JOHNSON 271 JOHNSON JOHNSON, ROSSITER, an American editor; born in Rochester, N. Y., Jan. 27, 1840; was educated there, and edited the Rochester "Democrat" jointly with Rob- ert Carter. From 1869 to 1872 he edited the Concord (N. H.) "Statesman"; in 1873-1877 was associated with George Ripley and Charles A. Dana in editing the "American Cyclopsedia"; in 1879- 1880 aided Sydney Howard Gay in his "History of the United States." In 1883 he became editor of the "Annual Cyclo- paedia." He devised and edited the series of "Little Classics" (16 vols. 1874- 1875; two additional vols. 1880). He was editor-in-chief of the "World's Great Books" (50 vols. 1898-1901). Life of Captain John Smith" (1916); "Epi- sodes of Civil War" (1916). JOHNSON, SAMUEL, an English lexicographer; born in Litchfield, Eng- land, Sept. 18, 1709. He completed his education at Pembroke College, Oxford; and in 1732 taught school at Market Bosworth. In 1735 he married Mrs. Porter of Birmingham who possessed $4,000 and with this capital Johnson started a school at Edial, near Litchfield, obtaining only three scholars, one of whom was David Garrick. It was at this time that he began his tragedy "Irene." In 1737 he set out for the me- tropolis, accompanied by Garrick. On fixing his residence in London he formed a connection with Cave, the publisher of the "Gentleman's Magazine," his prin- cipal employment being the reports of the parliamentary debates. It was dur- ing this period that he formed a friend- ship for Richard Savage whom he im- mortalized in a biographical sketch. In 1749 appeared his "Vanity of Human Wishes," an imitation of Juvenal's 10th satire. In 1750 he commenced his "Rambler," a periodical paper, which was continued till 1752. About the period of his relinquishing the "Ram- bler," he lost his wife, a circumstance which greatly affected him, as appears from his "Meditations," and the sermon which he wrote on her death. In 1755 appeared his "Dictionary," which, in- stead of three, had occupied eight years. Lord Chesterfield endeavored to assist it by writing to papers in its favor in the "World"; but, as he had hitherto ne- glected the author, Johnson treated him with contempt. In 1758 he began the "Idler," which was published in a weekly newspaper. On the death of his mother, in 1759, he wrote the romance of "Ras- selas," to defray the expenses of her fun- eral, and to pay her debts. In 1762 George III. granted him a pension. In 1763, Boswell, his future biographer, was introduced to him, a circumstance to which we owe the most minute account of a man's life and character that has ever been written. In 1773 he went on a tour with Boswell to the W. islands of Scotland, of which journey he shortly afterward published an account, which occasioned a difference between him and Macpherson, relative to the poems of Ossian. In 1779 he began his "Lives of the British Poets," which was the last of his literary labors. He died in Eng- land, Dec. 13, 1784. JOHNSON, THOMAS LOFTIN, better known as Tom L. Johnson, an American municipal reformer, born at Georgetown, Ky., in 1854. He received practically no early education. His first employment was with a street-railway company. He rapidly rose to positions of responsibil- ity and acquired a large fortune, partly through inventions relating to street rail- ways. He purchased in 1876 an interest in a street railway of Indianapolis and later acquired large holdings in street railways in Cleveland, Detroit, and Brooklyn. He made these lines profit- able by the introduction of through fares and transfers. He disposed of his street- railway interests for a large sum and entered politics. He was defeated for Congress in 1898 but was elected in 1890 and 1892. He was an ardent advocator of the single-tax ideas of Henry George and also his theories of municipal own- ership attracted national attention. In 1901 he was elected mayor of Cleveland and was three times re-elected. During his terms of office he introduced radical reforms and won a fight to secure three- cent fares on the street-car lines of the city. He was defeated for the govern- orship of Ohio in 1903. He retired from active participation of public affairs in 1910 and died in the following year. JOHNSON, SIR WILLIAM, a British officer; born in Warrentown, County Meath, Ireland, in 1715. In 1738 John- son established himself as the manager of the estates of his uncle (Admiral Sir Peter Warren) , on the S. side of the Mo- hawk river, about 27 miles from Sche- nectady, N. Y. Here he speedily gained the confidence of the surrounding In- dians, learned their language, and was adopted as a sachem by the Mohawks. In 1743 he was appointed by the British government chief superintendent of the Indians, and in 1750, a member of the provincial council. At the close of the war with the French, in 1753, Johnson threw up his commission, and retired to his fortified residence, called Fort John- son. In 1755 he met and destroyed the French army under Baron Dieskau, at
