The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-02-14
A Strange Tradition. >

a man named William Woodvillc
stumbled down a step in the sidewalk on
North Clark street, on Saturday, and
broke his leg just above the ankle. 1t
didn't hurt him much, for the member
was made OF steel springs and English
willow, but his history is worth brief
notice as showing how ill-luck follows
some In a peculiar way through the whole
course of their life. This mans nisfor-
tune has been from his earliest infancy
to be continually getting broken or
manglcd when others escape without a
scratch, So peculiar and continuous has
been his experience in this that his mind
has yielded to the stern teachings of hard
events, and expects, nay, he knows
that just about once in so long he will
have new call for physician or the
saw and scythe of a surgeon. The story
of his life would seem incredible were 4
not vouchcd for by several reputable per
sons.
One Of his first exploits was when he
was little boy on his fathers farm. ir
Orange county, N. Y. He was reapine
one day with a sickle, and contrived t6
cut off the little finger Of his left hand
A few years later: in wrestling, he got d
heavy fall and broke his right collar
bone. A runaway horse broke his two
arms, and fall while skating slightly
fractured his skull--all before he reached
maturity. He was a pretty well patched
individual when he got married andstart-
cd west to settle in Cedarsburg, Ozaukee
county, Wis. in 1856. A railway &C.
cidcnt on the road came near ending his
acquaintance with splints and bandages
for, besides breaking his leg, it so injured
his spine that for months his life was
matter of chance. He recovered and was
getting around we'll again, when one day,
at ''raising," log which had been
"skidded' almost to the top of the barn
broke away from the raisers, and when it
fell he was the only man that didn't es-
cape. He wasn't hurt much then, how
ever, only had some of his ribs and his
nose broken, and he began to hope for
better things.
In 1860, while engaged in stoning II
we'll on his farm, the windlass broke and
the bucket came down. He had time to
dodge and only had his shoulder broken.
His courage never seemed to fail HIM.
Bothered and worried as he was, when
the war broke out he tried to enlist,
being the only man in his town who offer
ed to volunteer. He wasn't handsome
enough after all that had happened TO
him to be accepted amon., the first $4,000
men. In 1869, Hon. Joseph Rankin, of
Man1towoc, now State Senator of Wis.
consiu, raised company, and Woodville
made personal appeal to him to be al
lowed to enlist. He was accepted. In
the army it was the old story over again.
He was always getting hurt. He wound
up by losing leg at Fort Donelson, and
was sent home. Shortly after his return
his wife died, and being unable to follow
farming with wooden leg, he sold out
and moved to Chicago.
He started small grocery store on
South Halsted street. and was getting
along passably, when one night, just as he
was about closing, three bold robbers
entered, and went tor his wealth. In the
row that ensued blow of bludgeon
knocked out his light eye and left him
senseless. The robbery and loss occa.
stoned by illness closed bis grocery. He
started a small book stall on West Madi-
son street, and was patching out his
pension with its small profits, when, il
1874, the small pox took hold of all thai
was left of him, and carved him ever
more ferociously than the surgeons had
done.