Charlevoix county herald., 1914-07-18

1t is easy to make friends, but it
is hard to hold them. When man
both makes and holds friends, he is
worthy Of careful consideration.
Such a man is Alex j. Groesbeck,
of Detroit, a candidate for the Repub-
lican nomination for governor.
1t is but necessary 10 shake the
hand of Mr.. Groesbeck to feel the
strong personality of the man. He
impresses all who meet him as a.
strong man-strong in both character
and in body. He is dark, a heritage
of his Dutch and French ancestry,
with big brown eyes that look out
fearlessly, but kindly. His voice is
strong and even, with a tone that has
made him great orator although in
his speeches he is not given to fam
boyancy.
He is a man who grows on one
q man who wears well. He is a deep
and constructive thinker, and is not
swayed off his feet by the pressure
of current happenings. He possesses
great determination.
After the SCATTERING of the Repub-
lican party, in 1912, he did not throw
up his hands. but Immediately set
to work as Republican state chair
man to rehabilitate the party. He
gathered together the torn ends and
won a great victory in the spring
campaign of 1913. He did not rest
there, but has continued since to
form the party members into a united
force. His success is evidenced by
the welfare conference" held in De
tfoit on May &c, which was attended
by nearly 5000 Republicans from all
parts of Michigan.
Mr.. Groesbeck is successful man
of affairs. Not rich, but well TO do,
as the saying is. He was one Of those
who saw the great growth that was
To come to Detroit and he profited in
real estate in the metropolis. Forced
by virtue of his position as attorney
for one of the creditors, into the
tangled affairs of the Flint and Sag
NAV railroad, an interurban line, he
finally took over the property, With
others, completed the road between
Flint and Saginaw. and afterwards
extended the line to Bay City. He
was president of this company and
while in this position, clearly demon
In 1912, Mr.. GYoesbeck and his as
sociates disposed Of the railroad to
the Saginaw Valley Traction Co., and
today he has no interests ia any pub
lie utility. During his incumbency OF
the presidency of the railroad, the
wages of the men were raised from
l6 cents to 2S cents per hour, and
every Christmas the men we're re-
membered with a present. Never
once did they ask for raise or pre-
sent a grievance TO the officials of
the road.
From Old stock.
Mr.. Groesbeck is a self-made man.
but in his veins flows the blood of
those who first dared the wilds of the
interior of this continent. On his
fathers side. he is directly descended
from the old Dutch and French set
tiers. The name "Groesbeck' came to
this country from Holland, with VIM
Groesbeck in 1870. He was the great
grandfather of Alex. j. Groesbeck.
Mr.. Groesbeck's grandmother was
Catherine St Aubin, direct descend
ant of John Cass, one of the intrepid
souls who came to the present site Of
Detroit in 1901 with Cadillac for the
purpose of founding Fort Rontchar'
train.
The name of Cass became ST. Au-
bin by a process of evolution. IL was
customary among the early French
settlers TO better identify each other
by attaching the name of the pro-
vince or parish. in France from
which the person came. John Cass
was originally from the parish OF st.
Aubin, near Bordeaux, in France. and
he became known as "Cass, of st.
Aubin," to give fairly literal trans
lation. Gradually this shortened to
"Cass st. Aubin" and then became
st. AubiD" alone. The family was