The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1902-09-27
STORY or The MAN.
interesting Account Of the oiver Of the
Tribute 10 Dead Soldiers.

llDuke 10 Btdu ogloltiS'
Governor A. T.. Bliss has been a resi-.
dent of Michigan since the fall OF 1868,
when he made his home in Saginaw,
fresh from nearly three and half
years OF service I'm the Union armies
Quiet and unassuming always APP.
proachablc and friendly the governor
has a life story crowned with human
interest and fully illustrative Of the
saying that nothing Is impossible TO q
wife-awake. energetic American boy
tie was borne on a farm In Madison
county in old New York state As
q SIS ST.. Ola enough 10 work be
'cgan doing chores and attended The
-9C@t-y acol nearby when he could
be spared
When he was II he left home and
began Clcrking In "a store gt BOuck
vile. where he was when the great
civil war began. and President LIN
cold issued his call for troops. n
went 20 the front and aid his duty as
patriot rising 10 the rank OF cap.
tain. and then in an unlucky battle was
captured and became prisoner IN the
hands OF the enemy.
While In prison he cast his
Second Vote For Abraham Lincoln.
undaunted by the jailor's & i'm hints
that the presidents reelection meant
prolonged prison life and perhaps a
grave on the hillside for the men who
cast the black bean, which was tiiI
Lincoln prison ballot. For six month";
be suffered the torments OF prison,
md then after several fi".tlrsa az
tempts he escaped from Columbia pas.
on. For eighteen weary days and
nights be stumbled through the pctits
which beset him, hnany aching The
Union lines near Savannah Dec -,
nearly starved.
"Old Glory waving above our lines
that day was the grandett sight ! ever
saw" he said simply, to comraae
the other day.
When the war was over he came ~
Michigan and began his life as q lH"''
herman. lie went into the woods,
and the foreman who gave him work
put the future governor at driving
horses. Full OF ambition TO succeed IN
his new life, and full OF pluck he TOOK
up his life work again. often In the
winter mornings he saw the snow on
his bed coverings, where it had drift.
ed In through the cracks in the shan,y
which sheltered him and his fellows
In less than three years he had
saved enough TO warrant him IN get
ting married, and his thoughts tray.
eled back 20 New York state. where
the daughter Of an old neighbor was
waiting for him, true 20 the pledge
she gave him when he Joined the ranks
OF the Tenth New York Heavy Cav
airy. March 81, 1868. he married
Albseba NJ Phelps OF S0lsvlllc. Madi
son county New York. daughter of
Ambrose Phelps. They have no chill
drcn. The scope OF his business en-
terprises gradually enlarged until to-
day Il embraces. besides the manufat.
ture OF. lumber and salt banking, mer
camille and farm enterprises. giving
employment 10 large numbNs Of meu
His operations have contributed nd.
terially % the prosperity OF the Sas
NAV Valley.
Always n stalwart Republican,
Many Public Honors
have bccn conferred npon him. he
has served tho city as Alderman su
perTisor and member Of the board ~
education. In 1852 De represented The
Twenty senatorial district tSas.
inaW) in thn United States senate
When che hoard - organize and ID
cate The Michigan soldiers I0m
cor tWnd De Was member anal
sorFd thrgn until he nte1
FiI 0nfEc r1urcrntrH
EIrEB dIrtlft while
secured ho npron t.du
tte I'D ll d