The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1911-04-15

TOM L. JOHNSON.
tonight after a long illness from
cirrhosis Of the liver. He was 81 years
old.
Mr.. johnson had been i'll for more
than a but his condition was not
thought serious until be suffered q re.
lapse on Wednesday, April 10. He had
been gaining strength ever since he
came home after spending the Summer
on Nantucket island.
Tom L. johnson once referred to him.
self in q public address as "a stormy
petrel," and this metaphor aptly de-.
scribed him and indicated the course Of
his career. From the time he entered
the offices of a Louisville street rail way
company as a boy Of Is until his defeat
for a fifth term as mayor Of Cleveland
on November 2. 1909, he was ever in the
center of some storm. financial or politi.
cal. He often said it was thus that he
enjoyed himself best.
johnson was born in Georgetown,
Kentucky, July is. 1854. He was
christened Thomas Loftin. but he al.
way preferred to call himself Tom L f.,
and so he was known from boyhood.
He started work in a Louisville traction
office aud when still a youth secured
sufficient backing and bought a con-
trolling interest in the Indianapolis
street railway.
Elected TO Congress
In the Sos, with his brother, Albert,
he came to Cleveland and became in
terested in the street car systems here
and assisted in a partial consolidation Of
them. He became a director in the
Cleveland Electric Railway Company
and in 1891 was elected q member OF
Congress from the Twenty-frst Ohio
district, serving two terms as a ''single
taxer." When he was defeated Is a
candidate for third term he went to
New York, disposing of his street car
interests in Cleveland and acquiring
control Of the Nassau street railway
line in Brooklyn.
Mayor of Cleveland
He returned to Cleveland, and in
April, 1901. was elected Mayor on q
platform which promised universal
three cent fares.
After a fight with the.street a com
pany. which lasted until 1908. and
through four elections, in each Of
which he was triumphant, the Cleve'
land traction lines passed into the
hands Of the Municipal Traction Com.
pany. After six months trial Of opera.
ton at three cents. the people. at q
referendum election. voted out the
franchise and the Municipal Traction
Company passed into the hands Of a
receiver. where it remained until
February. 1910.
One more attempt was made by
Mayor johnson to secure the passage of
the three-oent grants, but his proposals
were rejected at an election held
August 8. 1908. His own defeat fol
lowed three months later. and on
January /, 1910. he surrendered the
reins of office to the present mayor,
Herman o. Baehr. Two months later
the three. cent fare was established. the
result Of Mr.. Johnson's efforts.
Defeated For Governor
In 1908, while Mr.. johnson was
Mayor, he was nominated for Governor
by the Democrats of Ohio, but hs Wal
unsuccessful at the election.
Crushed both in health and spirit. after
his defeat by Mayor Baehr, the former
Mayor went abroad. He had hoped &c
regain his health. but came home nc
better. Last Summer he spent In q cot
tage on Nantucket island.
When he returned to Cleveland IL
the Autumn he appeared to be recover
ing and said he never felt better. How
ever. he was o coniped to his home
again and left it but a few times.
Besides his wife Mr.. johnson is sur
vived by one son, Loftin, aud O daught