The Detroit times., 1908-06-08

; called the FIRST citizen OF MaLqaet u
and the upper peninsula or that b'
numbered his friends by the legion li
other sections OF the state.
Born in October 1880. In Rome, y
Y. Peter was nine years OLD When
his parents moved 10 Green Bay, Wis
He was II years OF age when news OF
the great copper discoveries M
Houghton county. Lake sup tror
reached Green Bay. The account
fired the Imagination OF the boy. He
ran away from home and started fQI
the promised lpn' which by The was
he did not reach Tor some years after
: ward. and ia the meauGme the Iron
country had claimed him Young
Peter after a voyage 10y water arrived
az Mackinac island and later made his
way 70 the 500. where he endeayored
20 take passage for the copper Couu'
try on the schooner Merchant n VISA
a fortunate thing for him. however.
that he did not have money 20 pay
HIS passage and that the captain ~
fused 20 permit him 10 work his way,
for the boat was lost with al hands.
Comes 20 Detroit.
Young White returned To Mackinac,
bard and made a few trips on her be-
tween Detroit and the 500 before SIZE
finally was lost in Thunder bay. he
boy and the others escaping and Jelns
taken 20 Bay City 10y the old pro-
poller Chicago From there Peter
worked his way 20 Detroit. where Tor
the next year be- was employed a
clerk in jefferson avenue store The
. col r..ffrI htttt "A Q
Mackinac island employed during
summer in the lighthouse service and
in the cold months as store clerk.
and next. although nut 20 years old.
he Joined the expedition which Robert
J. Grayeract led To the iron fields lear
I Marquette
The party reached the 500 after a
tempestuouS voyage in the little side
wheeler Tecnmseh. Here the SUPP Hes
were transferred 10 a Mackinac barge.
and after eight days OF rowing and
sailing a landing was finally made a.
Indian Town. as Marquette was then
known. The newly discovered iron
! fields were located uphill II miles in
| land Peter was employed some time.
with others, in stripping the earth
from the ore. and later he was trans
| ferred TO the lake shore. Here ae
was engaged as teamster. fireman,
mechanic and with other settlers was
forced 70 undergo many privations. In
winter he took a contract TO carry the
mail 10 L'Anse, distant nearly a hun
dred miles. and with dog team and
two Indians, whose language he spoke
fluently. he made nine trips. II had
been agreed that he was TO receive
$1,000 for establishing the service
but Of all the subscribers only one
man. who had signed for SO, ever zen.
| dered payment.
Breaks Into Politics.
In 1851. the county of Marquette
was organized and Peter, who had
been serving as company store clerk,
was chosen as county clerk and reg
lister of deeds Later he was appoint
ed postmaster In the meantime Mr.
White had come 10 the conclusion
that the iron mines were destined 10
make the district an important one,
and he set about 10 carve out his
fortune. He opened store. which
he later sold out and then embarked
in the insurance, real estate aud bank
ing business In 1868 he incorporated
his bank into a national bank. now
known as the First National II was
| in 1857 that he was first elected TO
the legislature In going TO Lansing
he walked on snowshoes TO Escanaba,
and thence by stage and on foot he
! finally reached the capital in 10 days
AT this session the legislature was 10
/ distribute the lands granted by con-
gress, and the proceedings were made
notable by a vigorous speech by Mr..
! White urging that the many lobbyists
should not be permitted to Influence
the deliberations. Thoroughly fam.
liar with the upper peninsula. Mr.
White did good work. and in grea.
part TO his efforts the careful distri.
button of the grant was due At the
close Of the session, he walked back
10 Marquette, and It was 90 years ne.
fore he again served the people in a
legislative capacity.
A resident OF the upper peninsula
since the days when the district was
in its infancy in a commercial sense
before the iron mines had begun 10
send forward the product which has
made the Lake Superior country ia
mous-Mr. Whites career was full OF
/ interesting experiences which II would
! NHN'AN - ANi ~ NpihALF W NAIOlANAt
As raconteur. he was unexcelled,
and his French Canadian stories are
famous. His knowledge was pro
found. not only In regard 20 the state
at large. but concerning public affairs
generally, while as an authority on
| finance and political economy he pos
sessed high standing
Held Many Public Offices.
Mt. White held many Offices OF
trust in his city and county. was a
member OF the school board since
1851, twice ser ed in the legislature
was the Democratic candidate for con.
gress In 1883 anc for several gears
was member Of the Mackinac Island
State Par commission.
Mr.. White was lifelong Democrat
except that in two presidential cam
pagns he worked and voted for Nc.
kinley He was delegate-at-larxe
from Michigan 10 the Chicago copvcn.
ton where Bryan was first nominated.
Believing In sound money, however,
and also opposing other o. the issues
advocated by tho Nebraska leader
Mr.. White on the floor Of the CON- n.
ton repudiated tho platform and IN.
nounced his intention or doing active
campaign worl! IN the interest OF Nc.
kinley. Returning homo, ne charter.
ed special train. and With Bourko
1 CnCkrnn'g 1Tpv,ff-I, a