The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-01

when he was in the prime of his early
manhood. He wears well. He grows
young instead of old. His disposition
is the most stubborn enemy age ever
grappled with. The blood dries up
quickest in a cold heart and then the
brain suffers.
Geniality adds ten years to the
span of life. Breadth of mind and
depth of character make a safe bridge
where dignity and narrow pride fall
into the stream of oblivion.
Now some one may say it is easy
to be philosopher and prince
while holding a 25-year term on the
supreme bench. This argument has
already been answered at the begin
ming of this article, but the following
little story will furnish still another
answer:
When Chief Justice Johnston came
to this country from his home in the
Canada woods some forty years ago,
he located in central Missouri and
started to read law. But he was so
poor that he had to find some more
profitable engagement in order to
meet his board bill. So he determin-
ed to teach a term of school.
He applied for a country school in
st. Clair county and was hired by the
heaviest tax payer in. the district and
this arbitrary action was later ratified
by the school board.
The future chief justice was greatly
elated by his good fortune and bor-
rowed a horse and rode to Osceola to
find the county school commissioner
and get his certificate. At Osceola
he was informed that the commission
err lived three miles out in the coun-
try, and he was warned that the COM
missioner was a cruSty and eccentric
fellow and a warm southern SYM
pathizer.
Justice Johnson rode out to the
commissioners house and found his
man in the barn feeding the horses.
They went to the house and the Ca
madam law student explained his mis-
sion to the old Missouri rebel. The
latter's first question, however, dashed
the northerner's hopes of ever getting
e. certificate
Where are you FROM" he asked.
There was nothing for young john
ston to do but to state that Toronto
was his home. To his pleasant surprise
the old Missourian received the infor-
nation with interest rather than re-
sentiment He piled his young visitor
with a hundred questions about that
far north country and was soon az
worked up over the customs of the
Canadians and their winter sports and
their life in the great forests.
This was all very we'll, but the bud
ding school teacher saw the day pass
ing away and his examination for
10 leach SCIlOO1 SIN III Ii OiiS
Of him. He mentioned the matter
again. but the commissioner waived the
subject aside and would talk only of
Canada.
Finally the teacher, who had a school
and no certificate, got desperate. He
insisted that as the hour was getting
late and he had a long ride ahead, that
he begiven his examination.
"Oh, all right" replied the commits
sioner, and he asked young Johnston to
give a specimen of his handwriting.
The young man wrote his name and
address and the old man inspected the
writing through his glasses. Then he
asked a question or two about geog-
raphy and suddenly turned round and
called to his daughter to bring him
blank certificate The girl brought in Il
blank and the old man filled 1t out and
signed it and handed the document to
the astonished Canadian. 1t was d
first grade" certificate. They had
rather simple system of conducting the
affairs of public schools in Missouri
in the sixties.
Now" said the old commissioner,
that little matter of yours is settled,
tell me something more about that lum-
Der camp and the fights the champions
among the lumbermen had in the
spring after they fioated the logs down
to the settlements"
After teaching school for awhile in
Missouri Justice Johnston came to
Kansas Here he started in to practice
law and he won his way, without money
or influence. to the top of his profess
sion. Today a legion of friends in
every section of the state will drink TO
his golden anniversary on the bench
standing, in water from the wells of a
prohibition state. He has kept that
which was committed to his trust. He
wears we'll. Such men are so few. And
the pity of it. They make the world
brighter and better.
In honor of this, the 25th anniversary
of Justice Johnston's service on the
bench, Dell Valentine, clerk of the SUI
preme court, will give a dinner at the
Elks club tomorrow night at which
there will be a distinguished gathering