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33 it came along, secured a clove hitch upon his off foreleg and was hoisted to fame and financial ease. Johnson's opportunity was C. A. Comiskey, then manager of the Reds, which team was owned by John T. Brush, also owner of Indianapolis, in the Western League. Comiskey was a baseball genius and Johnson real ized the fact, as he has demonstrated ever since. Comiskey pulled Johnson to high places. As Johnson was "after" Brush, Comiskey induced the latter to make iis friend president of the Western League. Then Comiskey bought St. Paul, also SL Western League club. The expansion bee was buzzing around "Commy," and he placed a team in Chicago, starting the base ball war, with contract jumping, big salaries and piratical methods. With the cqming of peace, the American League was born with Comiskey as brains, Charlie Somers of Cleveland as financial backer and Johnson as president. A great starter but a poor finisher is the Falstaffian executive. He started the ticket and umpire scan dal investigations, but the only finish the public saw was so smeared with whitewash that it was not recoginz able. It is, said, though, that the end suited Johnson, as he obtained what he was after, very much as a politi cian does, and his pet expression, "for the good of the game," answered a multitude of pertinent questions. Johnson's salary has climbed from $5,000 a year to $25,000, or so the American League magnates say with out blushing. Johnson prides himself upon being the dictator of baseball. As president of his league, he is a member of the national commission, and the third member thereof is August Herrmann of Cincinnati, who votes with John son, because this gives Johnson un limited power, which he knows how to use and he keeps Herrman jol lied until the hero of many beefsteak- dinners wears a perpetual smile. Johnson is credited with forcing C. W. Murphy, who worked with John son in Cincinnati and now owns the Cubs, to give Joe Tinker to Cincin nati and permit Frank Chance to go to the American League by threaten ing to tell some things he knew. This is called "politics" by some and "diplomacy" by others. Twice Johnson has quarreled with .Comiskey, and while the scrap lasted Byron never looked the same. Being a great lover of peace, he was always ready to have friends bring about a handshakeing festival at which he and his mentor renewed old ways. While Comiskey enjoys his health Johnson will continue to be a base ball wiz, but it is sad to think what would happen should the Old Roman -decide to retire. o o WILSON AND HIS JOB A man of insight, after a long journey through seven western states returned to Washington with this opinion: "The folks back yonder are watch ing Wilson and are saying, 'Why, that's the man we've been looking for."' ' Only five months in office and see what he has done: Got the tariff on the toboggan. Canned the lobby. Called Wall street's panic bluff. Started currency reforms. And handled the Mexican muddle, as if he had been doing such things all his life. These specific things aren't, how ever, the biggest of his achievements. The biggest is his taking hold of a rusty and discredited party machin ery and making it work for the com mon good. o o Wife (severely) Is this the fish you caught? Husband Y-e-s, m' dear. Wife (shrewdly) Were you fishing in salt water or fresh? Hus band I Idon't know, m' dear. Didn't taste it!