The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-09
DISTINGUISHED MICHIGAN MAN.


Nicaragua Canal and Poiitics.
distinguished party from Saginaw is
at the Rainier hotel, consisting of Mr.. w.
r. Burt, his sons. Mr.. G. W. Burt and Mr..
g. Il. Burt. Mr.. +. Lawrence and Mr.. r.
Payne. Mr. Payne is connected with the
Home National bank, of Saginaw I;
Mr.. Lawrence formerly owned the Sag
NAV Courier and is now mayor of the
city; Mr.. G. r. Burt is in the Home bank,
and Mr.. G. W. Burt is auditor of the Gin
cinnati, Saginaw IL .Mackinac railroad.
The elder Mr.. Burt is one of the distin-
guished men of Michigan, having been
the Democratic candidate for governor in
1885,
He came to the state thirty years ago,
and went into the lumber business. I'm
those times" said he, "lumber was as
abundant in Michigan as it is here; and
we destroyed it quite as recklessiy as you
are doing-burned it up or threw 1t away
to get rid of it. / can remember when
you could get for 20 cents thou
sand such timber as you now pay
from So to $40 for. But the lumber Is 60
ing rapidly now, and the Michigan men
are beginning to turn their eyes toward
Washington and buy up the timber lands
here. You will undoubtedly be called
upon before long to take Michigan's place
in supplying the country with lumber. At
present railroad freights are too high
to enable you to ship
very much lumber to the
far East. But the building of the Near
aqua canal will make a great difference.
When You can load this fine fir of yours
on ships here and send them quickly to
the Atlantic ports, you will begin to enter
in earnest the New York and New Eng
land markets, and this state will go ahead
as it never has before.
Il should think your representatives in
congress would urge more strongly the
government support of the Nicaragua
canal enterprise. / know that if the Pa
cihc coast members should make an
earnest effort, many from the middle West
and indeed from all over would join in a
movement to have the United States guar
antee the canal bonds. You certainly
need the canal"
Mr.. Burt has been extremely successful
in business. For sixteen years he was
president of the Michigan Salt Association,
the great corporation controlling nearly
every salt works in Michigan. and supply
ing most of the salt used in the
country. From this Office he resigned
only last spring. He built the line of
railroad between Saginaw and the Grand
Trunk-the Cincinnati, Saginaw and
Grand Trunk. The road is now leased to
the Grand Trunk. Mr.. Burt also founded
the Home National bank, and is now presi-
dent of that institution.
In speaking of politics he said: "The
Democrats of Michigan as whole are
for Cleveland for president, though a
strong minority are against him. His
views on the tariff are little too radical.
The Michigan Democrats believe in tariff
reform, in tariff for revenue
but not in free trade. The Mill;
bill displeased them because
ii did not lower the articles they manu-.
facture. hut rather put them on the free
list. When Cleveland ran for president
ran for governor, and received 1900 OIL
5000 votes more, not on account of personal
popularity. but because it was generally
known that l favored a low protective
tariff"