The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-07
John A, johnson,

4nuOh has Deeu written about the
late Gov. John A Johnson of Minneso-
ia, but not too much, because
Here was a man whose entire ca
reer as boy and man safely can be held
up as stimulus and an inspiration to
American youth. His was not a mere
money success
Let US quit holding up as examples
mere moneycrats-little less than busi-
ness brigands. Let us ask the would
be patterns, How did you succeed?
The life of the lamented Johnson
and without guile.
Physically he was much like Lincoln
"a face with a network of lines, put
there early by the vicissitudes of hun
ger, deprivation and shame. Like Lin
coin, he was tall-tall enough to be
above the flags of political life. And,
like Lincoln. he was ungainly and
walked with a sort of awkward sham
BILE.
And there were in the story of the
boy Johnson all the hardships and sor-
did surroundings of the young Lin
coin.
Here was q body whose father was
the town drunkard. Deserted by the
husband, his mother took in washing,
and John went after these washings
and delivered them in his little red
wagon. At 10 years of age he left
school and went to work to help sup
port the family
In these few sentences is condensed
world of poverty and lack.
Nevertheless. at the age of 15 he
made the mother sell her washtubs, and
at 2S he was the editor and half owner
of leading weekly newspaper
Then this youthful editor the son of
Gustav and Caroline Johnson, Swedish
immigrants, went steadily up in the es-
TEEN of the people. Hardship and priva-
ton. disgrace and worry, had made of
him an honest. sincere. manly man.
Nominated for governor. his opponent
spread the story that his father had died
in the poorhouse, which he did, victim
of alcoholic mania
Like Lincoln when Douglas tainted him
with his early obscurty, Johnson made
no answer But the full story came out,
and 1t elected Johnson.
Becoming governor, he took up every
question presented to him. carefully fig
ured out what was the right thing to do
and did It, He was careful, honest, firm
That is why in a state strongly opposed
to him he was twice reelected. No man
ever got nearer the hearts of the Mime
sofa people.
Young man. you can safely initiate the
career of this honest man
If you are poor and obscure, so was
he. Nor was he a brilliant man." He
was better-a righteous man. All his life
he simply did the best he knew how.
And the people had the utmost confidence
in him, which was his chief political as
set.
Johnson and not ogwrong very far. He
was the Lincoln kind.
Opportunity.
Is the old adage. which is the theme
of ingalls, poem, that Opportunity
knocks but once at every mans door" a
true one?
Is it true. as some one has said. that
Opportunity knocks at our doors every
day. but that few of us take the trouble
to GET UP AND OPEN THE DOOR?
There is the old illustration of Newton
and the falling apple. Newton got up
and opened the door of his mind Oppor-
tunity came in in the guise Of an idea.
And that idea changed the worlds think
ing
Many of us muffle cur ears when OPP
portunity knocks.
Napoleon never did that. Opportunity
never knocked at his door In vain. His
thinking was always ahead of his foes
thinking. He got up in the morning be-
fore the enemy got up-if he had to stay
up all night. III the other general had
larger army, Napoleon segregated it into
sections and whipped the sections one at
a time.
Opportunity is an early riser.
Ethan Allen took Ticonderoga while
the garrison was asleep and did II in
1.-The name of Jehovah and the CONT
mental congress" He had no authority
from either. But he had his opportunity
Opportunity is a great friend of US
if we recognize it.
Opportunity changes the battle of Win
chester from defeat to victory; it is the
Funston that obliterates rivers from the
map; 1t puts to rout the armies of the
aliens 1t turns the flank of the foe by
stratagem: it controls circumstances and
makes a way for itself.
Young man
Opportunity is rapping. Keep your
ears openl
More than that, young man
Keep your EYES open. You may be