
igan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and
n cattle aud sheep ranch in Texas.
His interests as lumberman led
him INTO the shipping business and he
largely invested in vessel property.
As lumberman he also became
salt manufacturer and when the de-
velopnIent of that interest brought
about the the formation of the Michi-
gan Salt Association in 1878 Mr..
Burt was elected its president, which
office he has filled with marked abili-
" to the present time.
The only political office ever held
by Mr. Burt was that of Mayor of
East Saginaw in 1867.
In 1886 his friends in the Saginaw
Valley made an effort to secure for
him the nomination for Governor on
the Democratic ticket, but in the con
vention held at Grand Rapids fusion
with the Greenback party resulted
and under that arrangement the
Greenbackers were permitted to name
candidates, and Mr.. Burt's name was
withdrawn.
Mr.. Burt has always been popular
with the laboring masses. His early
life and struggles rs workingman
created n bond of sympathy with the
honest aud industrious toiler that has
strengthened with the lapse of years,
and no citizen in the Saginaw Valley
is more easy of access to the sons of
toll and his purse is ever open to the
call of worthy charity.
He is public spirited, liberal and
progressive. The splendid Academy
Of Music at East Saginaw, greeted at
cost of s75, 900, was largely the re-
suit of his enterprise and energy He
is one of the foremost men at present
engaged in giving the Saginaw Valley
new railway connection with the
; outside world-the Toledo, Saginaw
& Mackinaw-the iron upon which is
now being laid between East Saginaw
and Durand, connecting at the latter
place with the Grand Trunk system
and with the Toledo, Ann Arbor d
North Michigan. In fact, Mr.. Burt's
, name i, identified with nearly every
project that has added to the develop.
ment aod prosperity of this section of
the State.
, Mr.. Bnri's personal character is
> stainless, and no citizen of the Sagi-
nav Valley is held in greater esteem
10y all glasses uf people.