East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-04-11

Estate of About One Hundred Thou
sand Dollars-Burial at Brooklyn.
Cleveland, April 11.-Tom l.. John
son, twice congressman from the 21st
Ohio district. four times mayor OF
Cleveland champion of three cent
street railway fare. and leading advo-
cate Of the single tax theory Of the
late Henry George, died here at S:45
o'clock last night after a long illness.
He was 81 years old.
In honor of the famous former
mayor arrangements were made to-
day 10 suspend all business in this
city during his funeral which will
probably be followed by a memorial
service The body will be taken to
Brooklyn. y. Y, and inferred in the
Greenwood cemetery. He leaves an
estate Of about one hundred thou
sand dollars.
III over Year.
Mr Johnson had been III for more
than year. but his condition was
not thought serious untl he suffered
a relapse on wednesday. March Is.
He had been gaining strength ever
since he came home after spending
the summer on Nantucket island
sketch of Life.
Johnson was born In Georgetown,
Ky, July Is, 1854 He was christen-
ed Thomas Loftin, but ne always pre-
ferrcd To- call himself Tom l., and so
he was known from boyhood until
he started work in a Louscille trac-
ton office and when still a youth Sc
cured sufficient backing and bought
n controlling interest in the Indianap-
oils street railway. In the eighties
with his brother, Albert he came to
Cleveland and became interested in
the street car systems here and as
sisted m partial consolidation Of
them, He became a director in the
Cleveland Electric Railway company
and in 1891 was elected a member of
congress from the 21st Ohio district.
serving two ters as "single taxes"
When he was defeated as a candidate
for n third term, he went to New
York, disposing OF his street car in
terests in Cleveland and acquiring
control Of the Naussau street railway
line in Brooklyn.
Elected Mayor.
He also entered into the steel man
ufacturng business at Johnston. Pa, |
and Lorrain, Ohio These interests he |
successfully disposed OF and when in !
1900 he sold his Brooklyn traction !
line he was left free of business cares.
He returned to Cleveland and in
April, 1901, was elected mayor on a
platform which promised universal !
three cent fares.
After fight with the street car
company which lasted until 1908 and |
through four elections in each of |
which he was triumphant, the Cleye-
land traction lines passed into the
hands of the Municipal Traction COM
pany.
After six months trial of operation
at three cents, the people at a ref
erendum election, voted out the fran
chise and the Municipal 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
Va s'iO 'iiSS CcHt grants, Dut MS pro-
posals were rejected at an election
held August 3, 1909. His own defeat
three months later and on
January l, 1910, he surrendered the
reins of office to the present mayor,
Herman c. Beehr. Two months later
three cent fare was established the
result of Mr. Johnsons efforts.
In 1908, while Mr.. Johnson was
mayor, he was nominated for COVER
nor by the democrats of Ohio, but he
was unsuccessful at the election.
Bryan Eulogizes johnson.
The death of johnson is great
loss to real democracy. said Bryan to-
day, who eulogized Johnson highly.
No Public Funeral.
At the request of the family there
VIII be no public funeral services over
Johnson and the body won't lie in
state as had been planned.
Services by Rev. Cooley.
The remains will be taken to
Brooklyn tomorrow. Brief services
by Reverend Cooley will precede the
departure. The Legislature. today ap-
pointed n committee with Governor
Harmon as chairman to attend the
funeral
Dave Johnson the Juniper sheen