The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-09-19

vented a rail which was also winner.
The young man concluded to start
in business for himself. Borrowing
$4,000 Of Mr.. Du Pont he bought a
dinky little horse line Of William 81.
English in Indianapolis. This English
was afterward the Democratic candi-
date for vice president of the United
States, but Johnson should not be held
responsible for that.
Tom L. made his father president of
the road. When the elder Johnson
was asked what position his son held
he laughingly responded, "Oh, Tom is
the board Of direct0rs!' He was all
that and more. He was the whole
thing on that line, and he pushed it
years he sold it out for over half a
million dollars.
Made Money on the Deal.
he then looked for other cities to
conquer He decided on Cleveland,
and history began making from that
very hour The line that Johnson
bought was small and remote from the
center Of town. He changed all that.
He extended his road, improved 1t,
bought other lines and put on trans
fer system which was then q new
thing In Cleveland. Next he proposed
to build line through a long avenue
that was mudhole, an eyesore and
everything else horrible that street
can be. Mark Hanna began a cam
paign with the property holders along
the street, and as result they OBJ
jected. It was JohnsOn's move, and
he moved. He proposed to pave that
whole street. The property owners
jumped at the offer. The street was
paved, the line was built, and Tom L.
made money on the deal.
Then began merry war between
Johnson and Hanna. 1t was the SEN
sation of Cleveland. In the main John
son came out ahead. At one time he
proposed to Hanna to rent trackage
rights along one of the main streets.
Hanna refused. Then Johnson went
before the city council and proposed to
straddle Hanna's line as the only way
Of bringing his passengers into the
heart of the city. This threw Hanna
on the defensive and made him appear
in the light of an obstructionist. Peo-
pie along the Johnson lines raised such
an outcry that the discounted Marcus
called a truce and consented to John
sons proposal for renting trackage
rights. In the end Johnson formed a
big consolidation and Hanna a smaller
one, after which there was peace.
Tom L. Johnson was one of the first
men to electrify his lines. He saw the
great possibilities of the trolley roads
from the beginning. Outside of his
Cleveland lines he had important street
car holdings in Brooklyn, Detroit, st.
Louis and other cities. He also built
a great steel rail mill at Johnstown,
Pa, and another at Lorain, O. In con-
nection with the Lorain mill the fol-
lowing story is told:
Before auy outsider knew Of the pro-
posed mil: Johnson and his friends
obtained options on all the land in the
vicinity FIR the purpose Of starting a
town. Nobody was wise to the move,
and therefore the land was cheap.
When It came to delivering the goods
one old chap who had a large strip
backed out He wanted $4,000 more
OF course, he could haze been forced
to stick by the option, but it would
have taken years in court and John
sons friends, who were handling the
MT fO 70 WI of
was pretty pickle.
In despair they sent for Johnson.
When he had heard the case he ap-
preached the farmer in an impetuous
manner and asked him to make good
the option. The farmer refused. Pull
ing out his watch, Tom L. remarked
that he would give him $500 extra to
carry the contract through and he
would allow him just four minutes to
decide. If at the expiration Of that
time tie offer was not accepted it
would be withdrawn and suit would
be begun at once. Johnson began to
count off the minutes. The old fellow
was swept off his feet by the impetu-
osity Of the novel onslaught and at the
end of the third minute weakened, and
the deal was carried through.
How He Became a Single Taxer.
The manner Of Tom L. Johnson's
conversion to the single tax is indica-
tive of the man. One day a newsboy
offered him Henry Georges Social
Problems to read on the train. The
street car magnate refused, but the
conductor. who was personal friend
and a single taxer, advised him to read
it, and he did. From that moment he
was changed man. He next read
''Progresa and Poverty" went to see
Henry George and became his ardent
disciple He assisted George in his
first figh: for mayor, also in his cam
paign for secretary of state of New
York. AT that time he had never made
speech, and George advised him to
do SO. He tried in Cooper Union and
succeeded in staying on his feet for
five minutes Later he became an ef-
fectiye campaigner.
JOhnSOn'S subsequent career Is known