The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-09-27

\ tween tu6 l0ITlDl0 uruQS0Ey Oh JOll lOT
bread, and a quiet chair in kitchen
| where there was enough, II there was
not plenty. He became country edi-
| tor, later legislator, and then a sud-
den candidate for governor who aston
ished his entire state with his ability,
his generalship, his brilliance upon
the platform and his knowledge of
men and affairs
For several sessions / sat within
/ few feet of John Albert johnson In
| the state senate, he as representa-
| tive OF great and wealthy district
| and in the humble capacity Of a
newspaper reporter. heard one of
his first and most brilliant platform
| addresses in his last campaign for the
governorship and sat utterly astound-
ed at the ready flow Of wit, satire,
sarcasm, logic and clear, pL.nted argu-
ment Whence had this sudden gift
of tongues come? lid not know,
only that it was new. But later, when
| knew more of John Albert Johnson
it was apparent that his magnificent
/ gifts we're not the overnight reward
! Of a benignant fairy, but the full fri,i-
| ton of many an hour in many a yea
!, gone by, when by the dim light OF a
smoky lamp he was eagerly absorbing
Charles Dickens, Shakespeare and his
Bible.
/! And now as write, comes through
the window the mournful-the some
times terrible strains of Chopin's
March Funebre, as the cortege is wind.
ing slowly down from that white mar
BILE pile to the funeral train. From
the tower of the city hall. from every
church spire in the city for an hour
the sombre booming of tolling bells
had been DINING into the conscious
ness of thousands that the splendid
| figure of yesterday keen, live, virile
and crowned with the confidence and
hopes of millions of his fellows, is no
longer with us. Yesterday $4,000 peo-
pie passed his simple casket and never
| in the West was there such evident
grief, such wringing of heart-strings,
such wide spread pain. Today as the
stately procession moves its painful
way, 100000 people are standing in the
bright and cheerful sunlight, striving
to keep back the yelling tears, mute,
uncovered, bowed with grief. There
was never anything like this in Min
nesota. The loss Of our people is sud-
den. complete and irreparable.
He is gone from us, but that which
lives means better citizenship to the
state of which he was the first native
born governor and the favorite son.
His deeds are many and honorable
and will be recorded in their proper
place. In due time figure of bronze
will adorn splendid niche in the
state house where ne was the chief
executive of a state of empire-like
wealth. dimensions and resources. He
was commanding figure and has left
| his impress, but the greatest achieve
ments of John Albert Johnson. plain
| American, are not written on the
! heavy parchments that lie in the
vaults of the Secretary of State, but
upon the hearts OF 100000 OF his fell
| lows of Minnesota, who loved him
much and hoped much for him. And
I
! for any man. He has fulfilled his own
ambition. He has added to the sum
of human knowledge Of life. He has
done work which no man did before
| him in the state which was his sphere
of activity.
But like best to think Of other
| things. He has come not within sight
! of the castle of his dreams, but he
| was thankful for life, for the olden
memories, he was gentle. His riches
were of the spirit and in the love OF
every man who knew him.
And so today goes to his resting
place the remains of one who has
i done those things in Minnesota in As
brief years His life was laid down
4 while he was still in the service of his
state, and the life he led is the price
less legacy to people who knew him
well, honored him much, expected
/ much and were not disappointed.
i Making Railroad Travel Safe.