Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-11

the foothills Of Kentucky, from their
little homestead in the village OF
Georgetown, to Staunton, Va. for pro-
lection. The family consisted OF two
boys-bright. CHEEKY fellows. One was
tired and sore from the continued
tramp over the hard roadways but the
other was helping him as best he could
and urging him on, to the place where
rest awaited them. At the same time,
ne was encouraging his down-hearted
father and mother with kind words.
Don't mind, pa" he said. II kin sell
papers, an will give you all make
The ambitious youngster was Tom l..
John son, then II years old. In the i've
weeks Immediately following Lees sur
render, he proved that he had the head
of a financier. In that period he earned
sSe. There was great thirst for news In
Staunton but once a day, only. was II
in communication with the outside world
and then it was by railroad. Tom saw
his chance for monopoly IN papers, and
straightway cornered the market. He
made the friendship of the conductor
Of Staunton's daily train, who turned
over to him all the papers. t'or hVe
weeks he held this monopoly, selling
daily papers for Is cents each.
Three wears later he went to work In
A rolling mill at Louisville, at a small
salary. In the same office with him
vas another hoy, Al tIinr Moxam, who
later became his business partner. For
economical reasons, the managers de-
cided that one Of the boys had to go.
When it came to choice Moxam was
retained, and Johnson was turned out
to begin over again.
Beqins Traction Career.
Louisville had a ramshackle, broken
down street railroad, the cars of which
yvere drawn by mules, when Tom john
son applied there for work. Recently
Ne sold his interest in that railroad at
= handsome profit after being for f1f-
teen wears its largest stakeholder, and
chiefly instrumental in changing II
from mule to electric power.
After young Johnson had been con-
nected with the railway few weeks
lis president, alderman du Ponf- no
ticed him picking up some pieces OF
scrap iron and depositins them In
barrel that stood near the entrance To
the car shops. -,
..What are you doing that for?
asked Mr.. Du Pont, rather sternly.
"why. sir" said Tom. a little embar-
assed there is no use wasting these
nieces of iron. The company may wan'
TO have them melted over, some day..
Mr.. Du Pont went into his office ane
thought. He sent for Tom and said: y
inst think I have some work for q
! Young man like you. How would yor
like to stay in the office and have YOU
salary raised IS a week."
Then Tom L. Johnson went up like
rocket: but, unlike many rockets, NJ
stayed up. He quickly rose from posi-
ton to position-from office boy t
chief cashier; and. on his seventeenth
birthday, he was made superintendent
of the road. Then he began a system
that improved the road and put 1t on
paying basis. He improved the pas
| senger accommodations and reduced
the expenses. Three years as super
intendent of this road made him lonl
for wider fields of action. He told hi
employers that his scope was too lin
tied. Mr., Du Pont had every confidenc
in his protege. He knew that the am
bilious young man would try to sue
coed honestly.
One morning. the office boy told mi