T.C. Lutz, secretary and treasurer of the Hausler & Lutz Towing & Dock Co., No. 9392 Ewing avenue, South Chicago, is one of the well-known and self-made marine men of Lake Michigan. His father was a fisherman, and with that example before him it was natural for our subject to drift into the lake service. He began in the "free hold' of a vessel, and whatever success he has attained by his energy and ability is due wholly to himself. The Hausler & Lutz Towing & Dock Co. owns the only line of tugboats in South Chicago, and the four craft which the firm owns and operates are the tugs T.C. Lutz, M.G. Hausler, Chas. Halladay and C.W. Elphicke. Of these the Lutz is the largest and most powerful tug on fresh water. The company not only engages in the towing business, but also conducts large and successful operations in dredging, docking, pile driving, building foundations, bridges, etc.

Mr. Lutz was born in Sheyboygan county, Wis., in 1858, and is a son of John and Margaret (Schumach) Lutz, natives of Germany, who emigrated to America early in life, the father coming at the age of thirteen years. He was reared in Wisconsin, married there and became a fisherman. His wife, the mother of our subject, died at Sheyboygan, and since then the father removed to Escanaba, where he now lives. Our subject was educated at Sheyboygan, but early in life he assisted his father with the fishing boats. At the age of seventeen he started out in life for himself, and took to the lakes. He began at the bottom, and has worked up to the command of vessels and their ownership also.

In 1875 Mr. Lutz, then only a boy of seventeen, started in the tug business at Michigan City, and with him was associated A.D. Campbell. One of our subject's tugs, the Anna C. Waters, burned and sank between Chicago and Michigan City in 1885, proving a total loss, but losing no lives in the disaster. Mr. Lutz also owned and operated an extensive fishing plant at Michigan City, which was destroyed by fire in 1889. He was also financially interested in a fish-freezing plant at St. Joseph, Mich., the second plant of the kind in this country. In 1896 Mr. Lutz moved to Chicago. For some years previous he had formed business relations there, and had taken the contract to build all dockage and similar work at the World's Fair. At Jackson Park he had at the time a force of 500 men engaged under him. This contract work extended through the years 1891-92-93. When he left Michigan City one of the tugs owned by Lutz and Campbell was sold to B.B. Inman. The Pearl B. Campbell was lost off Marquette in the fall of 1895.

In 1885 Mr. Lutz was married to Miss Gertrude W. Wells, in St. Joseph, Mich., and to this union one child, Julia, has been born. Socially, Mr. Lutz is a member of the Windsor Park Lodge No. 836, F.& A.M., and is also a member of the Chapter and Commandery, and of Medinah Temple. He has prospered in business, and is a thorough lake man. He has shown ability in the management of men, and in the extensive work in which his firm is constantly engaged a large number of hands are daily employed. His acquaintanceship with vessel men is very large, and all know him as an efficient and prominent representative of the Great Lakes.

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