The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1909-11-05
WOOD THE RANK
ING OFFICER.
A Few Points on the Career Of
The Highest Officer In
the Army.

Leonard Wood Is one Of those men
who had from his youth had the
power in him to get somewhere. and
he has got. for the position he occu-
MES in these United States gives him
a rank which in the army Is next to
the president himself Forty-odd years
ago be was born on Cape Cod and
when he arrived at the age where
Young man begins to cast about for
something 10 DO for a living, he de-
cided he would make his by doing
VIVA; he could to help others to eX-
list long enough to make theirs; 50 ne
went TO school. took an army
examination. and considered tna'
be was lucky 10 be appointed
as an army surgeon That was
In 1885. Just recently he be-
came the ranking officer in the army
Not much had been heard Of this NAV
until the Spanish war broke out. but
ever since be and Roosevelt head
ed the Rough Riders. word about him
has been going around, and now he
is taking salutes off every man In the
army.
He didn't get a snap when he en
tered the army. and It was probably
a good thing for him, although be Ia
never shown any inclination 20 want
70 sit on velvet hings and hold his
hands still. Anyhow he went into the
wild and woOlly Southwest with Law
toms command when they we're camp
Ing on the trai Of the chieftain Geroni
mo. and when the latter was making
snipe hunters out Of the whole bunch.
However. the willy old fellows ruses
diden't always work. and Lawoon got
him. Wood YES now getting used %
things in the rough. and continued 70
chase the fleeing red man over the
plains and up the mountains for some
time until the authorities at Wash
ingon thought he had had enough
for a while sBd made him surgeon
general at the nations capital But
he had become accustomed TO &C
tiyity and when things began 70 90
bughOuse for the Spaniards in Cuba.
be spent is daYs in getting together
a Rough Rid.I regiment and hiked OF
for The scene Of hOstilities.
But when the war was over. il was
concluded thai Wood might s ay On
tie job in rhe tropical i-le. and in
sad of fighting Spaniards. he turned
D fighting germs. A g0yernor-gen-
oral DE hold = firm grip on things
turned Santiago and Havana UPSIDE
down in bis seorch for malicious nj
c-cbes. sal'sd the street down with
corrosive -ubl.mate, made bugs such
unusual things fhat they had 70 have
ID passport 81 get in tOwn.sud wound
up By discovering through tho
sclerf .sts a,-.c.a'ed with him tina
mosquitoes mako E. p point tu load
their bills With yellow fever germs
whenever ftey gc- the chance The
way wood purg'd those c..'s Of taa
Llh and q .sae tfst was in them
made tnc CuDans open their eyes and
begin 20 believe iiat it really was
pot bic ~ live without being sick
an thr time. Tue amouut Of corrosive
suD.mate aHd kerosene he used mus
have Melted . goOdly sum 10 the chem
lists and the iii companies. but they
also proved . serfect dragnrt for the
n.mble germs, snd it got 50 you could
open your meath on the island with
our catching tTshOid or malaria.
But after svtile the Americans left
Cuba TO figsN her own battles with
bacteria and with herself, and then
Wood mad osa 20 go 10 the philip
pines, which ne answered, although
some big raitresd men Offered him a
job at $4,000 q rear If he would stay
At home aud occupy a soft seat IN
New York Bet wood preferred Pula-
james 70 cp~<a'HOlites and IgOrOtte-
10 railroad dssas. 50 he passed on to
the Philippines ~ pacify the Moros
and try TO msks them look as respect
able az possible A nd he did good
work in the OTiest
Altogether Ue ranking officer Of
the army is . ftne fellow, and an all
around man. ~ H. a fine specimen Of
physical stresgth combined with quich
perception aud Keen judgment. He is
better atstets than fromer President
Roosevelt and 0sn turn day and night
into two days Ia which 10 work any
time there IL sosd for II.