Three years after he went to work in Louisville as clerk in an
iron rolling mill, on a very small salary. In the same office with
him was another lad, Arthur Moxham, who later became his business
partner. For economical reasons, the managers of the mill decided
that the services of one of the boys could be dispensed with, and
it then came to a choice between them. Moxham was the one retained,
and Johnson was turned out to commence over again. At the time,
this looked like a misfortune, but it was really the best thing
that could have happened. Before long, an opening with Louisville’s
ramshackle, broken-down-old-mule street railway presented itself, and
the discharged mill clerk started on the career which was to lead to
fortune.