Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1871-02-18
and, Iohn.en nj Home.

This morning, in q stroll ah0n
town | passed Johnson's mOdes
residence, u small tw0-story bricF
very plain inside aud out, and hard
ly what wo might expect nm ex
President of the United States 4
1.-Two in, considering tho chances
that class have, ii they knew how
10 manage II gin enterprise, TO pro
vide themselves with much better
But 4. J. did not carry on the gii'
enterprise aud lottery business
while he occupied the Presidential
chair, refusing all presents and
.'tostimonials OF reward" that wer,
offered to him. Pho late Genera
| Thompson also did the samo'way
while occupying a pah'ic station
much 10 tho %cndormcIt of politi
cians in harness, who are in the
habit of taking everything they can
get their hands on. How many
thousand dollars worth of presents
Andy Johnson, plain Andy John
son from tho mountains Of Tonnes
soc, refused whilo in public life, ]
do not know, but il was good
many. 80 mafy that had he gobblcd
them us fast as o5ered, rs some mep
do, he would not now be living in
a homo po,'bctter than thousands Of
wcll.to 60 mechanics occupy. Pass
ing along the main street OF the vii
lage, past the few stores and bust
ness houses, down slight declivi-
ty one comes to the home Of the on
ly living cx-Prcsident of the United
States, with tho, exception OF ex-
President Fillmore. The house, ,as
| said before, is u modest two-story
brick. 1t stands upon tho street,
thereNbeing no front yard whatev'
cr. From the pavement to tho par
lor, 'tis'but q step. LIN front there
is door and two windows in thc
lower story and three windows
above. These are covered with
whilc blinds or shdttcrs. There
are not a pair of green blinds in
Grcenville, for some unaccountable
reason. The name may have some
thing to do with it. From this un-
pretending front an l. runs back
about thirty feet, and that is all
there is otJohnson's house. Green
vile is nothing but village OF a
thousand or twelve hundred in
habitants, not wealthy by any
means, yet there are half n dozen
or more finer houses than the one
occupied by this worla-renowned
man.
Ringing the door bell, a servant
appeared and ushered me into the
parlor, a small room to the left Of
the hall. 1t was plainly furnished,
its chief attractions being the books
and portraits on the shelves and
walls. There was Lincoln, Wash
ington, jackson and johnson, the
latter looking as natural as lito,
She went away and returned in a
moment, sayingtMr. johnson was
out perhaps | would lind Him at
Mr.. Browns store, as hc usually
walked up thcrc every morning.
Coming up the street to the tore,
I entered and found the cX-Presi
dent seated alone blythe stove. In
few moments sOmo country wo-
men, surrounded by several little
ragged boys, came in to barter but
ter and eggs for sugar and calico.
Mr.. Brown and his clerk, young
Johnson, appeared to wait upon
them, count the eggs and weigh the
butter. Hero was picture, which
If trhly represented on canvas,
would astonish the good people oi
England, WHO drAW such fine dis
tinctions in blood. 1t aptly illus
trated manners and customs in our
free and independent Reptlbl!c--
manners, ctstomo somewhat differ
cnt from those in other parts Of the
world. Here was the son and SON.
in Jaw of President of the United
States with their sleeves rolled up,
counting eggs, weighing butter,
and giving in exchange coffee and
calico. ,verilys otf country is good
and 'tetuliar, without being in the
least gloomy.
4 ); y i 4 4
"But come" said the President,
rising, "let's walk down to the
house the heat from this stove has
tendency to give me headache"
= As we walked'out into the street,
| asked him long ho had been
resident of Grcenvillc
IL came hero in 1926" he rcpli-
cd '.let me sec, tlathas been forty
four years ago. Ycs, | have been
here forty-four years"
"Grecnville is quito an old town
then 2" :, -
,,eYes, u is one of tic Oldest in thS
State. It improves but slowly"
"You came over those mountains
there from North Carolina when
you first came here, did Yop potg
/ inquired, pointing 10 'ths direc
ton OF thc road which led toward
the snow capped SUBMITS OF the
smoky mountains.
"No," said he, pointing to the
northeast, Il came.ifito Greenvill'
from that direction"
I was about to say something fur
ther concerning his first appearance
in GreenvilIe when he stopped il
4 front of small wood-colorcd build
ing,on the street above his house say
ing that it was his Office, and invit
I ing me in. 1t was more a store
room than an offieo. : The bbildins
was divided into two apartments
both literally filed with books
pcwspaper files. pamphlets, mane
tscriIss sornp-bOoks, maps, and al
most every sort Of document tha
could be imagined. There wer
about half a dozen large Vsiu-no
81 telsgraffis flOhe. The files Q
letters were absolutely prodigiou'
Long rows Of ledgcrIooked book