The silver star., 1898-12-01
GENERAL WOODS ADAPTIVE
NESS.
Tho Emclsnt q .vcrnor Il Always Asst
and vlgorous-He Secs Everyth'ng sn"
Correctu NJ any Ev.is.

When Colonel .Teddy" Roosevelt is
sworn In at Albany the rough riders
will have given two governors TO tne
nation, for General Leonard Wood Is
the military governor OF Santiago de
Cuba. The rough rider governor OF
New York will have to set pretty not
pace when he begins his gubernatoriai
career II he would run in the same
class with the rough rider governor OF
Santiago, for General Wood not only II
making history but record beyond the
most sanguine hopes OF his warmest
admirers. II is a striking coincidence
tlnt the colonel OF the rough riders
should be appointed governor Of Santia-
go md lieutenant colonel OF that com
mand bc 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-
lievc that the sequence OF events
placed both men where they are sole
ly by the operation of the law OF the
selection Of the fittcsr.
1t would take long and weary
search to find two men more unlike
than Governor Wood and Governor
elect Roosevelt Roosevelt is all fire,
dcmOnstrative enthusiasm. explosive
energy, visible nggressiveness, leading
up to pyrotechnical finishes. Wood IL
like a hydraulic press which accom-
plishes large results quietly and unOs-
tcntatiously by the exercise Of tre-
mendOus and unnoticeable energy.
which is all the more effective because
it is nOiseless, constant and under
perfect control. And. like that same
hydraulic press. Governor Wood is self
contained, imperturbablc and solidly
constructed.
The whole army knows all about
General Woods physical prowess, his
skill as a boxer. his reputation as an
all-around athlete. But 1t remained
for the "after-surrendcr" days of San
lingo to develop the fact that as an cx-
executive official, ,lilomat. even-tcin-
pcred judge and adroit handler Of men
Governor Wood has few equals.
! asked General Wood about five
minutes after he had taken his seat mt
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 to work on the streets.
The first week OF his administration
Governor Wood was In the saddle eigh-
teen hours a 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 Spaniar,ls and
Cubans Of the city knew what had hap
pened they were whitewashing their
houses. digging dirt out of their courts.
sweeping their halls. cleaning their
rooms and obcdicntly and dutifully fill
ing barrels with refuse. which was set
out every morning OH the curbs OF the
narrow sidewalks for the carts and
quarterInasters' wagons which pairOlled
the town.
The citizens did this unusual, this
unprecedented, kind Of work not under
orders Of Governor Wood. but because
the alcalde-the 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, hut
they were written In General Woods
Office and carried across the hall to the
mayors Office.
The military governor Of Santiago
was a veritable PoOh-Bah: 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
,1Ao, ,lr.r ts.aa stt, Mt
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.
As police magistrate he was unique.
Most OF the men brought before him
were Americans. stevcdOres who had
slipped from their ships In the harhOr
or at the docks and had tried to get
the better of Santiago rum: soldiers
who had run the guard or sneaked
through the lines for dny In the city:
civilians who found themselves In
Santiago and had attempted 10 run
things on the wIde-Opcn policy. The
culprits were lined up In the broad en-
trance OF the governors palace In the
morning, with mn armed soldier guard
Ing each end Of the line. The corporal
OF the gunrd and sergeant Of the pa
troll ncted the part Of prosecuting wit
nesscs. nnd ninety-nlne times out Of a
hundred the accused turned states ev.
idencc on himself. pleaded guilty aud
threw himself on the mercy Of the
court.
AZ n matter OF curiosity ! followed
up dozen cases-ran them down, nv
u were-nnd found TINT Governor
WOOD had diagnosed the eases per-
fectly nnd had graduated the punish.
ment according TO the degree of crime
or misdcineanOr.-C Chicago Record.
pn.onT WIFE seems intensely patriotic."