it's really white far more than hiram johnson the hiram johnson's father worked for the southern pacificor choose what the congressman who's who is in the pocket. he breaks the power. but there's this memory of those ages that is quite real and that's what goes on with numerous. noris uses that and i think for johnson it would be interesting to go back and look at johnson. my sense is, i can prove it, is hiram johnson is a really smart politician. the octopus is far too viable to throw away. i mean, everybody isn't a big they might not know it's powerful and more but he turned into something he can just went back and forth up and down the state. hairy man comes in and takes over the southern pacific. is not the political operator that he is picky is no match for johnson. i think what johnson will do this deal the root issue, make it a progressive republican want to put in an awful lot of reforms. the octopus is dead by the early 1890s. >> you pretty thoroughly demythologizing the railroads as the all powerful entities that many people thought they were. but what if they brought in the te

my sense and i can't prove it because i stopped to look for that is hiram johnson is a very smart politician the octopus is far too valuable. everybody has the memory of it. they may not know if this powerful anymore, but he turns into something he can but not comport up and down. pyramid comes in, takes over the southern pacific and is not the political operator he is. there's no match for johnson. johnson will do is still the railroad issue for the democrats and make pervasive republican mice, but that in reform. but the octopus is dead by the early 1890s. >> you pretty thoroughly demythologizing railroads and transcontinental as the all-powerful entities than many people thought. what if we broaden the terms of that to that point gnashes generally speaking, what if anything at all as both of broader minutes of the american west, the cowboys, sophistries, homesteaders, california trail and so on, is there anything still defensible on an historical standard? the whole thing is to be put into the best bidder. >> any set of stories that can have the power those stories have in the extended ri

and even, it would appear, one of california's most famous governors, hiram johnson he made his political career by taking on the octopus, a southern pacific railroad, much of the political system we have in the state today, not least of all an initiative and referendum and recall, the direct product of his attack. but by your accounts by his day the octopus was, as you would say, and in deceit. there was no true power. how can contemporaries have gotten the long? >> a brief window between 1882 and 1894. salmon cisco is and was a colorful city. so what he does is set up with a guy here is the blind boss. what they do is essentially run the state. he buys the elections. very clear at the time. the octopus, 1892 is essentially divided machine. he trains them far too well. the convening grand jury. he decides he is suffering poor health. even the grand jury indictment, illegal, thrown out, riding on the wall. he is done. huntington comes to stanford and says, here is the evidence that you bought the senate seat. here's what i want you to do. we will send you back to the senate to resign as p