The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1864-06-30
ANnaEw JolINsoN, ,or TENNEssEg:
n NeleL q n. LIlo aal ssNIeo,.


born Raleigh, North Corolina Dec.
20, ispS. When ho was four years OF
cgo d lost his tather who died from tue
ciec0 of cxerions to save friend from
lr1wiihg, at The age Of ten he was
nppge Iced 10 d tailor phis native city,
with Nto6fbe serypd seven years, His
mo,hc cwns unable to afford him any
ed0es0p advantages, and he never at,
tcnde F6h6ol a day in his lifo.
Wise leOyuing his trade, however,
be rS lived TO make an effort TO educate
hims3 His anxiety to be able to read
was ticulsrly excited by an incident
which, d worthy Of mention. A gentle
mani RalCigh was 10 the habit Of go
ing lro the laiIor's shop aud reading
wbilsilho apprenticn and joumcymon
wore q work, He was an excellent
reods3 and his Iavorito hook was vol.
umo speeches, principally Of British
Slatas pch. johnson became Interested,
and H FIRST ambition was to equal him
rs a isadef and become familiar with
lhosd3 3pecohos, He took up the alpha
bet wEhoutan instructor; but by apply
Ing l4tbe jOurneymen with whom he
worStd, he obtained little assistance.
H@ing acquired o knowledge Of The
letter he applied for the loan Of the
book%hichho had so often heard road,
The qwpcrmade him present OF it
and lye him some instrGclions ON the
use oklctlers in tho formation of words,
Thpslhis firstscxercises in spelling we're
in thN book. by perseverance, he soon
LEARNED 10 read, and the hours which he
doyoRi 10 iseducatipn were us night
afterhe was through his daily labor up
on Up, shop board. IIo now applied
himsSlflO books from two TO three hours
overnight alter working from ten to
twel@ hours at his trade.
Hgng completed bis apprenticeship
in bEaulump Of 1894. he went to Lau-
rens Eourl Housc, S, G., where ho
work. q as a jouraoyman for nearly two
yeae4 While there he became engaged
to bdnaSricd, but the match was broken
of halAesviolen opposition Of the girls
motb ER1dfriSnds, the ground Of OBJ.
jecti9g haing Mr.. j obnson's youth and
want OF .pecuniary means. In May,
19s he returned to Rloigh, where ho
proc ed Journey work, and remained
unit September. lie then set out to
seek 10 fortune in the West, carrying
wifi Pim his mother, who was depend
emf him forsuPport, He stopped at
Gre Pile, Tenn, and commenced work
MS B hgrneyman. lIo remained there
abol t@afys months. married, and soon
aal "a vent still farther westward
v6utIaihbg t0"intt Il s0ttablc- lc-rlaes.lsits
settle, he returned TO Grccnville and
commenced business.
Up to this timc his education was
limited tc reading, as he had never had
an opportunity Of learning to write or
cipher; but under tho instructions Of his
wife be learned these and other branches.
The only time, however. he could de.
vote to them was in the dead ofnight.
The first Office that he ever held was
that Of Aldermen the village, to which
be was elected in 1928. IIo was re
elected to the same position in 1923, and
again in 1880. In that year he was
chosen Mayor, which position he held
for three years.
In lSs5 No was clected 10 the lerisln.
tnrc. In the session of that wear ho
took decided ground against u scheme
Of internal improvements, which he cou.
tended would NOT only prove a foiIure,
bat entail ppon the State burlensomc
debt. The measure was popular, how,
eyer, and at the next election (1837) he
was defeated. He became a candidate
again in 1889. By this time many Of
the evils he had predicted from tho in
tornnl improvement policy, which he
had opposed four wears previous, wero
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