The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-06-29

with Robert Emmet--Was at New Or
leans when jackson Drubbed the Eng
lish--He Knew Henry Clay Intimately
and it was His Paper that Adopted the
Rooster as Political Emblem--He
Started the Town of Lawrence.
The papers all over the country have
been making run recently on old peo-
pie. 1t is a fad something like the
Napolean craze. Nearly every city OF
Importance, including Wichita, has
brought samples of longevity, and, by
the way, Wichita up to date stands
second, with Aunt Harriet Johnson.
She says she is lis. There was one old
er person discovered in New Jersey
who said he was 126. Mostly all these
stories are more or less fakes. II is
very doubtful whether Aunt Harriet
johnson is over 80. She has living
son who is only AZ.
There is one man in Wichita, how
ever, whose ago is authentic. There is
no fake about it for there are many
people here who knew him for over
forty years and know that he is as old
as he represents himself to be. II
would not be necessary to have any
testimony but his own. He is a man
of not ordinary intelligence alone, but
he is actually a man Of extraordinary
intelligence. This gentleman Is DR..
John 2. Wood, known to all the pion-
GERS OF the state as j. n. o. +. Wood,
from the fact that he always signed
the nome Jno. in capital letters. DR..
Wood resides at AS Avenue c, and is
seen down town frequently. He is in
95th year and practiced medicine I'M
til about three years ago. He has not
been sick for half century until
few weeks ago when ne walked sew
teen miles in one day, got overheated
and caught a cold which has laid HIM
up for a day or two. DR.. Wood does
not like notoriety. He does not care
to be written up although he has had
a great carexr which sounds quite
romantic TO the young people now
growing to manhood. His mind is as
clear today as it was when he was
twenty-five and his step is more elias
tic than that Of the average man of 90.
Not only that but his memory is won
derful.
DR.. Wood is an Irishman although
he does not betray il in his accent. He
is of Norman descent, his old family
name being Dubois. which means
Wood in English. About two centuries
ago the good people of Great Britain
saw the wisdom Of passing a law max
ing everybody in the realm adopt
English names, and hence the change
from Dubois TO Wood
Way back at the time that Great
Irish patriot organized his rebellion in
ireland the Woods were heart and
soul with him. The doctor was then
baby. When Emmett fell the Woods
were also captured. The doctors faith
err his uncle and his grandfather We're
sentenced to be hung. The uncle and
era ndfatber were hung. but the doc
tors father escaped To France and
lived at Havre. with his family, in
Guiding the doctor, for about seven
France when that wonderful genius.
Napoleon made the French nation and
the French people the greatest on
earth. The doctor was right in Havre
when Napoleon arrived there and in
stituted improvements which made the
harbor the finest in the world. Like
all the other boys he shouted and
shrew up his little cap AT the great and
glorious military achievements of the
Little Corporal.
In the spring Of 1910 Mr.. Wood, the
Irish patriot as he was known IN
France. took his family Of ten children
and came to America. They landed a
New Orleans and he was a good sized
boy when old Andrew Jackson of saint
of the English. The doctor not only
threw up MS cap for the great military
hero of France. Europe, and the world.
hut his threw up his cap and shouted
for the great military hero of New
Orleans and the cannoniZed salt of
Democracy.
The doctors father was a man of
strong traits. lie was Presbyterian
preacher and il was he that crossed
swords with Lyman Beecher, the faith
er Of the late Henry Ward Beecher,
In debate years afterwards which re-
suited in the great split in the Preshy
terrain church. These debates were
held at Cincinnati. if memory is not al
fault, and caused A sensation in their
time The doctor graduated from the
law school Of Kentucky in 1924 and
voted in the same year for the first
time. He graduated under the doctor
that afterwards went to France and
introduced the Cearserean theory Of
abstretriX there.
In 1896 the doctor became an editor
and conducted campaign there, hav
ing editorial charge of the Georgetown
Gazette. Henry Clay wrote an edi-
torial for him one day advocating the
annexation of Texas 10 the United
States. Henry did not want il known
that he wrote the editorial but he
wanted il known that it embraced his
sentiments. The Wings refused TO
adopt it at their national convention
but the Democrats did and II was up
on hearing this that Clay made his
famous remark: Il am beat again, by
Cd The Democrats won on the
annexation plank as Clay predicted.
In the Harrison campaign in 1870 Or.
Wood was running the Indianapolis
Sentinel. one Of the great political pa
perS of that date. II was the doctors
partner that adopted the rooster in
their paper for the first time as a polit
ical emblem. There is a very pretty
story in connection with the adoption
OF that rooster as a political emblem
which is too long to give here now.
That was the time when James Whit
comb was running for congress Whit
comb. the doctor declares. advanced
the best argument against a high
tariff in that campaign that was ever
advanced before or since. He illustrst-
ed il by men growing potatoes inside
and outside the corporate limits of a
city and hence he was called potato
tariff Whitcomb. When the doctor
was running the Georgetown. KY, Ca
zette he was in partnership with
O'Hara. uncle OF Theodore O'Hara,
who wrote the Bivouac Of the Dead.
In the fifties the doctor came 10 Kan
sas and esta hlished the present town
site Of Lawrence and got title II il az
ter a memorhle contest with PomroY
and Charlie Robinson. The history Of
this contest would make a good sized
book. He knew Quantrel and all about
him and can give the minutest details
OF the exciting events Of those days.
Officer John Wallace knew him at
Lawrence about forty years ago: in
fact the doctor was the physician OF
his family.
He is q splendid old man and one
whom i. is a delight to meet in his
old age. He can tell thousand
"reminiscences Of not only the early
DAYS Of Kansas hui Of the United
s. tas VII - him, f,,ll ar