Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-20
Presidency of the New Street Rail-
road System of the District.
THE OFFER HELD UNDER ADJUSTMENT
Gen. Woods Record for Executive \
Ability and Energy.
THE COMBINED COMPANIES

Gen. Leonard Wood has been offered the
presidency of the Washington Traction and
Electric Company. and is in New York to-
day in consultation with the parties inter-
ested in The new company. He will start
for Washington this afternoon
Gen Leonard Wood can safely be classed
as one OF the prominent figures in the late
war with Spain. At the outbreak of the
war he was an army surgeon, and was the
| medical adviser of both the President aud
the Secretary of War. Although he was a
staff officer, yet during his service in the
west he had a good deal of active experi-
ence as the commander of troops in various
affairs with the Indians.
He was, therefore, not without military
experience When Congress authorized tho
raising of three cavalry regiments from
among the riders and rifemen of the west,
he was commissioned as colonel of one OF
| these regiments. which WAS afterward
known as the Rough Riders" its official
designation being the LIST United States
Volunteer Cavalry.
The men composing the regiment were
mustered in New Mexico, Arizona. Okla
homa and Indian Territory. The executive
ability of the commander served him to
good purpose at this stage of the prepara-
uons, and, owing to this faculty, he
ceeded in promptly securing the necessary
equipment for his regiment and in this
way they were ready when the Santiago
expedition was organized and they formed
part Of That expedition.
History Of Regiment.
The history of the regiment during the
| attack on Santiago is well known. The
same thoroughness which had character
| lied its ooIoners administration OF affairs
in ba ,,{fa in hf
| of the affairs Of the regiment. and his men
We're not only prominent at the front, but
| they We're well cared for. As the result Of
| this brilliant campaign Col. Wood was
promoted to be brigadier general of volun-
| teers. and subsequently he was assigned to
| duty as military governor of the province
| of Santiago. In this position he added to
! the fine reputation which he already had,
| and the TRANSFORMED ton which he effected
| in the sanitary condition of Santiago Is
| conceded to be one of the most remarkable
! Illustrations of executive genius.
! Gen Wood is comparatively young
/ man in the prime of his life and of his
| powers, and it may safely be predicted for
| him that if he comes to Washington at the
head of this important system OF street
railway and lighting he will become
prominent figure in the material develop
ment of the nations capital
What the Company Controls.
The Washington Traction Company, OF
which Gen. Wood has been offered the
presidency, has recently been formed, and
owns and controls directly and indirectly,
all the street railroads in the District, with
the exception of the Capital Traction Com
pany and the two electric light companies.
The purchase of these companies has just
been completed, and their consolidation into
ole system and equipment with modern
traction is just fairly under way II may
be said that Gen. Wood, in the event Of ac-
cepting the position, will go into the work
pected that the executive management OF
such a mind will go far toward increasing
the efficiency of the proposed system.
In local financial circles this afternoon.
when it was known that the place had been
offered TO General Wood. the opinion was
very generally expressed that this selection
of the chief executive officer of the enter
prise is the master-stroke in the whole un-
derta king, which, both from its eXten.A'nd
the amount of money involved is the lar
gest ever known in the history of this city.