The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1875-08-07
ANDREW JOHNSON.

Ex-President johnson died last Satur
day morning at half past two o'clock a
the residence of his daughter, Mrs
Brown, some forty miles east of Nash
vile, Tenn, where he had gone on a Wis
it. He had been complaining of hi
health several weeks, but nothing serious
was apprehended. On his arrival at hi.
daughters he ate a hearty dinner and at
forwards engaged in cheerful converse
ton. While talking with grand
daughter his tongue refused utterancs
and he fell from his seat on the floor
After he had sufficiently recovered he
expressed that his right side was paral.
yzed. He at first refused medical aid,
thinking that he would soon be better.
Medical attendance was soon called,
however, but his case was beyond the
skill of physicians and in a,short time he
unconsciously breathed his last surroun-
ded by his wife and children and all his
grandchildren but one.
Mr.. Johnson's remains were taken to
his home in Greenville and from there
they were taken to the court house.
The court house, the stores and the pri.
vate residences at Greenville were draped
in mourning, and deep sorrow seemed
to prevail throughout the entire commu.
nifty. His funeral took place last Tues
day under charge of the Masons. The
ex-president had years ago marked the
spot where he desired to be buried by
planting a willow taken from his yard.
which was an offshoot from q willow
growing over the tomb of Napoleon at
St. Helena.
In Washington City the several exc
cutive buildings were draped in mourn
ing and flags were placed at half mast in
respect to his memory. Like tribute Of
respect was paid in other cities. The
following sketch of Mr.. Johnson's life
is taken from the Topeka Commonwealth j.:
"Andrew johnson was really justifiable
in the pride he took in speaking of him.
self as 'self.made' man. His origin
was of the humblest, his early opportu.
mites the poorest. frequently the early
struggles of men who become prominent
are exaggerated, but this was quite un.
necessary in JOhnson's case. He was born
at Raleigh in 1908. His father, a very
poor man, was drowned when his son was
four years old. and Andrew johnson
never in his life saw tie inside of q
school house as pupil. He had the
good luck however, to be born in town,
and at ten years to be apprenticed to a
tailor. Tailors in all ages have been
given to reading, and the tailor shop in
which johnson worked appears to have
been a literary centre. A gentleman was
in the habit reading aloud in the shop a
volume of speeches by British statesmen.
This took the apprentices fancy and
he learned to read from his associates in
the shop. Possibly this book started him
on his long career of speech making.
After several tramps, johnson, like
Andrew Jackson before him, went to
Tennessee. Indeed, in the old time, if a
North Carolinian went anywhere he mi
grated to Tennessee. He located in the
town of Greenville which continued to be
his home to the end of his days. He
married early a woman who was his su-
perior in education and who taught him
to write and cipher. And in 1928 he
commenced his career As an office>seeker
and office-holder. He was elected an al
derman of Greenville. Most of our
great politicians started in life as law
yers, either really or nominally, but
johnson went from the tailor's bench
into an official position. That was forty
seven years ago. In 1929 he was re-elec-
ted alderman in 1880; then he was may
Or for three years, and in 1887 took
long step upwards and was sent to the
Legislature. In 1888 he opposed finter-
nal Improvements in the shape of q