Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/134

 JOHNSON

JOHNSON

mills in Pennsylvania, and erected an extensive plant in Cleveland, Ohio, for making Johnson's steel car rails. He was nominated in 1888 as the Democratic candidate for representative in the 51st congress from the twenty-first district of Ohio, and was defeated, but was elected to the 52d and the 53d congresses, serving, 1891-95. He was defeated in the election to the 54th congress, and thereafter declined furtlier office, devoting his time to his railroad interests. He delivered ad- dresses in favor of the single-tax theory of Henry Oeorge, and aided the cause by large contribu- tions of money to furnish the masses with in- formation as to the question.

JOHNSON, Virginia Wales, author, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 28, 1849; daughter of M. Augustus and Sarah (Benson) Johnson; grand- daughter of John and Sarah (Buck) Benson, of Boston, and a descendant of the Buck and Sewall families, of Buckport and Bath, Maine. She was educated at home, and after 1875 made her home in Europe. In 1900 she resided in Florence, Italy. She is the author of: Kettle Club Series (1870); Travels of an American Old (1870); What the World Hade Them (1871); Joseph the Jeiv (1873); A Sack of Gold (1874); The Calderivood Secret (1875); The Catskill Fairies (1876); Miss Nancy's Pilgrimage (1876); A Foreign Marriage (1880); TJie Neptune Fase (1881); An English <■' Daisy Miller" (1882); The Fainnals of Tipton (1884); Tulip Place (1886); The House of the 3Iusician (18S7); The Terra Cotta Bust (1887); Tlie Treasure Tower of Malta (1890); Lily of the Arno (1891); The Royal Physician (1891); Genoa the Superb (1892); America's Godfather, or the Florentine Gentleman (1894).

JOHNSON, Waldo Porter, senator, was born near Bridgeport, Va., Sept. 16, 1817. He was a nephew of Gov. Joseph Johnson; was educated in Virginia, removed to Missouri and was admitted to the bar in 1843, practising at Osceola. He served in the Mexican war in 1846, but was dis- charged in 1847, having been elected a representa- tive in the Missouri legislature. He was prose- cuting attorney for St. Clair county; judge of the judicial district, and served as U.S. senator in the 39tli congress, from July 4, 1861, to January 10, 1862, when he was expelled on account of having joined the Confederate army during the recess of congress. In the special session of July, 1861, he offered the resolution for a peace con- ference to be held at Louisville, Ky. He rejoined the Confederate army; was wounded at Pea Ridge, Marcli 8, 1862; was promoted lieutenant- colonel; took part in the evacuation of Corinth, Miss., May 30, 1862, after which he was detailed to special service until appointed by Governor Reynolds to the C.S. senate, to fill a vacancy. After the war he fled to Hamilton, Canada. He

subsequently returned to Osceola, Mo., and was president of the convention of October, 1875, that adopted a new state constitution. He died in Osceola, Mo., Aug. 14, 1885.

JOHNSON, Walter Rogers, chemist, was born in Leominster, Mass., June 21, 1794. He was graduated at Harvard in 1819, and taught school in Massachusetts, 1819-21; was principal of Ger- mantown academy, 1821-26; professor of mechan- ics and philosophy at Franklin Institute high school, Philadelphia, Pa., 1826-36; made a geo- logical survey of the coal and iron formations of Pennsylvania, 1836-37, was in charge of the department of magnetism, electricity and as- tronomy, U.S. exploring expedition, 1837; pro- fessor of physics and chemistry. University of Pennsylvania, medical department, 1839-43; con- gressional expert to determine and report vipon the relative value of the varieties of coal for com- mercial uses, 1843-44; naval department expert on coal, 1844; expert on water supply for the city of Boston, 1845, and chemist at the Smith- sonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1848-52. He represented the United States at the London, England, world's fair, 1851; was a founder of the Association of American Geologists and Natural- ists, and first secretary of the American Associa- tion for the Advancement of Science, 1848. He is the author of: Scientific Class Book No. 1 (1835), No. 2 (1835); Notes on the Use of Anthra- cite in the Manufacture of Coal (1841); Coal Trade of British America (1850); and translations of Knapp's Chemical Technology (1848), and Weisbacli's Mechanics (1849). He died in Wash- ington, D.C., April 26, 1852.

JOHNSON, William, jurist, was born in Charles- ton, S.C, Dec. 27, 1771. His father, William Johnson, a well-known citizen of Charleston, de- scended from one of the old German fam- ilies. He first' settled in the state of New York, where he as- sumed the name of Jensen, and received an extensive grant of land. • Upon his removal to South Carolina he resumed his English name, and thereby his de- scendants lost the benefit of the grant. He fought in the patriot army during the Revolutionary war, and was selected by the British authorities as one of the most dangerous and important of the rebels and was transported to St. Augustine, Fla. William, his son, was