The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-12-30
NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.
| BIOGRAPHY OF THE Hon. FERNANDO WooD, Mayor
Of the City Of New York. By Donald NJ Leod. O..
F. Parsons Nassau street.
Thirty nine pages Of this biography occupied with
the history Of Mr. Woods progeniors We pass them by
without notice. as we care but little for these family
illustrations It IL sufficient for purpose to state
that Mr. Wood is descended both BY the paserna and
naterna lines from the frat Quaker fugives from perss-
cution to this country and that his ancestors dstin
guishei themselves creditaby both In the political and
commercial affairs Of Pennsylvania. He himself born
Philadelphia, the 14h Of june. 1872 the day upon
which the Cabinet to the resolution of declaring
against Great Britain. He to have had but
very little education. When he eight years old he
was sent 10 denny kept by Mr. James Shea, Mahe
rraica Master in the Grammar School Of Coum ,ia Col
ege At the age OF thirteen his father being absent in
the South he took it into his head that his education
hnibed, and that it time for him to enter upon
the great struggle Of life. Taking up newspaper and
running his eye down the column Of wAn he discovered
that Mr.. Brewster the keeper of exchange office,
wanted boy To this person he engaged himself at the
salary Of two dollars week. and this modest
uept formed the starting point Of his fortunes
When he about twenty years Of ago he sent
Richmond to take charge Of large tobacco mandatory
and whilst there smitten with violent passion for
turned to New York. and started for himself 8 tobacco
dealer in Pearl street. Engaging however, warmly
in politics, as supporter Of General Jackson he lost
both his time and bis money and obliged to give up
business for himself and become clerk again. In this
capacity he enabled to little money and to
absh himself . grocer at the Of Rector and
Washington streets. Here he succeeded so well that in
1858 he had become the of two or three vessels
and by the tine he reached his twenty eighth year. he
was elected lin ls40) to the Congress Of the United
States He t<ok active part in the discussions on all
the leading political questions of the day, such the
Fiscal Bank BILL the Tariff laws, the Navy Appropriation
bill and he drew up the report upon the Naval Dry aud
Floating Docks. He 1t was who gave most efficient sup
port to Professor Morse in pressing the claims Of the
electric telegraph the attention Of Congress- These
serious occupations did not however, preve at Mr. Wood
from occasionally nduging his propensity for practical
joke. The following anscdote will be read with interest
Henry Clay particularly fond of him took
fancy TO i'm when first introduced, and lost
oppcs turity Of paying him personal attentions Perhaps
he saw rome spark Of that genius In the young
which 50 abounded in himself Friends used TO say in.
deed still say, that the lower ions Of the faces Of
both were strongly similar. BE that IS II may Clay
loved to be with him, to walk and tals with him. and to
One day the two with an old Phlad. Iphian friend of
M Clay, going down broad Pennsylvania Avenue,
when the old gen eTnan desired them stop in q
bacccnirts that he might get his snubox filed The
three went In and while there Wood tarougha half
81 tales at work which he too understood, but for
the present cid not confess his kno wleoge Of
'What," asked he OF the shopkeeper, are those
'Mskirg segars, sir . was the answer. "win you 20
In Mr.. Clay, and see them at their work ~
Certainly" said the kentnckian and the trio
There sat four artisans, dampening the leaves of the
rfsnt weed or sPFsaang them on and cutting them
Ger anty obtained BY praccc or breaking of the dry
hrs to the proper length or rolling up the neat segar
and Terminating its fabrca ion vi h twist not unsim
lar to involote pgtail Use brings rapidty From
twelve deen hundred in day have been rolled BY
learned In that art yet FIVE eight hundred II
thor gbt coed days work.
The number daily accomplished by the Washing
o snan hss nst a 1 og oss
say "How very skully this is done Who would have
supposed that go much ingenuity was required for the
II cont any art in it," sad Mr.. Wood; at scems
to very simple matter; and suspect that any one
| Clay looked at him and said, ssYoung man. you de.
ceiye yourself Lng years CT patient labor are required
TO psh what these here doing Ui,b snch
ease requires great experience to be able
ssWith difference Mr. Clay said Wood II differ from
yon There be art skill required 10 do what
these men are doing. See They merely cut on piece
Of the tobacco roll sose Of the dry part in their hsod
csy laughed but the shopkeeper and his men looked
| aud some wonder at his apparent self esteem
ifyou think any one can massa segar,' said Cay,
Il
| ward the table, with glance at the proprietor.
One Of the men arose With a premature smile for
swell, may be mistaken, but really do think IL
| possible, will try.n
Co. sitting down. he took the knife and tobacco leaf,
and with dexterous cut prepared his wrapper, then
broke the filing to the proper size rol ed all up togo.
Their, twisted the small, symmetrical pigtai at the end,
cut CT the top, and hand cd the well made sexar his
| distinguished fellow legislator.
Clay was amazed, and vented his surprise in hume
CALCULATIONS The sho pkeeper and his people stared
/ n "A la " m aner
o. theirs As for Fernando Wool, he kept the secret,
and the joke ran Of Congress, and was told ct
| the expense 81 Henry Clay.
When Mr.. Woods term hal expired, be gave up poll
tics and applied himself again assduously to business In
1917 he the Of less than eight vessels and
In the following ear hearing Of the first discoveries Of
gold in California; he fitted out vessel for sau Francisco
and sold her cargo at such profit that II
enabled him to retire from trade and to speculate largely
IN real estate in San Francisco well in this city
But small portion Of the biography Is devoted to Mr..
Woods private history The remainder is composed Of
his Congressional spec hes and the history Of his admin
straton Mayor up 70 the present time. With these
readers familiar ourselves, and form
their opinions the utility Of which has
been closely connected with their interests The
credisaby executed far it goes The task OF
tmporaneous biography is always difficult one, and
Mr. .eod has evi,ently been restrained in the
his materials by considerations proper in Themselves, bu,
which Of course initiate against the completeness Of his
narrative. Even with this drawback IL will be found
| worthy the attentive perussl Of our readers
ADVENTURES OF Nix Cousin SMOOTH. By Timothy
Templeton.
We have received the proof sheets Of an exceed
ngly curious and oStre work with the above title
which has been recently published In England, and
Ia about to be reprinted here. The author is one Of
those eccentric genuses whose flights are always
amusing, even when they fall short Of the rational
He delights in queer conceits, extravagant images
| and quaint modes Of expression. Like the Ram
bling Englishman," who has lately given US such an
amusing history Of diplomacy, his peculiar style
gives him fair claim to the title Of the Rambling
American His narrative Of what occurred at the
Ostend Convention will, we rather imagine take the
| wind out Of Mr. Soule's sails and depriye the ar