The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1893-09-21

Tine Popular Congressman from the
State OF Ohio.

STATE OIL OnlO.
Fra, G. Carpenter.I
The Damocratic-s side of the cham
Der also has "Tom." | refer to
Tom johnson, of Cleveland, one OF
the shrewdest and most practical
business men in the House, and, at
the same time, one OF the widest
theorists. johnson believes in Henry
George, and he says that his proper
ty really belongs to his fellow men as
much as to himself [ have notnoted,
however, any inclina ton on his Lart
to make a division He is, you know,
street railroad magnate, and is
probably worth somewhere in the
millions
He began his life ss an office boy in
Louisville, and when he was hardly
out OF his teens got Holt of a street
railroad in Indianapolis. The road
never amounted to any thing while he
managed it. He paid no attention
to improving it, but he learned the
the business, made some money, and
then went to Cleveland. The city
was already covered with network
of roads belonging to close corpora
tions. These objected to Johnson
laying new tracks, and opposed him
in every way. He finally got char
ter for a track down Scoville avenue.
This ran through one of the best
parts of the town, but he had no line
by which he could reach the heart of
business, and the other roads would
not let him go over their tracks. He
changed his tactics as to the char
acter of his road from those which he
had used in Indianapolis. In Cieve-
land he put down verything Of the
very best. He paved ScovllIe avenue
at his own expense, spending $4,000
on it, and made himself noted as a
friend of the people. He got a little
line OF track on the west side ofCleve
land to the other for one fare. He
had to have omnibuses to carry his
passengers two miles in order to do
this, but he stuck to it and in this
way made himself more popular, as
the regular roads changed two or
three fares for thesam distance. In
the meantime he did everything to
get his roads connected. He worked
with the City Council, but in his own
way. He never gave any passes over
his road. He said he did not use a
pass himself, and no one else should
ride free He was willing to pay a
man or Councilman for his services,
but he would not give him a pass.
Well, he finally got his measures
through, and eventually secured one
of the most valuable street railway
properties of the city. In the mean
time he invented a lumber of things
connected with street railways, and
he gets a big royalty from these. He
has a rolling mill at Johnstown, Pa,
and he is said to have an income of
500, 900 year. He is a peculiari-
ty among statesmen in that though
all of his business is largely pro-
tected by the tariff as he is a free
trader. He frankly says his rail-
roads ought to belong to the
city, but until Henry George
principles prevail he will keep them
Tom johnson is a queer looking
man. He makes me think OF
Dickens fat boy. His round, fat
head is a cannon-ball of rosy flesh,
matched with wavy brown hair and
pierced at the front with two bright
eyes, which look out at you over a
nose. This head is
fastened by short, thick neck to
TAT round shoulders, and his roly-
poly form rolls around the House at
3 good pace. Tom Johnson does
not look to be over thirty years old,
but he is in reality forty. He is a good
speaker, and he is especially
tappy In ten minute orations. lie
1resses in a business suit and cOols
Ills fat face during these warm days
With palm leaf fan.