The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-28

lucky, and ice-preSident with Presl-
dent Van Buren,. Three of the sons
we're eminent as soldiers and one OF
them. Colonel James Johnson, at one
grandfather of Tom" The latter's
father served in the Confederate army
during the Civil war. and returned to
Kentucky badly broken in fortune.
Young Tom" removed with his par
ents to Evansville, Ind. where as
boy he was educated il the common
schools of the city. 1t Is to his credit
that he is q self-rnade man. At the age
Of Is he secured employment in the Of
fee of a street railway company in
Evansville and learned the intricacies
and details OF street railway manage
ment and was subsequently promoted
with astonishing Tapidity.
AS mere boy Tom Johnson was
mechanical genius, and having invent
ed various devices. including fare box,
which brought him some money, he
Joined in buying Cilapi6ated street
railroad in Indianapolis, and became its
. manager. his father being president.
He was then but twenty-five years old,
and in twelve years thereafter he had
acquired a fortune of at least half
million. He removed to Cleveland. and
purchased a one-horse street railway
line on the outskirts Of the city, which
he secured for a mere song. Then he
bought another road. consolidated the
two, and in a year was the owner Of a
trunk line Of street cars in the Ohio
city. Then he married a pretty Cleve-
land girl built himself a comfortable
home. and settled DOWN His street
Ear business grew so rapidly that he
.fsecured the services Of his brother AL
J who was made manager of the Cleve-
land lines, and a few years ago the
two brothers succeeded in consolidating
all the street car and cable lines in
M int = ne
son management.
His next move in the direction of
economy was the establishment of a
steel rail mill q Johnstown Pa. and
he improved the process of manufac-
turing steel so materially that he
johnson girder rail- is now in use on
At least half the street railroads in the
country. StTangest Of all. while manu-
featuring highly protected rails he be-
came d free trader
He wants it distinctly understood
that he is not a tariff reformer." rev
enue tariff man" or anything of that
sort. He is straight free trader and
Sfyie taXer. AS such he ran for Con-
egress in 1888. and was defeated by so
mall a majority that old politicians
were amazed. In 1890 he was elected
b. 81 400 majority, and early in the Fiji
tT-second Congress became known as
representative al large of the single
tax free traders throughout the United
states Ohio was redistricted and his
district was thought good for 1000 ma
Jorlty against him, but he went into the
campaign Of 1892 on his own platform
and won by the amazing majority of
5000
A man who does thing like that is
n5ver obscure at Washington and
Tom L. johnson is now a star His
speech before the New York Reform
club stamped him as the most radical
II economic views Of all the men now
prominent in political life
Congressman Johnson surprised his
free trade Democratic friends and his
fellow congressman when he recently
championed the cause of ]. S. Coxey,
and introduced a bill in Congress ask
ing for an investigation of the arrest Of
CoXey ard Brown Of the army of the
commonweal. Since then Tom John
son has been relegated to the ranks Of
the Populists in Congress, and is said
10 nave lost caste among his Demo-
cratic brethren. But ii is a fact that
the political and economic views of the
Ohio free trader are Identical with
those Of PETER, Late Pence, Senator AL
len and other western Populists, and
Mr.. Johnson could subscribe TO the
Peoples party platform without SO
much as winking his eye.
In personal appearance Mr.. Johnson
bears a somewhat striking likeness to
that other and still more famous Ohio
man, Governor William Mckinley Mr..
Johnson weighs more than the little
Napoleon and is slightly taller, but
htherwise he is a very fair double for
Mckinley. He dresses like an ordinary
business man. wears little. if any,
jewelry, and is Democratic in his man
ner and habits He is not an idler, for
If he were not busy man he could
never have accomplished what he has
in the few years of his public career.
"a RI 40 -ly M Ia az HI
in Washington. and When he is in New
York one will never ind him in the
Corridors or barroom of the St. James
hotel, where he makes his home.
Mr. Johnson's home in the beautiful
Forest City is ideal. He has a charm
ESg wife, is a liberal entertainer, and is
Ssopular in Cleveland. both. in society
circles and among business men. He is
not an aristocrat even though he is a
monopolist, and this fact may account