The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1951-01-15

| terested In the area.
| 1t has been said that no fewer
than seven shlploads of Johnsons
arrived in Alaska and the Klon-
dixie during the great gold rushes,
1897-1902. Such evidence as is av-
ailable indicates that this is not
an exaggeration.
The directory for the City OF
| Dawson in the year 1901, for in
stance, discloses that there were
| then located in Dawson no fewer
than 143 Johnsons, not counting
Johnsons, Johnstons and other hy-
birds. What woes that Dawson
postmaster must have had
1t was one of the l43 Dawson
Johnsons who became the sub
iect OF one OF those imperishable
stories of the Klondike. The story
is retold here mainly for the bene-
! fit of cheechakos and tourists All
OF the old timers have heard it or,
probably, saw it happen.
This johnson, otherwise uniden-
tilted. one lively Dawson evening
| visited in turn the Sideboard, the
| Bonanza, the Aurora and perhaps
other saloons and was making his
way as best he could toward the
Monte Carlo IN a momentary be-
Indictment, he flonndered into the
! salvation Army hall where a meet
ing was in full swing. Abashed
by the eyes turned on him, john
son skunk into a corner and slump
| ed down to wait for a chance to
slip out unnoticed.
AS the evening went on, however,
and the band played, the hymns
| rolled forth and the reporters told
| their stories and made pledges
of better things, Johnson got into
the spirit of the affair. Before he
quite knew how it happened he
found himself before the gathering,
recounting his own many short
comings. It was a long story and
black one and he stood at last
in utter detection, appalled, at the
lack of a single redeeming feature
in misspent life.
Then the trace of smile lifted
his blotcfscs aEdA, ,,.abbled jowls
and a flicker of light came to his
| bloodshot eyes. He said:
BOYS, I was a bad one; yes,
worse than bad But boys, bad as
I been. there is one bad thing l
never yet done. Never have / been
dance hall girlp'
Lack of space prevents a census
OF the many Johnsons OF Alaska,
out a few who have left some
special mark upon the history OF
the country come readily to mind:
Charles S. Johnson was District
Judge back in the days when the
whole of Alaska was one district,
! and Adam Johnson, few years
| later. was crier in the District
lCourt at Nome.
Frozen Foot" Johnson led pro-
hibition officers many a merry
chase around Juneau in the dry
wears and received special atten-
ton one fine Saturday afternoon
| when the still blew up III his
house on Gastineau Avenue,
Jeff Johnson used to cook up
on Anvil Greek; Peter H. johnson
was captain on steamboat down
river from Whitehorse; Don john
son ran the little steamer Fleet
wing out of Teller, and Laughing"
johnson was skipper on vessels OF
the Seattle-Alaska run.
johnson Old Man, of the Cape
Fox tribe, gave the early miners
in the Unuk River country more
than a little trouble, and Sam
Johnson was an Indian policeman.
Moose" Johnson was well known
from Hurricane Gulch to Fair
banks; John Johnson and his fine
dogs won the Nome sweepstakes
]. H. johnson was deputy Marsh
al at Koyukuk, and Totem Pole
johnson got his nickname by rea-
I son of fits that completely immobil-
ized him for as much as an hour
at a time.
few of the other notables IN
| clude "Crooked-Nose" Johnson,
"Grindstone" johnson, stampede
johnson, Shoemaker" johnson,
"Gee-Pole" johnson and Hard
pan" johnson. Oh, yes, and there
was Jack johnson, whose real
name was neither Jack nor john
son.
And let us not forget the john
son bar, a great implement that.
| in this day of self-starters and
| multi -cylindered Diesels. is almost
! = ,,,,,ca,lrn piara