Page:One of a thousand.djvu/355

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JOHNSON. [OI-INSON. 34' under General Banks. On his return from the war he again became employed in the shoe factories, and in 186S formed a part- nership with George H. Carleton for the manufacture of shoes. This partnership continued for ten years, when the firm was dissolved, and Mr. Johnson continued in the same until 18S6, when he retired from active business. Mr. Johnson was married in Haverhill, March 14, 1866, to Mary F., daughter of W. P. and Harriet (Lambert) Hobson. Of this union are two children : William Henry and Carrie Lambert Johnson. Mr. Johnson is a prominent member of the Masonic order, and is also an active member in the G. A. R. ; was a member of the common council of Haverhill 1873 and '74 — president the latter year; for three years a member of the Republican state central committee, and a member of the House of Representatives in 1889, serving upon the committee on water supply. JOHNSON, 1VER, son of John Johnson, was born in Nordfjord, Norway, February 14, 1841. He obtained his educational training in the parish schools of his native place. IVER JOHNSON. He served an apprenticeship at gun- making in Bergen, and finished his term of service in 1S62 ; worked one year at his trade in Christiana; then in iS63,at twenty- two years of age, emigrated to America and located in Worcester. In 1871, in com- pany with Martin Bye, he began in a small way the manufacture of pistols, under the firm name of Johnson, Bve & Co. From this small beginning grew the great busi- ness which has since, in busy times, em- I loyed three hundred and fifty hands. In 1883 Mr. Johnson bought the interest of Mr. live, and the business has since been conducted by him, under the firm name of Iver Johnson & Co., in the city of Worcester, where he resides. Mr. John- son now manufactures pistols, guns, and every style of fire-arms, police goods, chain twisters, ice and roller skates, and bicycles — all of original construction ; he also does drop-forging of all kinds, and nickel- plating. Mr. Johnson is an intelligent student of social and economic questions. He has been for many years a director in the Sovereigns' Co-operative Store, and on the board of directors of each of the three co-operative banks of Worcester since their organization, being the president of one of them. Mr. Johnson was married in Worcester, April 9, 1868, to Mary E., daughter of John and Jennett (Adams) Spiers. Of this union were five children : Nettie Bright (deceased), Frederick Iver, John Lovell, Walter Olof and Mary Louise Johnson. JOHNSON, Joseph Prosper, son of John William and Jerusha (Cary) Johnson, was born in Essex, Middlesex county, Conn., July tS, 1 S 1 3 , and was one of a family of thirteen children. His early education was gleaned from two months' attendance each year in the district school of those days. His father, once a prosperous mariner and shipmaster, was forced to retire from the sea on ac- count of ill health, and when death came. the willow ami fatherless were obliged to economize to keep the family in comforta- ble 1 ircumstances. At the age of fourteen Joseph left h e, June 17, 1827, with nothing outside his brain and hands, but the example and counsel of a fond mother to invest as capi- tal in the great mart of human activities. He embarked in a small trading vessel and went to Provincetown, where he bound himself out for seven years as an appren- tice to a sail-maker. At that time sail-mak- ing was a flourishing business in that little sea-port town. Long hours of work and short minutes for recreation gave young