The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-09-24
GOV. JOHNSON
PASSES AWAY
Popular Reform Governor of
Minnesota Answers the
Final Summons.
he DIES FOLLOWING A SURGICAL OPERATION
Governor Johnson Was Three Times
Elected Covernor.-.A Democrat
In Republican State.

John Albert johnson, three times
governor of Minnesota, died at St.
Mary's hospital In Rochester, Minn.,
at 1926 a. m. Tuesday, after four days
of intense suffering, following an ope-
ration for intestinal trouble. His
wife; Miss Margaret Sullivan, her
close friend: Miss Jamme, the head
nurse, and Miss Powderly, nurse, and
DR.. McNevin were at his bedside
when death came. He lapsed into
unconsciousness at 1:30 and remained
in that state. He did not ask of his
fate but appeared to realize the end
was near. A special train bore his
remains to St. Paul on the afternoon
of his death and the state militia es-
corted the remains to the capitol,
where short services were held on
Wednesday, and interment made in
St. Peter cemetery, near the little
town where he spent his boyhood
days.
WAS SELF MADE MAN.
John A. johnson was born at st.
Peter, Mimi, July %, 1861, and was
past forty-eight years of age at the
time of his death. He was the son of
G. and Caroline johnson, both natives
of Sweden. He was educated in the
public schools of st. Peter, Mimi,
and was given the degree of L. L. D..
by the University Of Pennsylvania
in 1907. He was married at St. Peter
in June, 1894, to Gilmore Preston.
The care of the family devolved on
him at the age of twelve by the de-
sertion Of his family by his father.
He went to work in a drug store
in St. Peter. Later he obtained an
interest in the St. Peter Herald, Of
which he became editor. He served
seven years in the Minnesota National
Guard, becoming captain. He was
elected state senator from the st. Pc
ter district and was elected governor
Of Minnesota in 1904, and was re-elect-
ed twice, and when death called was
serving his third term. In religious
faith he was a Presbyterian.
WAS OF SWEDISH DESCENT.
John Albert Johnson rose from the
lowly ranks of poor boy to the
highest office in the gift of the people
of Minnesota, and his hold on the peo-
pie of that commonwealth was more
than political. In a naturally repub-
lican state, he was thrice elected gov
ernor when nearly all of the balance
of the state ticket was republican.
His personal strength had made him a
political giant. His first. victory was
regarded as a freak in politics, but
his second victory showed that the
democratic conqueror of republican
state was remarkable man and an
extraordinary one. He was a product
of the state, with parentage and en-.
vironments of the common people,
and he rose to be commanding fig.
ure. He was Swedish in descent, but
Minnesota born, and the first native
born governor of the gopher state.
The story of his boyhood is one that
compels sympathy and admiration,
and offers one reason for his hold up.
on the people. Through his fathers
desertion he sacrificed schooling and
recreation and turned in and helped
his mother in the struggle to keep the
wolf from the door. This boyhood
service and denial made him broad
and sympathetic and the story would
never have come out only for his po.
litical ambitions and the circulation
of false stories, and when the true
one came to light thousands of women
as well as men enlisted themselves
under the johnson banner.
| LEFT SCHOOL AT THIRTEEN.
Johnson left school at the age o1
thirteen to become a wage-earner, but
never ceased to become a student. II
politics johnson was first republi
can, but he became convert to tn,
democratic party on the issue of tarif
revision, and when in 1886 the owner
Of the st. Peter Herald wanted an ed
itor, they selected the yooung dis
penser of drugs and he became pow
er in the journalistic field. He coul,
"spell-bind" a little, and as bo
practiced oratory in secret places. H
became more and more of a politician
In 1893 he was chosen state senate
and became prominent in the legisla
tive halls.
| In 1904 the railroad interests of tn
state nominated r. G. Dunn for 90,
ernor, and he proved an easy opponen
for johnson. Roosevelt carried til
state by over Isl, 600 and johnson wa
elected by over 1000. He made
brief but strenuous campaign, NAL
ing lob speeches in forty-two days.
In 1905 he was again elected 20,
ernor over Cole by over 1900, an
eclipsed his previous record by NAL
ING 119 sDeechpS in Saven uooko u.