Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-09-24
MINNESOTA'S MOST POPULAR GOV,
ERNOR OBEYS DIVINE WILL
AFTER SIX DAYS BATTLE.
ALL THE STATE IN MOURNING.
Scene Around Bedside During His Last
Hours in This World g. Pa
thetic One.
E3ERHART IS NOW EXECUTIVE.


| Sympathy more than state wide goes out
| today to a small group Of mourners III
! this little Minnesota town. The death Oh
| Gov John A. Johnson, which occurred at
3:25 O'Clock this morning at st. Mary S
hospital, following an operation per
| formed six DAYS ago, has much OF
| national interest.
| Gov, johnson was continually growing
in prominence as a national figure, and
| at the time Of his death the attention OF
| the nation was centered on the closing
moments OF his once promising career.
After battling against death with deter
mined resistance for almost week, Gov
Johnson's life had peaceful ending;
Grouped about his bedside when the
| end came were Mrs. Johnson, MISS Sui
| Ivan, her personal friend; the attending
physician and two nurses. The last
| ching Gov Johnson did before lapslng
| into Inconsistencies, one ana nan
hours before his death, was to take his
wife affectionately by the hand and
weakly whisper, wv ell, Nora, made a
good fight, but l guess I've got to CO."
| Then as the last CLEAN Of intelligence
began to flicker: he pressed her hand
| gently to his cheek in parting caress
| as he prepared to obey the Divine Will
Most Popular Governor.
| Gov. Johnson. Democrat, who has
| been called MiEnesota's most popular
| governor" was elected three times by
unusual majorties III normally Repub-
licaH state. His vote-getting ability at
| tracted attention throughout the nation
and he was conceded to be one of the
| leaders of his party in the country. He
mad a strong, lovable personality which
won him friends wherever he mingled
| with the people.
AS a token of the esteem of this little
town for the distinguished dead who lies
within it's gates, Mayor Thompson today
| issued a proclamation declaring the town
| to be in a state of public mourning and
flags are flying at half mast from the
city office buildings, school houses and
many private buildings.
The funeral arrangements have not
yet been discussed with the grief
stricken widow, who is at the home of
her friend, Miss Margaret Sullivan.
Mrs. johnson is reported to be bearing
! her sorrow with great fortitude
Frank A. Day, private secretary to
the deceased governor, is here at the
home of j. II. Kahler Later in the day
| it is said he will see Mrs. Johnson and
discuss the funeral arrangements.
1t is presumed thai the body will be
taken to st. Paul late today 81 early to-
morrow. where it will lie in state in the
capitol.
Third Operation Fatal
Gov. johnson had been operated on
twice before by the Doctors Mayo. First
for the removal of ulcers from the stom-
ach. and afterwards for an ahscess of
| the bowels. Both were very acute, pro-
Ionged cases, and the governor was in
very serious condition each time There
had been distractions of the bowels pres
ent IN each instance and during the sec
ond operation the appendix was re-
moved.
After the second operation, he enjoyed
fairly good health, but had spells of
Indigestion, which later developed into
| attacks of obstruction of the bowels
These came on mostly during the last
two years, increasing in frequency the
| last year.
| About two months ago Gov. Johnson
had severe attack and was i'll at his
home in st. Paul. 1t was seen then that
| an operation was inevitable, but he had
set his mind upon doing certain things al
ready planned, visiting the Seattle fair
| for one Upon his return from there he
made up his mind that he would have
! the operation after the Taft reception on
Monday. He was suddenly taken with
very acute pain and as soon as he was
able to travel he went to Rochester.
Operation Is Described
The exact nature of the last operation
| was described by surgeon who watched
! 1t as follows:
ne OpSI GilOu ldSIeu lNO uOuIS 6AAu
! ten minutes. The preliminary work dis
closed a small deep-seated abscess peck
| ct, which connected from the seat of the
previous operation for the removal of
the appendix to the small intestines. 1t
required a very difficult, a very serious
| and somewhat prolonged operation to re-
| move this fstula, which was the cause
| of the governors attacks of acute pain
and formed an obstruction to the action
| of the bowels There were also I'M
usually numerous and difficult adhesions
| Of the smaller intestines to one another
and to the abdominal cavity"
Arrangements for the Funeral.
| At a conference in which Frank A.
! Day, Fred 3. Lynch and Fred Johnson,
| the governors brother, participated in
here today, it was arranged to take the
| body to st. Paul on a special train at 2
o'clock this afternoon over the Chicago
| Great Western road.
1t was further arranged to have de-
tail of militia meet the cOrtege at the
station and escort it to the state cap
itol, where the body will lie in state all
day tomorrow.
The funeral will be held Thursday aft
ernoon at st. Peter and the services will
be held in the Presbyterian church. Gov.
Johnsons body will be buried beside his
mother.
Sketch of Johnson's Career.
John A. johnson enjoyed the distinc-
ton of being the first native Minnesotan
10 be chosen governor of the state, and
of that distinction he was prouder than
Of any other feature of his career. He
felt more pride in that than he did in
the fact that he educated and prepared