Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-02

DEATH OF J. II. JOHNSON. We are
panied to learn of tho death of Jasper
Hazen johnson, former well known
citizen of Rutland, and brother Of the
wife of Deputy Sheriff Allen Sanderson,
who died of consumption, at Louisville,
Kentucky, May 18th, 1870, at the age of
45 years.
He was born at Plymouth, Vermont,
May 18th, 1924, and came to Rutland about
lS45, and commenced the study of law
with Reuben r. Thrall, Esq, and was ad-
mitted to the bar in Rutland county in
tS47.
Near the close of the Mexican war, he
enlisted, as a private, in one of the regu-
lar regiments of infantry of the United
States Army, with Lieut.. Robert Hopkins,
who was then stationed at Rutland as a
recruiting officer. The same day, and
within a few hours after his enlistment,
Lieut.. Hopkins received orders from the
Headquarters of the Army to enlist no
more men, and to discharge all who had
not been sent forward, and he was conse-
quently discharged with his bounty,
clothing and one months pay, after SER
vice of few hours only. 1t was, at the
time, currently reported, and it was un-
doubtedly the fact, that Mr.. Johnson had
received private advices from Washington
that such or similar orders were to be is
sued, and that he shrewdly took advan-
tage of it by enlisting.
From here Mr.. johnson went to Ken
lucky and for time practiced his pro-
fession, but afterwards became editor of
the Louisville Courier, and was subse-
quently editor of the Frankfort (Ken-
tucky) Commonwealth, and was, we be-
lieve, at different times Clerk of one of
the branches of the Kentucky Legisla-
ture.
At the breaking ont of the war he took
a decided stand in favor of the Union,
and entered the army, and in short time
received from President Lincoln an ap-
pointment as Commissary of Subsistence,
with the rank of Captain, and, we believe,
served through the entire war.
Soon after the close of the war, he re-
turned to Vermont upon visit to his
friends, and while here took severe cold,
and failing to obtain relief from it, he re-
turned to Kentucky, but it seems that it
had become 80 firmly seated, that all rem
edies proved futile, and his life has been
the forfeit.
Mr.. johnson, in addition to being an
able lawyer and brilliant editor, was also
a rare humorist. We cannot give a better
idea of his wit and humor than by COPY
ing an anocdote related by Charles G..
shank in his article on "George ID. Prem.
tlce,D published in Lippincotts Magazine
for November, 1889:
On one occasion, however, Mr.. Prentice
was the victim of a shrewder Joke than
any he had praoticed on others. For a
long time he was engaged to contribute
weekly to the New York Ledger hall
column of Wit and Wisdom, original
and selected" For this he received one
thousand dollars annually, which, in times
of gold and silver, and considering that
the wit was moresseleoted than original
was very good pay. Jasper III. johnson, d
queer genius and a rare humorist. who
has said many funnier things than Prem.
tice, Artemus Ward and the army of hu.
morists put together, and who does not
Know his own worth, was an editor-of-all.
work on the Courier at the time, and sue
ceeded admirably in burlesquing Prem.
tices half column in the Ledger by a sim.
Iar nall column in the Courier. The
Lea2eT Is usually out two or three weeks
oe1ors Its natural time. being dated well