The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-06
one MAN WHO HAS
ESCAPED CRITICISM
CAREER AND METHODS OF
LEONARD WOOD.
Won His Spurs, It Is Said, by
Knocking Down General Miles.
Trained in Warfare on the Western
Plains-The Most Popular Man in
Cuba.
,,ror, tbo Washington Star.

Cuba.
From the Washington Star.
No soldier who ever served the United
States has risen to fame and has
earned its rewards more rapidly than
General Leonard Wood. the new milf
tary governor of cuba. 1t is the sort
of success that may we'll be called
dazzling. Although barely past thirty
nine years of age, Wood Is a major
general. occupying the most important
post, with one exception. in the gift of
the War Department. Less than two
years ago he was Il plain assistant
army surgeon with the rank Of captain.
IL still that of captain. When he be-
came colonel of the Rough Riders in
May, 1898. he was absolutely unknown
outside of his circle of friends in the
army and in Washington.
His brilliant dash at Las Guasimas
made him brigadier general. and the
fight of San Juan hill, in which he
commanded a brigade, brought him the
governorship of the city of santiago.
Here his remarkable activities in the
Uuelling of riots. the feeding of thous-
ands of starving Cubans, in street
cleaning. i'm fumigatng, in battling
with disease. made his fame even IN
Great Britain and brought him the
governorship of the entire province OF
Santiago, together with an appoint
ment of a major general. which he held
until the army was reorganized, when
he became a brigadier general. And
only the other day he was again made
a major general and assigned tn the
chair in which Weylcr sat so long at
the palace i'm Havana. This career is
all the more remarkable because Wood
started as n surgeon--outsidc of the
active line of service. Only a few
medical officers ever have reached high
places in the line, and not one ever be-
fore became Il majo general. Brigadicr
General A. J. Mycr, once chief of the
signal service, rose from the medical
service: SO did General :. w. Craw-
ford and General Thomas Lawson-and
there the list ends so far as generals
are concerned.
IN a HARD SCHOOL.
Wood received his military training
in the hardest school of the service
the Indian country of the far south
west. Years before the Rough Riders
were thought of Wood was past master
of the art of rough riding.
1t twas he who, o,with Captain Lawton of
the Fourth Cavalry. who as a major
general was recently killed in the
Philippines, brought in Geronimo. the
Apache. at the end of one of the most
difficult Indian expeditions that ever
fell to the lot of the American soldier
The hardships of this pursuit. which
reached many hundred miles into the
mountains of Old Mexico. can hardly
he overcs'imated. Wood, although not
then regularly an officer in the army
being only contract surgeon. COM
nanded the infantry of the expedition
as well as. at times, the Indian scouts.
So notable were his achievements that
Congress presented him with a medal
for distinguished service. 1t was the
training in this Indian campaign that
led to the victory in the jungles OF
Cuba and placed Wood in "A position
to acquire further distinction as soor
as opportunity should offer.
Although Wood possesses rare talent
I'm his chosen profession of medicine
having been graduated with honors
from the Harvard Medical School, ant
later serving as official physician tt
President Cleveland and to President
Mckinley. he is Ivy nature fighter, az
it has been his ambition from hi,
earliest days to find place in the ac,
tive line of the service.
HOW HE WON MILES FAVOR
Curiously enough, he won favor
with the commanding general of hi.
department. now Major General Miles
by knocking him down. 1t was this
way: When young Wood entered tn,
he mr.
he possessed the endurance of a Siou,
Indian. He was then. as he is today
immensely powerful of shoulders and
arms, with a short. thick neck ant
sturdy legs. From his boyhood he ha
practiced running and walking. ant
during his school career at Boston HI
had practiced boxing until he had be-
come proficient in the art. Boxing
was favorite sport at the headIuar
ters of the department of Calfornia
and Miles was proud of his boxing
At first the young surgeon, who wa.
by nature shy. diftident and low
voiced. took no part in the sport. On'
night. however. Miles invited him t.
come up. assuring him that he miles
was hard hitter. but that he woult
take into consideration the opponent
youth. and so on, and SO on. If ther.
is one thing that would have stirred
up Woods boXig blood it was jus
such a remark. AS the story is nov
told, the sparring was fast and fu
rious, and resulted in General Mile
getting much the worst of it. Blu
Miles was then, as he is now, Yer,
much of a soldier, with a keen admir-
alton for the qualities of grit and de
termination, even If he suffered b,
those qualities, and Wood became hi
warm personal friend as we'll as physi
clan.
DIRECT AND HONEST.
BY nature General Wood Is fear
fully direct'--the characterization D
one of his friends. He is direct an,
honest, like Roosevelt. and vet ther
never was a man who learned the diff
ficult lesson of tactfulness more thor
Oughly. Not long ago a New Yorl
newspaper commented on the fac
that there We're only two men o