East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-06-30

st. Paul, Mlnn'i June oV'- by ldi
the best medicine that ever came out
of a drugstore"
This is the way Frederick B.
Lynch, treasurer of the Minnesota
state democratic committee, few
days ago described John Albert
johnson, governor of Minnesota. He
referred to Johnson's early employ
ment in a drugstore at st. Peter,
Mimi, and his subsequent achieve
ments for the people of his state.
Johnson, who was put out in the
eleventh hour to run against Bryan
for the democratic nomination for
the presidency, has been a clerk in
drug store, auditor for a lumber
company, editor of a country news
paper, a state senator and finally,
governor. He rose from the most
abject and cruel poverty, being oblig-
ed to leave school in his 18th year and
go to work so as to keep his mother
from continuing the labor of taking
in washing to support the family,
But through it all he preserved
his optimism and his faith in human
nature. Today his character IS a Sc
ries of delightful contracts. He Is
conservative in his personal beliefs
and tastes, disliking ostentation or
display and decrying anything like
personal advertisement. Yet, so
simple is he in his views, that, when
he was introduced to Speaker Cannon
one day in Washington while the
house was in session, he took 1t as
matter of course that he should sit
on the speakers desk with his back
to all the members because there was
no extra chair on the dais for him.
What He Has Done.
He is beloved by the people of
Minnesota for having given them a
2-cent railroad passenger rate and
for having delivered the farmers from
the extortions of the twine trust. He
is one of the greatest fighters ever
known when he believes the public is
being victimized. but he can cast
from his mind all thoughts of the
serious side of life when the umplre's
play BALI" rings up TO the grand
stand. And he knows no greater
pleasure than ice skating.
He is distinctly a baseball crank"
Whenever the st. Paul team plays at
home, the governor is on the job at
the stand, cracking peanuts and
"rooting" for the team like mad II
per chance, some matter of state
keeps him from the game, his pri-
vate secretary knows it is his business
to get the score by telephone and
communicate it to the governor as
soon as the last "out" has been call
! ed.
In the winter he slips off from his
office, his skates under his arm, and
skins across the ice for a few hours.
| When he was at Old Point, Va, last
/ spring, he got into the water without
anyone being aware who he was.
/ But he could not resist the tempta-
! ton to turn a back somersault off
the springboard into the waves, and
this attracted so much attention that
pretty soon his identity was generally
known.
An Outdoor Man.
Johnson's love of baseball, skating
and swimming explains his healthy
mode of thought and his calm, bright
outlook on life. What he cherishes
in his heart as his idea of true great
ness is shown by the following re-
mark he once made to a friend:
AS a life work, l would rather be
able to provide for the needs of a
family, enjoy the fellowship of good
friends and good books, and write
one book that would be read a hun
! dred years from now, than to be able
to amass all the money in the world
The governor has been a great stu
dent and reader all his life. When
he was p years old and got a place
In the drugstore in the little town of
st. Peter, he pored over his books far
into the night. He has kept up this
habit ever since. The result is that,
although he never went to school af-
ter that first employment, he possess
es style in writing and speaking
that is clear, forceful and eloquent.
Now A years of age, he often looks
back and recalls that he is distinct
ly product of the country store and
that he owes much of his success,
much OF his knowledge OF hman ma
ture and all of his democracy to the
discussions which went on, night af-
ter night, when the men of the VIII
lage were grouped about the big
stove in the drugshop.
Supported the Family.
One of the things that twice help
ed him, democrat, to carry a nor
mally republican state overwhelming
ly for the governorship, was his early
history. He started to work at $40 a
month, and, as soon as he was get
ting $12 he could no longer let his
mother work. From that time on,
he supported his mother and the 9TH
er children of the family. Later he
turned down an offer to play with a
professional baseball team at a tempt
ing salay. Then he was offeed the
editorship of the st. Peter Herald.
Like 1.-THE Gentleman from Indi-
ana" he built his future as he sat in
the little office of the towns paper,
chronlciling the comings and goings.
the births and deaths Of his fellow
men and women. And he made the
editorial column of his paper a real
power in that and adjoining counties