The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1911-04-13

In addition to the public services
which he rendered Cleveland. and for
which he will be best remembered,
Mr.. Johnson served two terms in con
gress, defeating Theodore +. Burton
in 1890, and Col. O. j. Hodge in 1892
While mayor of Cleveland he accept
ed the Democratic nomination for gov
ernor of Ohio, but was defeated by
Myron T. Herrick.
Tom Loftin Johnson was horn July
IS, 1854, at Georgetown. Ky, and
when still a boy began his struggle
with the world in which he was to
prove himself master of men and
things. He began in the rolling mill
and the street railway offices at Lou
isville, Ky, and the foundations there
laid in his grasp Of traction matters
ultimately led to his being COM
manding figure in traction affairs in
many cities. When still young man
he went to Indianapolis and engaged
in traction activities, and in 1872. at
the age of Is. invented the Johnson
street railway rail, which he after
ward manufactured.
1t was in 1881 that he first came to
Cleveland. At that time he pur-
chased the old Brooklyn horse car
line, and subsequently built the SEQ
vile avenue line. Still later he ac-
CURED the South Side lines, and
eventually organized the Cleveland
Electric railway.
Mr.. Johnson's advent into the po-
litical arena was in the year 1883.
when he ran for congress against
Theodore h. Burton in the Twenty
first district, the campaign ending in
his defeat Two years later he was
again candidate for congress against
Burton and succeeded in wrestling
from him the victory He was re-
elected in 1892. but was defeated in
1894, when he again ran against Bur-
tom
Immediately after this defeat he dis
posed of his interests in Cleveland
and left that city and began that re-
markable career in traction organiZa-
ton which took him successfully TO
Brooklyn. N. Y, Buffalo, N. Y, and
Detroit, Mich, in which enterprises
he amassed considerable fortune.
His first advocacy of three-cent fare
marked his advent in the traction in
terests of Detroit, and the first steps
taken there in that direction later
developed into his greatest political
asset. The story of his fight for the
establishment of n three-cent fare in
Cleveland is too long for review in
short biography, but it was marked
by many spectacular and striking in.
cidents, among them being the es.
adjustment Of bank of his own, the
Depositors Savings q Banking Co.,
and the Inauguration of his newspa-
per stock subscription device foI
financing his lines. But the financial
difficulties of the enterprise multi
piled and the first real reverse came
when the Cleveland city council or.
dered referendum election to be
held October %, 1903, and in spite oil
Mr.. Johnsons splendid political ma
chine, and his vigorous and spectacu-
lar campaign, his policies were de-
feated by a small majority. His
street railway enterprise toppled anc
fell and a receivership was appointed
for his lines.
Mr.. Johnson's defeat November 2.
1909, by plurality OF 1888 votes by
the present mayor. Herman G. Baehr,
really marks the finish of his public
career in Cleveland. though he con-
tinued to hold office until January 1,
1910. After his defeat he was never
the same man. On the occasion of his
retirement Mr.. Johnson's physical de.
bilities were particularly marked. AS
he had done once before under like
circumstances, he left Cleveland and
from that time until shortly before
his last sickness spent little time in
The city.