Evening star., 1955-08-21
Johnson Working Hard
To Make Full Recovery
Continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
likely to tell a visitor these days
about his experience is, "you
realize how many good people
there are in the world"
And the next thing: "Nobod!
run out and left me-"
BY way of illustration. he tell
about his 74-year old mother
who had never been on a plan'
in her life. She was told tn,
day he was stricken that he
son might not live and asked i
she would fly to his bedside. Sn'
would. she said, but she had one
request. Lets pretend like W,
ARE on the ground"
Touched by Tributes
He is obviously much touchet
by the tributes paid to him OF
the Senate floor. All but one o.
two of his 96 colleagues in tn,
Senate wrote to him. some b.
hand, and their loving, prayerfu
letters are carefully preserved IL
10 big scrapbook. In another
volume are letters from thu
President. from cabinet member
and from labor leaders, some Of
whom had at one time callec
for Johnson's scalp.
AS for the outpourings in thu
Senate. the Senator says with
obvious qualification, 'Dick Rus
sell Senator from Georgia. saic
1t was the only time they die
it in life"
Senator johnson. all through
the perilous night of his attack
was very close to death. His
blood pressure went down to 40
After the ambulance brough,
him from a friends country
home in Virginia to Bethesda
Medical Center and he knew
what was the matter with him
he did not panic. He was in the
words Of an admiring associate
"as bossy as ever" He asked the
doctor for three minutes to see
three people. They were Felton,
johnson. secretary OF the Senate
George Reedy. his executive as
Isistant. and Ladybird. his wife
Called Clements
II told Skeeter johnson to
call Earle Clements in Kentucky
where he was campaigning to
tell him that If / lived woulc
mot be back this session. didn't
want there to be any question
about who was leader of the
Senate. / told Reedy to call the
wire services and tell them
mad a heart attack, moderately
severe. Don't tell them I'm ir
here for a rest or a check-up,
tell them the truth-I've Just
hit the cold water q elly-buster
Il said to Ladyhird. Honey. here
is my money-clip; you may neee
some ! think we're going Il
lick this thing. My will is dowr
in your general managers desl
in Austin. Do one thing for me
get me the best heart specials
In this country"
All this was done in just unde
three minutes. To use up hi
time, he asked for one last ciga
rette. He got it. and hasn'
smoked since. Then he said t,
his doctor: I'm ready to B
now"
Warning on Limits
"You know you're going t
live" Johnson says now. "Yo1
know this is Just a warning yol
are on notice there is q limit t,
what you can do"
Senator johnson had tw,
spells of extreme depression afte
his attack. Now he's just lookinI
ahead. One Of the things tina
has pleased him is an avalanch
Of some 1000 letters from 4
States, many Of them from peo
pie, who, he says. like "AA's
want to encourage him.
One man wrote him and sale
Don't let this thing throw you
My Nanny is 81, had this con
dition since she was A. She
fine. and you will be, too"
Whether or not the tall Texal
will come back as majority lead
er in January Is a matter yet tt
be decidedly his doctors at ,
showdown conference in Atlantis
in December. Meanwhile. tn
johnson staff and household
gearing itself for a safari t,
Texas. to be headed by the Sen
ator. Mrs. johnson and his doc
tor next Thursday by plane. TIL,
,T0hnSnns will on IN their .Iohp