The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-23
.ANT|-SALOON LEADER
TOHELPSTATE 'DRYS'
"Pussyfoot" johnson, Bootleggers'
Terror, Arrives in Portland
to Direct DRY" Campaign.
Journal, July 10.

leggers out of Indian Territory is
here. The man who as chief special |
officer of the United States Indian
Service secured more than 1000 con-
victions for infractions of the liquor
laws is in Portland to direct the pub
licity of the Anti-Saloon league in the
dry" fights on this year in Oregon,
Washington, California and Colorado.
Although known everywhere as
|"Pussyfoot," William E. johnson is
his name and he halls from Wester-
vile, Ohio, suburb of Columbus,
where he serves as managing editor
of all the publishing interests Of the
Anti-Saloon league, which is no small
shucks of a job, as the league pub
fishes 3S periodicals. He is also ed
itor of the New Republic and will
have another paper soon when the
league establishes its proposed daily
at Washington, D. G..
While here Johnson can be found
at the leagues publicity headquar-
ters in the Stock Exchange building
with one of his co-publicity workers,
H. P. Hutton, directing the dry
propaganda for the four western
states that are to have statewide
prohibition elections on November 3.
This is going to be great year
for the dry forces" he said yester-
day. "West Virginia has already
left the wet ranks. Washington,
Oregon, California, and Colorado vote
on the issue November 8, and indica-
tions are that all four states will be
carried in favor of prohibition. And
on September % Virginia decides the
question. The outlook is most nope
full there as over one half of the vot-
ers signed the dry petition.
'In Washington of $4,000 voters
$4,000 names were procured for the
original petitions while $1,000 names
came in later. l can't say much
about the Oregon situation for I
have Just reached the state, but in
Colorado the dry sentiment is grow
ing rapidly.
Occupation by the federal troops
of the strike zone in that state car
ried with it the closing of all saloons.
Once closed the people were enabled
to see the difference between dry
and wet and converts were made by
the score. Even the editor Of a
Boulder paper that had been strong
| ly wet was convinced by his brief
experience in dry city.
81 can't see where the question of
| hops has any bearing on the prohi-
bition issue in this state. Statistics
show that only 2 per cent Of the
hops grown in the state are consumed
in Oregon, while the other SO per
cent are exported, most of them going
to England. England will not go
dry for many a year and Oregon
hops will always find a market"
Mr.. johnson has been fighting the
cause of prohibition for many years,
not only as a worker for the Anti
Saloon league but as government
officer and as a journalist. His early
newspaper experience was gained on
the Lincoln (Neb.) Daily News, later
becoming associate editor of the New
Voice, Chicago.
In 1906, as special agent of the
department of the interior, it became
his duty to enforce the liquor laws in
Indian Territory and Oklahoma, later
being made chief special agent of the
limited States Indian service and serv-
ing from 1908 to 1911.
In his term of five years he Sc
cured more than 1000 convictions in
criminal prosecutions, worked among
and fought the most desperate of
crooks and bootleggers, had eight of
his men killed in performance of
their duty and gained the soubriquet
of "Pussyfoot."
| Mr.. Johnson's experience in track
ing and capturing lawbreakers who
sold liquor to the Indians were ex-
citing and varied enough to fill a
book, and his work as an "outlaw
smasher" was highly successful. In
addition to his convictions he smash
ed more than half million bottles
of whiskey and burned 76 dives as
part of his work. The story of John
son and his deputies is told by Joseph
Heighton in the current number of
"The Wide World"
"Pussyfoot" beat the bad men at
their own game, but after five years
of thrills and perils he retired to the
comparative quiet Of editing for the
Anti-Saloon league, which publishes
} three tons of printed matter day.
Now he is out in Oregon and will un-
doubtedly play an important part in
, the "dry" fight on the Pacific coast
Mr.. Johnson is member Of all the
leading international temperance or,
| ganizations, and is the author of q