The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-09-27
Gov. John A. Johnson
Beautiful Appreciation Of the Late Minnesota Executive
by Curtis L. Mosher.

Spare me from the bitterness
and the sharp passion Of unguarded
moments. May not forget that
poverty and riches are of the spirit.
And although age and infirmity
overtake me, and come not within
sight of the castle of my dreams,
teach me to be thankful for life and
for time olden memories that are
!! good and sweet, and may the even
ing's twilight find me gentle still.
On bitter gray afternoon in win
| ter, when the shadows had heightened
SO far as to shut much of the cheer
! less light of the day from the. magnlf-
icent private apartment wherein John
A. Johnson lent to the cares of his
commonwealth the keen and shrewd
perception of we'll stored mind and
the energy and devotion which lifted
him to greatness, / took from an old
wallet well worn slip of paper and
quoted to him these beautiful words.
It was after several hours OF trying
and arduous labor. Tired and worn
! the governor lounged in his leather
chair. He sat silent for many min.
utes and we both gazed out upon the
comfortlessness of the dying day.
Il wish you would repeat those last
/ lines again" he said at last-"and
| come not within sight of the castle OF
my dreams" Isn't 1t magnificent?
! The whole philosophy OF calm, un-
| troubled, gentle and helpful life
breathes out in those simple words,
Read it again"
| repeated the measured phrases and
again the silence spread over us.
Later we talked, not of greatness and
pomp and circumstance of marching
events, but of the common hardshlps
of life and the daily trials and tempta-
lions of common men. AS we left the
huge marble building that commands
Saint Paul from Its remarkable vantage
point John Albert Johnson, plain
American, summed up his measure OF
life in words which will be impossible
to ever forget.
1T is my conclusion" he said, that
the bitterness of poverty. the terrible
drudgery those who rise from the bot
tom must experience, the bitter long
ings and the heart aches for the things
we want-want with heart and soul,
and always find just beyond us,
comprise the test of fire to which a
| far-seeing Providence subjects those
who are destined to succeed. And
whether real success is possible with
/ Ia
pie call me governor and show re-
spect it pleases me, but my mind in
| evitably reverts to the time when no
one dignified me and l wonder why
| and what these things mean. So much
! in life we none of us understand. But
| there's purpose. and those of us who
have the desire to accomplish work
| in the world can only remember that
/ there is no honor not founded on
worth, and no respect not founded on
accomplishment. And above all, to help
others in life, to hope to see the great
ness of the future and to strive for a
share in the accomplishment of some
| thing which is new and needed In this
world, or which is worthy because it
/ contributes to broader understand
ing of life and its problems.
ITO have fought poverty is mag
nifcent heritage / do not envy the
rich. Their affluence has cut them off
/ from the greatest thing in the world
to know how the average, common
/ place, unsought and unhonored man
lives, what he feels, what he thinks.
There is but one end of life which is
worthy and that is to conquer-to con
quer. adversely, pain, envy, regrets,
ambitions, and the obstacles which
are put in our path to develop our for
titude, our courage and our brains"
We paced along the street John
Albert Johnson with his peculiar
swinging stride. Finally he turned to
me with one of his rare, quizzingly
delightful smiles which so frequently
illuminated his rather sad and serious
features, and said,
Come on. | want to buy cigar
darn good one. It's one of the pleas
ATTEST things / do, because never put
my money on the counter and get one
of those full, rich, delicious Havanas
without remembering the times wher
would have been glad to smoke {
fine perfecto and give one to a friend
but had only nickle or a dime tt
bless myself with
This was the character of Johr
Albert Johnson. I do not think it Ii
necessary to say more The worth o
the man, his struggles and successes
his attitude toward his fellow men
and the attitude of his fellows towart
him are sufficiently expressed II
these quiet remarks after the brunt o
the days labor was over.
He was the son of washerwomal
"a mother whom he delighted to hon
or, TO whom he was not only the sol
ray of hope and solace, but the sol
support. She died three years ago, blu
: not until the washerwoman's son wa
the first citizen of one of the grea
commemorative of the nation. Sh
was brave and determined and tough
a good fight against the early pangs c
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