Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-04-16
COL. A. T. BLISS,
Candidate for the Republican Nomination
for Governor Of Michigan.

ASA SovSA 0SS W SS&SAAA6oSs
Not In the United States is there
truer comrade, or one who is more
ideally type of the Union volun-
teer, than Col. A. T. Bliss, of Sagi-
nav, Mich. He was born In 1897, on
his fathers farm, near Smithfeld,
Madison county, N. Y, and in 1851
enlisted as private In the 10th N.
Y. Cav He was promoted, for good
reasons, to sergeant, second lieuten-
ant, first lieutenant and captain.
While leading a pick ed body Of men
on a desperate expedition, he was at
tackled, severe y wounded, and cap
tured. The Official Roster OF the
Volunteer Otfic r., issued about the
close OF the war, has him reported
killed. On the contrary. he Is one Of
the livest men under the shadow Of
the flag. After six months of i'm
prisOument at Andersonville, Charles
ton and Macon, he succeeded in max
ing his escape from the latter place,
and by eighteen nights of hard and
hazardous travelling reached our lines,
and was welcomed In his regiment as
one risen from the grave At the
close Of the war he went to Saginaw,
Mich, and entered the lumber bust
ness, beginning on the lowest rung Of
the ladder. by working In the woods
as a laborer, and afterward as fore
man. He invested his earnings
wisely, and soon began to forge to the
front His business grew, until he
has been for years the employer Of
from 400 to 500 men. and his opera
tions have been extended and sue
cessful. He has always remembered
his own beginnings In his dealings
with his employees, and treated them
with such justice and li5erality that
they are all devoted to him.
He has been active and helpful In
all that contributed to the upbuild-
ing of the community around him.
While president Of bank he started
q savings bank for the working peo-
pie, and developed it to one Of the
strongest and soundest institutions
of the kind in the country, and is
now its president He served eleven
years on the Saginaw City School
Board; was an invaluable promoter
of the building of the Michigan Sol
diers' Home, and has been for five
years its treasurer. He has been
prominent in the Prisoner OF War
Association and the G, A. X. He
has always been an earnest Republi-
can. He lived in Democratic ward,
and to promote his party's iinterests
he accepted the nomination Of super
visor, and later Of alderman, being
both times triumphantly elected by
the votes of his Democratic neigh
bors, who admired him. Still later
he was a candidate for senator In
that Democratic district, and elect.
ed. In 1888 the Republicans Of the
Eighth Congressional District wanted
to beat Timothy Tarsney, who seemed
to have q mortgage upon 1t, and they
induced Col Bliss to accept the nom-
nation against him, which he did,
though the chances were desperate.
But he was elected, and made one of
the most business like and efficient
members of the 51st Congress. He
was q stanch advocate of the McKin-
lev Bill, and his speech In support of
IL was q model of the practical, bust
ness like view. Two years ago Col.
A. T. Bliss was candidate for the
Gubernatorial nomination, and re-
ceived . strong support, but there de-
veloped particular reasons why Gov.
Rich should receive the nomination,
whereupon Bliss and his friends
Joined heartily in support Of his
nomination. National Tribune