The Washington times., 1922-06-04
Blind FOR SIXTY.
YEARS FIGHTER
| BUILDS A TOWN.
General Johnson Handicapped
BY Civil War Blast Still
' Carries on.
Is EIoHTY-EIoHT YEARS OLD
Marble Falls Has Power Plant,
Shoe Factory, Cotton
Mill and School. "

BURNET, Texas, June g.
Skentuckians, sub and Texans
never let the handicap of blind,
ness retard the progress of theil
achievements.
"Kentuckians and Texans fol.
low destiny. When it becomes
ordained, sub, that they shall
build-they shall build"
Traditions Holds True.
Modesty' forbids Gen. A. II. John
son to speak thus. but the tradition
of the quoted words holds true in
his case.
A Civil War veteran, minus his
sight, General johnson builded the
city Of Marble Falls, Texas. and
constructed therein water and
power plant. a shoe factory. a cot
ton mill and a school. When he
was not busy building he took occa
!, sion to fight Indians and educated
his six children, none of whom he
has seen because of his blindness.
Not only has Johnson refused To
let blindness retard his achieve.
ments, but he also has taken a
prominent part in Texas politics
and civic work. He is eighty eight
years old today, alertly looking into
the future with a keen mind instead
Of eyes.
Brilliant War Record.
Johnson's record in the war be.
tween the States was rs brilliant as
his work after tho conflict had
closed, although he could gee wei!
enough in the first years of the war
as the enemy realized. Ii was dur.
Ing the latter part Of the fighting
that he lost his sight from explo.
sion Of a shell. johnson Is one of
the few remaining generals OF the
. Confederacy and has been a resi-.
dent of Texas for more than sixty
years.
When johnson came to Texas be.
fore the Civil War-Kentucky being
his native State he had charge OF
q section Of the Overland Neil Route,
one of the links of the Butterfield
Mail Route between New York and
San Francisco. The Comnnche
Indians often attacked and killed
the station agents. and in the fights
with them, Johnson always took a
hand. Once he and a few others
were saved from the Indians by Sull
Ross and his Texas Rangers. After
Ross became governor Of Texas he
and johnson became warm personal
friends.
Before the war began johnson had
a contract to sectfonize 256 900 acres
for a railroad company along the Pc.
cos River, for which he was to re.
ceive 200 sections. In this work he
had further narrow escapes from
Indians.
When the war came he hurried to
Kentucky and joined General For
rest. johnson had two brothers in
the Federal army and having been
absent in Texas SO long 1t was sup.
posed his sentiments were similar,
and so he obtained valuable informa.
tion for Forrest. 1t was at this time
that Johnson earned the sobriquet,
"Stove Pipe Johnson" Learning
that there were 500 stands OF guns
at Newberg, Ind. he took but thirty
men across the Ohio river and found
some broken-down wagons and joints
of stove.pipe. Mounting the pipe on
the wagon wheels, he was able to
deceive the people at Newberg into
thinking that he had several power
ful cannon trained upon their town,
and when he demanded Of the Fed.
eral. officers that they surrender
their supplies they did so promptly.
The general lost his eyes during
q fight at Grubb's Cross Roads, Ken.