The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-11
Wi111ber1y 6 Thomas Hard,Oare Go.
SKETCH OF THE REMARKABLE
 CAREER OF TOM L. JOHNSON

ous streets. excepting upon that basis. Fourteen injunction suits. three of which went to the United States su- preme court were brought during the early stages of the duel. The most exciting incident of the fight in its earlier stage, however came in 1902, when a franchise prepared by Mayor Johnson providing for Scent fares and the right of the city to buy the lines at any time was introduced and passed
 Then the lawyers for the railway went into court and contended that the charter of the city of Cleveland was null and void, being class or special Legislation. The courts had known this all along, but had winked at it for nearly 40 years. The issue was forced, however, and the courts ruled that such was the case, not only with Cleveland, but with other Ohio cities. A special session of the legislature had to be called to pass a new code granting charter to all cities affected by the courts decision.
 As fast as the different street line franchises of the old company expired pro-Johnson council voted them over to the Forest City line and construction was begun. One some streets both companies had franchises and the dou- ble sets of tracks were laid. On one street the council ordered the old com pany to set its tracks over to make room for the new When the mandate was not obeyed, Mayor Johnson took crew of 200 men out one morning and quickly tore up much of the line be- fore an injunction could be served. He kept on with the work, though, after getting the courts restrainer and was arrested for contempt. Johnson fought the proceedings and won out in tho supreme court.
 4 IL, ,,r~ eight years. Every technicality that presented itself was taken advantage of by Johnson's enemies, but the line at length began giving service on the Scent fare basis.
 Contrary to Mayor Johnson's conten- tion that in Cleveland street railway could make a reasonable profit and pay dividends on a 3-cent fare basis, his municipal line lost money and be- sides the service was poor. Gradually the mayors ideas lost caste with the people, and when he came up for re- election in November. 1909, he was de- feated by a small majority. Without loss of time the Cleveland Electric Rail way company proceeded to take over the Scent fare lines by/purchasing the stock and reorganizing and 5-cent fares were again in vogue and are now.
 After his defeat, Johnson announced that his fight for Scent fare and against monopoly in Cleveland had cost him practically his entire fortune. He lost $400, 900 in one sweep by misman- agement of certain interests while he was busy trying to make Scent fares pay. He had to give up his magnfi- cent home and his automobiles and take little flat at s35 a month. He told his friends he was not sorry however, and that he was ready to fight the bat tie all over again. He numbered his close personal friends by the thous- ands. Like a majority of good fight CTS, he was also a good loser.
 career-the fight against death. On March 22 of last year. Mayor Johnson left for Europe in an effort to regain his waning health. But he had been game, too game. and had worked long after his physicians had forbidden him any exertion. In Europe he consulted noted specialists and took the baths at Carlsbad, returning to this country in May. For several weeks he was in an eastern sanitarium and then went with his wife to his home in Cleveland. The rally was not for long, however. and seldom was hes even strong enough to see his friends.
 Mayor Johnson lowered between life and death for many months and finally on March 20 took a turn for the worse. Since then he has had only brief periods of consciousness and the end was only a question of days