The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-08-12
OUR CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS.
Something About Him.
From the Saginaw Herald.

|
Among the many brilliant oung men OF
Michigan, who during the past decade have
pushed to the front, in the great progressive
march of humanity, none deserve greater
commendation for well earned popularity
than William ). Linton, who was born in
the city of st. Clair, Mich, Feb, 4, 1856.
and is consequently natural product of the
Wolverine State, and one of which she is
justly proud. He comes of grand old Eng
lish stock, being lineal descendant of John
Linton, (who was born in Yorkshire, Eng.
educated at Oxford college, afterwards be-
coming the warm friend and admirer of Will
liam Penn who landed in the city of Phil
adelphia, NOy. s, 1892, just 10 years after
Penn's first visit to his colony. John Lin
ton and his wife, Rebecca Relf, were the
prOgenitors of a line of descendants who for
the past 200 years in America have through
all succeeding generations had their men of
mark, to make their name hOnOred and
prominent, the best known member of the
family today being Elizabeth Linton's son,
Hon. Benjamin ButterwOrth, for years Gin
cinnati's well known congressman, and who
declined denomination in order to become
the present secretary of the Worlds COlum-
bian exhibition at Chicago.
In the early boyhood days of William S.
Linton his parents removed to the Saginaw
valley, and settled on the west side of the
river of that name and afterwards building
a residence on the east side. At that time
the widest dream of the most sanguine
failed to see In the future years the phenom-
enal change which was destined to convert
the swamps and bayOus of Saginaw into the
great mercantile and manufacturing center
today beheld Yet Mr. Linton was one of
those far-seeing few who could discern the
coming greatness and corresponding pros
perity attendant upon the efforts and ener-
gleS OF the pioneers who together labOred to
rescue the cultivated and prosperous from
the wild unpromising past. He accordingly
entered upon the milling business and en-
gagged in numbering, both however, on a
scale suited to the questionable conditions
of the locality.
Here the young boyhood of William S.
was passed. His educational advantages
were confined to the city schools, which,
however, were from the very inception of
Saginaw, even when but a numbering ham,
let of a superior character, fact speaking
loudly in favor of the liberal ideas of the
pioneers of Saginaw.
In his young manhood, in fact while still in
his teens, Mr.. Linton began life as clerk in
general store, where he was early imbuded
with the ideas and experiences which have
since served 20 make him successful busi-
ness man. His father having by this time
extended his numbering interests to the viii
lage of Farewell, Mich, and having there
a large sawmill, young Linton was placed
| in charge of the same and proved ably sue
cessful in the management of the business.
His success here and elsewhere served
to arrest the attention of the late Thomas
| Nester, at that time extensively numbering
i'm ROscOmmOn, Gladwin and Bay counties
ana shipping lumber from Wells, Bay county
now Alger, Arenac county. In charge of
this department of Mr.. Nester's business he
was placed. This was evidently the pivotal
point in the business career of the young
man and served to bring more prominently
to the surface the talent and ability born
and bred in him. Here, while at Alger he
had his first taste of political preferment,
having been twice elected supervisor of the
township, before reaching his twenty-secOnd
year. AS a business man he also continued
to grow i'm favor, till he was finally promOt-
ed to the general superintendency of Mr..
Nester's extensive plant at Alger, at that
time representing an immense investment.
This responsible position he continued to
hold until the growth of his fathers busi-
ness demanded his presence and assistance.
In 1878 he accordingly resigned his place
with Mr.. Nester and returned to Saginaw
where he entered Tito partnership with his
father and brother in.lumber manufacturing,
under. the firm name of Aaron Linton q Sons,
which was subsequently merged into cor
pOratiOn known as the Linton Manufacture
ing company, having large plant and pro
ducing an enormous yearly output of salt,
lumber, doors, sash, blindS mouldings,
packing boxes, ETC., and located in the sixth
ward of Saginaw. In 1883 w. s. Linton
was elected alderman of his ward and was the
youngest member of the common council.
AS member of some of the most important
committees on the board Mr.. Linton
displayed the initials of that legislative alb
ility he has since strongly manifested, and
while being man of few words, he could
always arrest and chain attention by terse
sensible method of presenting his points.
In 1886 he was chosen representative TO the
state legislature, being the only republican
elected on the Saginaw ticket.
In the legislature his record Is a highly
honorable one. Among the enactments which
he introduced and with which his name
is strongly Unidentified, may be mentioned
the bill for the incorporation and regulation
of building and loan associations, and under
which wise and provident act nearly every
town and city i'm the state has today one OF
more of these associations. In his own city
Mr.. Linton was for three years president
of the Peoples Building and Loan associa.
tion, the largest and strongest financially of
any i'm the state.
But like others he has had his serious
business reverses. In 1887 while in the full
tide of prosperity fire destroyed his mill
which within an hour lay a heap of smoking
ruins. Then it was that the stubborn per-
sistency of father and sons was manifested
and refusing all assistance Qiberally tender
ed) of pecuniary character, they at once
began to rebuild and were again soon il
running order, and in better form than evel
before. The business as previously stated
was finally merged into the present eXten-
sive concern, of which w. S. Linton is one
of the managers.
Mr. Linton's political party fully recog
nizo his ability. and the republican conven
ton of 1890 gave him the nomination TO
lieutenant governor. The democratic sue
cess of that fall election, of course involved
the defeat of the republican state candi
l,,,t Mr. \ inf haA tho honor N RIM