New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1904-10-12
GREAT men SENT PHOTOS
F. w. johnson Has Fine Auto
graph Collection.
Many Celebrities Also Wrote In
teresting Letters.
Compilation Is One of Finest in
the United States.

IOmp1laIlOn Is One OF Finest III
the United States.
What is without doubt one of the
finest collections designed photographs
and autograph letters in the country is
that owned and collected by Fred W.
johnson of this city and kept by him
in his library at the Dakota House.
The collection is nearly complete
and there is scarcely a man who has
attained to fame and position in the
worlds of statescraft, war, literature,
journalism, the church and the stage
in the present generation who has not
contributed to it and many are in
Guided of the generation gone by. In
Mr.. Johnson's collection are photo
graphs of four presidents and as many
vice presidents of the United States,
Prince Bismark and great English
statesmen and hundreds of others
famous throughout the world, all
signed by the great men themselves
and many accompanied by letters
which are more than mere notes.
1t is really an inspiration, little
journeys to the homes of greatness, to
spend an hour looking over the
collection and be taken into the
presence of Henry Ward Beecher,
Robert Ingersoll, President Mckinley,
General Sigel, Longfellow, Whittier,
Bill Nye and others, men who are
dead but are still living.
STARTED YEARS AGO.
It was a number of years ago while
he was editor of the Review that Mr..
johnson started his collection. At an
editorial meeting one year the state
association had a group picture made
from the photographs of the individual
occurred to Mr.. Johnson that he would
like a group picture himself and he
wrote forthwith to the members of the
association asking them for a photo
graph. One thing he noticed, that the
small fry paid no attention to his
request, while the editors of the Twin
city papers responded. This gave him
an idea that he might meet with sue
cess from other large men and he be-
gan a collection of Minnesota cele-
brities. From that start his collection
has grown.
His plan has been to write the men
in a straightforward manner making
know his want and to follow it up, if I'M
successful, with a second letter. Great
men are always much bored with such
appeals, but Mr.. Johnson has always
been very successful in making a
favorable impression and those who
did not send photographs took pains
to write and explain why.
BILL NYE's LONG LETTER.
Some Of these letters are especially
interesting and Mr.. Johnson's col
lection differs from most others in
that he has not merely the autograph
on slip of paper, but letters, some OF
them covering several pages. One
from Bill Nye is especially interesting.
The local mans request for photo
graph reached the noted humorist
evidently when he was out West and
had not much to do and his reply is
full of the wit and humor which have
| made him famous the world over. One
from Robert G. Ingersol explains
I fully his position on the subject OF
religion, and another from Francis
Train is written all over the paper in
that eccentric mans most unusual
style. From Francis Smith, author Of
America, he received a letter and the
first verse of the famous song writer
in pen by Mr.. Smith himself.
These letters Mr.. johnson has by
the hundred and to read them al
over is a days work.
Of the pictures he also has a grea
number and some of the best he has
framed in a long row along the walls
of his library. These include English
statesmen, the justices of the presen
supreme court of the United States, ane
statesmen, authors, soldiers and actors