The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1901-08-24
JOHNSON IN MISSOURI.
Comes Up From New Orleans to See
Friends.

N~S 0Nos
known man who ever figured in Mis-
souri politics and who has managed to
hold on to a job in the postofice de-
partment for many years under the
adverse conditions Of being q rabld
democrat, spent Monday in St. Louis
aud then came on to bis old home in
johnson county to take his mother to
the exposition at Buffalo. He has been
stationed at New Orleans for several
years and 1t has been some time since
he paid Missouri q visit. johnson is
always made welcome 10 his native
state and upon his arrival at St. Louis
the Republic printed a lengthy inter-
view with him. making it first page
feature. A portion of the interview
which sounds as much like Joe as pos
sibe for words to portray an individual
and which will be found interesting 10
Missourians, is appended:
"Your barber is not always much of
a subject TO talk about" said the
Major at The Laclede Hotel, "but |
have 10 my mud a story of my barber
that is as good as ANYTHING that The
romancers uf this time have written
You will remember that Ingalls, one
wrote sonnet on opportunity, it.
which be- made il say,
Waste. of human destiny on !
'If am not mistaken, Shakespear'
hit off the same idea in other word,
years before. And 1t is So W,ll, N
barber in New Orleans had brother
living at Galveston at the time Of The
famous storm there. The day sfle'
that great tragedy l started for ,b'
scene. My barber asked me to see ii
could find the missing brother. ha,
no trouble IN doing SO. He had gOu,
to Beaumont, with his family, wheI'
be sci up tent on piece OF ground
several miles from the town, there
being no accommodations IN the place.
AT my suggestion the barber went over
to Beaumont TO look after his stricken
relatives.
incidentally, he learned that the
piece of land on which they had taken
refuge might be had for $500. A
family council was arranged, and ii
was decided that It would be better tC
90 back to Galveston after things had
become somewhat settled.
"sAnd what of that' | asked my
barber, somewhat impatiently.
"sWell, he answered, and the tears
came into his eyes. Most of the land
was on top OF what IS now known as
SplndIe-Top Hill"
III have observed" continued Major
Johnson, "that my friend Walter
Stevens Is the secretary of the Worlds
Fair organization, met Stephens al
Galveston soon after the food. | had
previously met him IN st. Louis, Wash
inglou, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston,
New York, Omaha, Kansas City and
at other points. He can work longer
number OF hours without rest than any
man I have ever known. Twenty
hours on stretch is as easy as falling
off log.
"You have not heard the latest joke
on Charley vandiver of the Keytesville
Courier, have you" the Major went
on. "It happened at New Orleans
while the Missouri editors we're down
there not long ago. Several OF the
bows had asked to be taken to place
that ia famous for the beautifully-col'
ored pousse cafes. Ou the way there
Vandiyer somehow got into his head
that we we're about to see the manu-
fsc,ure Of gin fzz. After the bar
man had made the coffee pushers most
carefully, Charley held his up to the
light. and, after admiring its RAINBOW
bues for awhile, he said;
".Wcll, I've often heard OF your gin
fizues, but that's the first one l ever
saw"