The L'Anse sentinel., 1916-07-22
BAD AXE, Mich, March Acts

BAD AXE, Mich, March 24.-"It's
terrible responsibility to run for
Governor" So said Albert E. Sleeper
when debating with himself and some
close friends the question of his can
didacy for the first Office in Michigan.
To those who have known Mr..
Sleeper best and longest this pereonal
sense of responsibility to his trusts
and friendships has been characteris-
tic of his life from boyhood These
friends say that he never was known
to shirk responsibility and that he
ever feared one is as equally remote.
That he ever will shirk responsibility
is not believed by any of them.
The former senator and state treas
.urer Is politically and officially known
to thousands OF people oyer the state
60 as many more the in
human interest story in the Thumb
candidate for governor is much less
To begin with Uncle Bert" Sleeper
comes Of good old New England stock.
And this. by the way. Is the name by
which he js most familiarly known in
children az first, whose close friend he
always is. By Repetition in the homes
OF the children the parents took IL up
so that now one hears 1t quite as often
as anythisg else when Mr.. Sleeper is
referred to.
Towns Know Him.
Speak OF Uncle Bert" in Bad Axe.
Lexington. Ubly. Croswell or num-
ber of other Thumb towns and any one
will know whom you mean. And espe-
cially to some scores Of young people
does the term appeal with affection and
gratitude rather than custom, because
he has been more than uncle to them
through helping them through school
and college. or to beginning in busi-
ness. Apropos of this comes a story Of
the present campaign from town In
the southern part Of the state. friend
OF OF n 70 his eanS
dacy. Two of the men said they had
heard Of Mr.. Sleeper. but knew OF no
particular reason why they should sup.
young professional man broke in with
the remark that II am for Sleeper first.
last and all the time and I'll tell you
college / was about to quit because I
had spent all the money ! had been
Sels e ssye ssys o to PUT m .aney shsSugn Mboy by
e ass ana sRs cesss sRsSs my my
money to hnish. He gave me $500 on
my note. which was to pay back after
had b1 Been prscticins a year found I
60 Hs Ss!d he ala not need e; the the money on
nee0 not pay any
After this story was told. with more
detail, the two doubling Thomases said,
that IL Mr.. Sleeper was that kind OF a
man they were not surprised at the
number and enthusiasm OF his friends
and they didn't know but what they
would support him themselves. Many
similar incidents could be told Of I'm
Gle Bert" In fact, in more than a
dozen counties in the state his cam
paign is being we'll looked after. with
out effort or expense on his part, by
men who have become his close and
loyal friends In ways similar to the
above.
Born Green Mountaineer.
But to return to the Green Mountain
ancestry OF our subject II might be
said that his grandparents were OF
English descent on the spaternal side
and Of French and English on the
maternal side Albert Edison Sleeper
was born into the home OF Joseph
Edison and Hannah (Merrill) Sleeper,
December 81, 1862. Both parents came
from the substantial farm folk of ver-
mont. industrious. honest and thrifty.
the home had always been well pro-
vided for although there had never
been an over,pius Of wealth in the gen
erations back. At times one or more
OF the flock had gone into the west,
among them being his grandmother's
brother, John L. Woods. of Lexington,
Michigan, and later of Cleveland, Ohio,
whose wealth and philanthropy are
well known in his native town as well
as in his adopted state.