The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1904-01-21
WOODBURY. SPATS
BECOME FAMOUS

NEW YORK. Jan. ~ AT last New
FORK has found a man upon whom every
body can unite Inns man wears SILK stock
ings and he Ism ashamed TO turn up his
trousers. But lac Is also good tenoWj
every BoweTy boy IS ready TO cheer anu
root Tor hlnl. 1T has taken a score oil years
OF alternate reform and Iammany revou-
ton 10 produce TINS type when nobody
believed could exist. but New YORK
thinks ii worth while. When Iammany
retained John McIaw Woodbury., reform
street commissioner every soul in tins
city, from theOrst TO tout, shouted
Amen.
1t viii pay you to keep an eye on this
man Woodbury.. Some Jay 1t Is gong 70
be lust this KIND OF men who VIII rule
New DIRK IN sanity ana stabllty over the
trampled remnants OF theoretical reform
ana organization corruption. mat Is,
II enough such men can be found. 1t look
New orlx a generation to md Woodbury..
No one had heard OF W Woodbury. when
Low set mm up to redeem the graft
riddled street cleaning deparement. AL
the people OF New Ork knew was That
this man was a DOCTOR more or less DIS
tnguished IN his PROFESSION, and mayor
with a good deal Of hustlIng accomplish
ment In the Spanish war. It was sand
that Roosevelt heartily approved OF nm.
New \ orlx shuddered a bit at this. Inc
strenuous, flannel shirt and toothbrush
type isn't hit with the people IN CITY
Offices When it was learned that WOOD
bury wore spats the populace groaned.
The Woodbury. spats strobe INTO the
street cleaning bureau and New \ ork got
all ready to laugh he funny men Oh
the newspapers led of with all their real
sly digs. Here was old DR.. Woodbury.
come TO prescribe for the removal o. the
blemishes from the face OF the streets,
they said They tore away the spats and
laid bare the sllken hose beneath. They
quoted the new commissioner in chappy
talk with "cahn'ts' and ''shahn'ts." Only
the public btgan to notice that Woodbury.
said 100 shahn Is to one "cahnt."
Then New York received one OF the
worst lars to its complacent sizlng-up
methods il ever experienced. Things pc
gan to spin around IN the street cleaning
department; not theories, but brooms and
shovels Woodbury. didn't talk about the
strenuous life he went quietly ahead ana
did things. The idling Tammany gratters
began to work. A great light of wonder
and respect shone out from their dull
eyes. A disorganized mass OF oaters was
transformed into any army OF efficient
set-respecting cleaners Of streets Not
word OF theory in all this; only pair OF
tan spats twinkng in and ont and all
about.
The new commissioner started with ont
theory; only he didn't call it by that
name A man q man. with his working
principle He couldn't see why lam
many man who would clean streets WASH
as good as any other Unlike every o er
reform oflicial-th orist he removed no
man simply because he was lammany
man. Ii was his business he said to re-
move the Dirt and snow DO your work
Ia 1t,a NK-Qg
ton. be We followers Of Mahomet, Big
Tim" Sullivan or Elijah Dowia And when
the amazed Iammany heel,r9 got the idea
they took hold as ne Tammany boss could
ever make them.
The funny men crawled into their
pigeonholes New York stood agape. Here
was 4 man in spats making the white
wings as they cali the canv0s-uniiormed
broom pushers. drill "fours left, hep,
hep" and all that. Yet here We're the
streets clean And utterly unprecedented,
here was a Iammany board of aldermen
voting and appropriation this photographed
man came over TO city hall to ask for. Still
Woodbury. wore his spats and said never
a word OF his theories. New York had
never seen the like.
Now Woodbury. is starting in under
Tammany with the unique honor of being
the one thing of reform the people clam
ored to retain. He has cleaned the streets.
He has won the heart of every man in
the city big Tim" Sullivan and bis
Bowery horde are eXaltng his praises. The
silk stocking brigade honor him This
never happened to any man in this town
before
/ told Woodbury. 50 the other day, The
tall, wiry man looked up vaguely from
some specifications on his desk. He was
faultlessly and frankly clothed in the best
a Fifth avenue tailor could do. Every
thing about his person suggested cold
shower, crash towel and shelves of frag-
rant linen. Under the dome Of his sparse
ly-grown pate two alert eyes looked out
from rudy, well-rounded face, tinged
unmistakablv with perfect health and
good living Over the small delicately-
shaped ears thick bush Of hair was
neatly brushed forward. The hand that
reached out was wen manicured and cor
rectly cuffed One neatlypolished boot
protruded below from under the historic
spat LARKIN G. MEAD.