Little Falls herald., 1909-09-24

nave snap as ina isss J1ohns Il ].
sop they probably cafied hins Johnny.
then got IS 10 q mont i. Fhich Sshe turn
se1 over Is his mot lHe. round dine
TO deliver latlndr washed and ironed
by his mother, his, splendid. heroic
mother. and also TO deliver papers on
the carriers route the town paper
After two years OF this grocer's boy
life he got job In the drug store at a.
slightly higher rate Of pay. From this
time on his mother quit taking in
washing. John supp the family.
In the years GLOWING three Of the
little sisters died, ana John johnson
was in debt to the undertaken. The
boy studied hard while working in the
drug store. The little public library.
was in the same block. eread many
books from the library, being chiefly
interested in history Meanwhile he
studied pharmacy, too, and eventually
he became registered pharmacist.
Real Journalist With a Real Job.
After nine years in the drug store
John johnson became a Journalist. In
the cities a journalist is sometimes de-
scribed as a newspaper man out Of
Job. In st. Peter John johnson was
q real journalist with real Job, pay
Ing for half interest in the Herald.
Tor which friends who believed in him
had put up the money. johnson had
paid of the undertaken. He had bought
IN the two room family homestead,
which was about to be sold for taxes.
and be. had added other rooms and
improvements.
So this was the story discovered by
the St.sPaul reporter. It was so mag
nifcently true that American Mime.
sofa arose gloriously to the occasion
President Roosevelt carried the always
Republican state Of Minnesota by
majority of 161 ,462-a hundred thou
sard above the normal majority. But,
hold: John Albert Johnson. Democrat,
was elected governor by majority of
$500. Not a very large majority that,
and vet he turned "a 400 votes to got it.
The country editor closed down his
desk at st. Peter. probably saying to
Henry Essler: ''1'll be back in two
years. Try to keep the subscribers in
line. and don't let the ads. get away
from you. Keep the jobwork going"
Then be went to work at his new
Job in st. Paul, his office being in Min
nesota's fine new state capitol build
ing. Did johnson as governor of a
great state pose as a sickly sentimen-
tai friend of ''the common peepul?'
Not q bit of it-not he. Johnson made
no pretense Of being ultra democratic.
he wore good clothes. the prevailing
style. and cut just as dignif1ed figure
at gubernatorial reception as he had
cut in the editorial sanctum at st. Pc
ter. He had sense enough to adapt
himself to his environment.
He Made Good. .- .
johnson also had the moral and men,
tai backbone to make him Johnny-on
the-spot with his new job. He had
had no experience as an editor when he
took hold of the st. Peter Herald. But
he made good. He made good also
as governor of Minnesota. Do you
want proof? Then read the election
returns Of 1906. Normally the Repub-
hcan candidate should have won by
about 10000 majority. AS a matter
Of fact, johnson won by 72,000 major.
1ty. Somebody asked how he did it,"
Il only tried to make good" replied
Johnson. .. ~,
No boomerang was thrown in the
second campaign. If johnson had not
made good in his two years. term as
governor be would have been sent
back TO the st. Peter Herald Office.
The washerwoman circular promulgat-
ed by the unidentified asylum inmate
made him governor, but as governor
he made good himself. Those years
Of struggle, of self effacement, of moth
er love and brotherly devotion in St.
Peter gave him the stamina to make
good. When some one asked him what
he considered the most important re-
suit Of his administrat tion as governor,
he replied: i
"Law enforcement. We have brought
about conditions by which the state Of
f3cers obey the law themselves and en-.
force it,
Made Tax Dodgers Vince.
But Governor johnson did not stop
at enforcement of the laws on the
statute books. By his influence be
brought about the enactment Of new
laws to meet conditions. One thing be
did was to have the legislature give
him board Of tax equalizers. John
son appointed three of the best men
In the state. Under the law this board
had only advisory powers. The gov
ernor used his discretion. The steel
trust has immense mines in northern
Minnesota. These mines were taxed
on a valuation Of $3S,O0O,0O0 when
johnson took Office. Now they are
taxed on valuation Of $194, ,0O0, 900,
and the poor taxpayer feels better.
The electric railways uniting st. Paul
and Minneapolis are paying twice as
much taxes as they paid before the
advent Of johnson. The tax dodgers