Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-09-24
himself for that career while helping
to support q widowed mother


to support a widowed mother.
Gov. johnson was born near st. Peter
forty-elght years ago. His parents were
natives of Sweden. His father, Gustav
johnson. and his mother. Caroline Han
son Haden. were both of sturdy peasant
stock, and beyond that, little is known
of their relatives.
Gustav johnson was blacksmith,
and for a number of years he conducted
his business on a farm which he had
located near st. Peter. 1t was on this
farm that the future governor was born.
About the time of the Indian troubles
which occurred in that neighborhood dur
ing the Civil war, the Johnsons moved
from the farm to the village of st. Pc
ter. where the father re-established his
shop, but he failed to prosper in town
and finally died, leaving his family in
poverty.
John ilad then reached the age of IS
years. His first position was in a gro
Gerry store, where he worked two years
His earnings We're not sufficient to sup
port the family and he secured a better
place in a drug store, where he earned
enough to support his mother as well as
himself.
In the meantime, he had formed the
reading habit and managed to obtain
good education. Then he secured posi-
ton as timekeeper for a firm of railroad
contractors, and he has said that his
best business training was gained from
his experience i'll that work
Loved to Study Men.
However, he was always more of stu
dent than a business man. He studied
not only books, but men, and for the lat
ter he showed special aptitude He loved
to mix with all sorts of people, to study
them and to learn from their experience
Finally, when an opportunity was
opened for him to become editor and
part owner of the st. Peter Herald, he
was ready for it.
By nature genial, broad minded and
fluent talBer, ready of wit. and pos
sessed Of Il kindly sense of humor. his
paper was always popular, and he was
always III demand as Il speaker at pub
lie meetings. His first venture in poll
tics resulted in defeat. 1t was in
1894, Just after he had woOed and won
Miss Gilmore NJ. Preston, young teach
er, and they had established a home in
st. Peter that he WAS nominated for
state senator.
In 1898 he was again nominated by
the Democrats for the Senate and was
elected. He made a fine record in that
body, and greatly enhanced his reputa-
ton as public speaker and a student
OF political questions. He made some
enemies among the members of his own
party when he warmly defended the
American soldiers in the Philippines and
the conduct of the national administral
ton when it was assailed by the Dem
ocratS.
But if he lost some Democratic sup
port he gained more from the Republic
ans and when, in 1904, the Republican,
party of the state was rent in twain by
Quarrels among the leaders, and Johnson
was nominated for governor by the
Democratic state convention, it was a
foregone conclusion that John A. John
son would give r. G. Dunn of Princeton,
the Republican nominee, the hardest
kind of a race. johnson was elected.
Every day of his administration added to
his popularity and two years later he
was reelected overwhelmingly.
Nominated Third Time
Then it was proposed to nominate him
for a third time. The governor declared
that he would not be candidate, and
did not even attend the Democratic state
convention, but he was unanimously re-
nominated AMI was again elected by
big majority, although his opponent, j.
F. jacobson, was one of the most popu-
lar Republican politicians in the state,
and had made an admirable reputation
as a reformer during a long service IN
the state Legislature.
In the meantime, Johnson's remark
able political record had become known
far and wide throughout the country.
The people of other states wanted to
see him. He was IN demand as speak
er at political gatherings, and Chautau-
qua assemblies everywhere. II respond
ed to some of these demands and with
every appearance his popularity in
creased, until many of the national Dem
ocratic leaders strongly advocated his
nomination for President of the United
States. The friends of w. J. Bryan had
the organization, and Bryan was nomi-
mated This did not dampen the ardor
of Johnson's friends, and the talk of his
nomination for President was stronger
than ever during the past year.