The Springfield herald., 1898-12-02
SANTIAGO'S POOH-BAH
GENERAL WOODS ADAPTIVE
NESS.
rho Efficient Governor IL Always Alert
and Vigorous-iie Sees Evcrythlng and
Corrects Miny Evils

When Colonel "Tcddy" Roosevelt is
sworn in at Albany th" rough riders
will have given two governors To the
nation, for General Leonard Wood is
the military governor of Santiago de
Cuba. The rough rider governor of
New York will have 10 set n pretty hot
pace when he begins his gubernatorial
career If he would run in the same
glass with the rough rider governor of
Santiago, for General Wood not only is
making history but n record beyond the
most sanguine hopes of his warmcst
admirers. 1t is II striking coincidence
that the colonel of thc rough riders
should be appointed governor of Santia-
20 and lieutenant colonel of that COM
mand be elected governor of New York
In less than six months from The day
the rough riders were sworn into the
service of the United States. But those
who know both men can readily be
lieve that the sequence of events
placed both men where they are sole
ly by the operation of the law of the
selection of the iitest
1t would take n long and weary
search to find two men more unlike
than Governor Wood and Governor
elect Roosevelt, Roosevelt is all fire.
demonstrntive enthusiasm, explosive
energy, visible aggrcSsivcness, leading
up to pyrotechnical finishes. Wood is
like hydraulic press which accom-
plishes large results quietly and unos-
tentatiously by the exercise of ire
mendous and unnoticeable energy,
/ asked General Wood about five
minutes after he had taken his seat n
the desk formerly used by the Spanish
governor general what he would do
first.
Clean out about 200 years of dirt
he replied.
That very hour the first gang of Gu
bans was put 10 work on the streets.
The first week of his administration
Governor Wood was in the saddle eigh-
teen hours Il day. He personally
inspected every foot of every street, al
ley, court and lane in old Santiago. He
made house TO house canvass, exam
lining interior courts. rooms and hall
ways. and before the Spaniards and
Cubans of the city knew what had hap
pened they We're whitewashng their
houses. digging dirt out of their courts.
sweeping their halls. cleaning their
rooms and obedicntly and dutifully fill
ing barrels with refuse. which was set
out every morning on the curbs of the
narrow Sidewalks for fhc carts and
Quartermasters' wagons which patrolled
the town.
The citizens did This unusual. this
Unprecedented kind of work not under
orders of Governor Wood, but because
the alcalde-thc mayor of Santiago
had issued the instructions. Governor
Wood. with that diplomatic craft
which has enabled him TO administer
The municipal affairs without friction,
never put his name under an order,
ordinance or official PROCLAMATION in the
earlier days of the American occupa-
tion of Santiago. All such papers were
signed by the mayor of the city, but
they were written in General Woods
office and carried across the hall to the
mayors office.
The military governor of santiago
was n veritable Pooh-Rah: he was
mayor. corporation counsel, commits
sioner of public works. superintendent
of police. commissioner of health, oil
inspector. inspector of weights and
measures. port physician. harbor mas
ter, superintendent of street and alley
cleaning. gas inspector, city attorney
city collector, city treasurer, city clerk
chief janitor of the city hall, desk ser
geant of the central station and police
magistrate. In this continuous mu-
nicipal performance General Wood
played all parts without leaving the
stage, sometimes acting two or more
roles at once.