The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-04-11
= = 5i
lin |. JOHNSON
| DIED LAST MIGHT
n.d Mayor Of Cleveland, Ohio and
father Of the Three Cent Street
Car Fare In
America.
hARTED LIFE HUMBLY
Y PRISONERS IN MUT1NY
|.oan as Car Driver and Worked Him
self up to Fame, Fortune and
Holding the Respect OF
the People.

CLEVELAND, Ohio, April 11.-Tom
Johnson, twice congressman from
he Twenty-first Ohio district, four
lines mayor of Cleveland. champion
3.cent street railway fare and
eading advocate of the single tax
theories OF the late Henry George,
lied here at S.45 o'clock last nig..l
kiter long illness. He was 81 years
age.
Tom l.. Joh. Sc, who had been in
El health since he retired as mayer
pf Cleveland on January /, 1910, will
brobably be known in all future
american municipal history as the
mayor of the best governed city in
the United States and as the father
Of the three-cent street railway fare
lin America. He was born in Blue
ISpring. KY, July is, 1854. His faith
er, General William Johnso-, a fa-
mous Kentucky legislator. lost his
fortune in the civil war and at fifteen,
young Johnson was thrown on his
own resources. He promptly secured
"a Job as a horse car driver on the
streets of Louisville, and began learn
Ing the business in which he later
In; de fame and fortune. Johncon
served later rs chieI OF police of
Louisville but soon became interested
financially In the street car system of
indianapolis. Cleveland, Detroit and
Brooklyn. Patents en- various street
car appliance helped him along fin
anc;ally and made him an authority
On street railway matters. He was
practically at the height of a most
successful career as street railway
magnate, when in 1888 he retired from
business to carry out cherished ideas
OF social reforms, among which was
that Of becoming the father of three
cent street railway fare in America
This idea had been impaired to hin
by Henry George, whose influence
over Johnson's entire life dated from
the time when on railway trail
Johnson bought a copy OF George
Social Problems Later the two be
came fast friends and worked togeth
er at carrying out of various reforms
On Georges advice Johnson enter
Cd politics, running first for congress
out being defeated in his first rae
when he campaigned on the free trad
Issue Later he was elected, seryin
TWO terms from 1890 to 1894. Her
one OF his most noteworthy achieve
ments was the ruse by which he for'
Cd the printing of the entire text {
Henry Georges protection of fre
tfade, into the Congressional Recor
and its free distribution to the entir
country.
Johnson was defeated in the /
publican landslide of 1894, but in 19(
was elected mayor of Cleveland an
began his real life's work of esta
hshing the three-cent street car far
for Years he kept up the fight and {
result Cleveland today still has
'hree-cent street car fare althoue
mol under exactly the conditions
mad hoped for. His various terms ;
mayor We're marked by continu
hght against special privilege with Il
result that he quickly won the tit
" Mayor of the best governed ci
N the United States" In 1903 he III
iof governor and was defeated
was promptly reelected mayor aga
N 1905. meeting final defeat again
1910.
!. During the last few months of /
ME, most of his time was employ
IN writing his autobiography
Johnson was married in early i
70 Margaret ]. Johnson, daughter
'ne confederate Colonel Robert Jol
son, at Louisville. Mrs Johnson a
Two children. Mrs Bessie Johns
nariani and Loftin Edwards Johns'
survive him.
). All business will be suspended
Tue city during the funeral of May
Johnson. The body will be taken
GREENWOOD cemetery, Brooklyn. whe
,uhnson's wife and child are buri
nus s fortune is estimated at ol
100000.