The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-12
and his committee should he INFORMED

and his committee should be Informed
as TO the true interests involved.
In the month of January, 1854, Mr..
! Johnson mounted his horse, rode across
! the treeless prairies of Iowa to Keokuk,
! took beat for st. Louis and Cincin-
natl, and thence to Washington by
/ railroad. He called upon the little
! giant" being introduced to the chair
man of the committee by Senator
/ Dodge of Iowa, and laid before him his
scheme or plan for dividing the vast
eXpanse of western prairies into two,
in place of one territory, to be known
as Kansas and Nebraska, thus origi-
/ mating the measure which was after.
wards adopted as a substitute bill for
the one then pending.
In October, 1854. he crossed to the site
of the present city of Omaha, and in
the campaign following was, at the So
licitation Of many settlers, induced to
become a candidate for delegate to
congress. The rival settlements, known
as North and South Platte, figured in
the fight. and he failed to be elected
by 80 votes, his successful rival being
Napoleon Bonaparte Giddings. who
served one term, but was never after
wards heard of in public life.
PUBLIC PRINTER.
In 1856 he was elected public printer
against violent opposition. a heavy
bond was required and the acts We're
to be ''out" by July 6. T. B. Cummings
was governor, who delayed in getting
the laws complied and ready for the
printer, Johnson gave him a week. The
governor gave him over the originals
and he took them to Indiana and had
them printed there.
70. comply with the time" article
he had to rush copy and rush to
Omaha with books via fast railroad,
and up the Missouri river and got
them there the day before the time
expired.
In 1S59-60 the Pixies Peak excitement
proved sufficiently attractive to draw
him to the foot of the Rocky Noun
tains; following the Platte to a point
near Denver, he there established a
saw mill and lumber yard.
In 1858 he removed to Idaho, settling
at Boise, passing through Great Salt
Lake, and camping for ten days while
here, il July OF that year, on the old
Washington square, where stands now
the magnificent city and county build
ing. Soon after reaching Boise, and
while engaged in ''roughing it, with
other new corners, building cabins and
preparing to camp for the winter, he
found politics was engaging the at
tention of the public, the election of a
delegate to congress being the special
issue. Governor Wallace was one of
the candidates and at a meeting which
Mr. johnson attended he took occasion
to sorely abuse the Democracy, but
leaving down many gaps" After the
governor had concluded Mr.. Johnson
arose and said that if he could secure
place on the following night. he
would reply to the candidate, do it
now" cried a hundred voices-and
amid a great uproar he ''shucked" his
old blanket coat and waded in. Being
an entire stranger, he took occasion to
introduce himself by saying that the
speaker who had preceded him would
vouch for him (when he announced his
nance; that they swan in the same
creek. stole apples together when boys
in Indiana and now, on the great
frontier, they confronted each other, |
but not as personal enemies. Turning
to Governor Wallace. he asked him if
he knew Hadley Johnson. The scene |
which followed was such as to satisfy |
all that the new orator was not a |
tramp or a political outcast. The boy |
hood friends shook hands and the gov
ernor was answered effectually, but |
with all candor and courtesy.
Soon ne was engaged in merchandise |
ing, being placed in charge of a big |
stock of goods receiving $3.50 per
month in gold dust and one-half of the /