The silver star., 1898-12-01
| ISANTlAGu'S POOH BAH
GENERAL WOODS ADAPTIVE
NESS.
The Emclsnt q .vornor Il Always A'ss'
and vigorou.-He Sees Everyth'ns sa'
Corrects NJ my Ev.ls-

When Colonel "Tedtly" Roosevelt IL
sworn In at Albany the rough riders
will have given two governors to the
nntion, 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 guDcrhatoriai
career If he would run in the same
class with the rough rider governor OF
Santiago, for General Wood not ohiy N
making history but Il record beyond the
most snnguipe hopcs OF Ills warmest
admirers. II Is a striking coincidence
that the colonel of the rough riders
should be appointed governor OF Santa
GO and 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-
llcye that the sequence or 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,
demonstrative enthusiasm. explosive
eueTEy, NlsItue uSSIcssiNVheSS' AS"ss'.S
up to pyrotechnical finishes. Wood IL
like a hydraulic press which accom-
plishes large results quietly and unOs-
tentatiously 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, imperturbable and solfdly
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
tiago to develop the fact that ms an cx-
executive official, ,lilomat even-tcm-
pcred judge and adroit handler Of men
Governor Wood has few equals.
I asked General Wood about five
minutes after he had taken his seat at
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 gnng 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. nj
ley, court and lane in old Santiago. He
made a 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 were whtewashing their
houses. digging dirt out of their courts.
sweeping their halls. cleaning their
rooms and obelicntly 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. hut because
the alcnldc-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'
tlon 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-Bnh: he WAS
mayor, corporation counsel. commits
sioner OF public works. superintendent
OF police. commissioner Of health. oil
inspector. inspector OF weights und
measures. port physician. harb0r mas
ter, superintendent OF street and alley
cleaning, Ras inspector. city attorney.
city collector. city treasurer. city clerk,
chief janitor OF the city hall. desk ser.
geant Of the central station nnd police
magistrate. In this continuous mu.
nicipal performance General Wood
played nll parts without leaving the
stage, sometimes acting two or moro
roles at once.
As police magistrate he waS unique
Most Of the men brought before him
were Americans. stevetlOrcs who had
slipped from their ships In the harbOi
or at the docks and had tried TO get
the better OF Santiago rum: soldiers
who Ind run the guard or sneaked
through the lines for day In the city
civilians who found themselves IN
Santiago and Ind attempted 10 run
things on the widc-Open policy. The
culprits were lined up In the broad en-.
trance Of the governors palnce In the
morning. with mn armed soldier guard
ing each end Of the line. The corporal
OF tho gunrd and sergeant Of the IN.
troll noted the pnrt Of prosecuting wit.
neSscs. nnd nincty-ninc times out Of a
hundred the accused turned states cv.
idence on himself, pleaded guilty and
threw himself on the mercy OF tho
court.
Az a matter Of curiosity ! followed
mp dozen cascs-rnn them down, mn
u were-and found that Governor
Wood had diagnosed the eases rer.
fectly nnd Ind graduated the punish.
ment according TO the degree of crime
or misdelneanOr. Chicago Record,