Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-06-21
OF 1928
READY
FOR A BATTLE
- ~ @ @
@yEFFY" JOHNS DIED IN OFFICE
Ar WORK BE
LOVED

CFrem the Garfield Times Of mar. 10,
1929
II. jefferson Johns, who died Tn
the harness I'm his office in Miles
City an 1928. was probably enc Of
the best known Of his craft tn the
state. He had established many
newspapers and was q writer who
had the courage Of his convictions.
Here b . tribute to Mr.. Johns from
the pen Of a friend
Arrayed in the fun panoply OF a
knight Of the quill, that old warrior,
7. Jefferson Johns, while preparing to
make another advance upon the enemy,
this particular enemy being some pol
icies Of municipal government which
he did not sanction, went down In the
twinkling Of an eye before the scythe
Of Old Father Time
He was seated at the exchange table
IN his editorial office In Miles City
when the stroke came, and there prob
ably reposed on that table q hetero-
geneous mass Of daily and weekly news
papers, paste pot and pair Of shears,
unopened and unanswered correspond
ence, and all the other characteristic
accoutrement Of a newspaper mans
den.
A Bold Warrior
Jeffy, as he was known from one end
of the state of Montana to the other,
was a warrior bold. Fighting with Ink
was even more than meat and drink
to him and what more could he ask
than to be permitted to die In his tent
with his full ar-Tnor on2
Jeffy began his Montana newspaper |
career In LewiStown about 1891. He was
then 81 years Of age He stayed there |
a few years, went away and came back. |
He bought an interest In the original |
Fergus County Democrat, which was
by the late e. H Rathbone, |
who died at Roman. Scott Brothers
bought the paper from Rathbone and /
Jeffy acquired an interest with Dave
Scott. He stayed there until about 1905,
when he set out ON his varied career.
Senator w. F. Meyers sent for him to-
come over to Red Lodge, and staked
him to a plant In that city. Walter AL
derson was editing the Red Lodge
Picket at that time and he and the
wealthy senator were at swords points.
Meyers object was to secure 3 man
With pen equally at vitriolic as Wal
,ers and he made no mistake when he
selected Jeffy. 1t was battle royal and
{ lasted for several years.
MIR. Johns went from Red Lodge to
Forsyth where he and Ira Cole ex-
hanged the amenities Of the season In
heir rival newspapers for about
ear. Next he was In Miles City for q
hort time and went from there to
Clyde Park in the Shields river valley II
md thence to Livingston for a brief
Seriod, managing and editing papers IN
lis characteristic style IN all Of these
owns. From Livingston he dropped
Town to Fatrview on the North Dakota
Inc, where he suddenly espoused with
II his wonted vigor the cause Of tenn
,erance and prohibition Jeffy really
made his first stake at Fatrview. From
Hairview he moved up to Harlowton
vhere he again did a prosperous busi-
less but having no business rival for
ONE months he confined his batteries
o onslaughts on the opposite political
Iarty He made money In Harlowton,
old out to fine advantage, and bought
o good advantage Colonel Hamilton's
aper in Miles City, a weekly Some
line last year he launched a daily edi-
lon of the paper.
He died as he lived, with his fight
lg clothes ON.
TORN i'm 1859.
Jeffy was born in West Virginia in