The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-09-11
WOODS CAREER
is PICTURESQUE
He Is President Of the S75,-
100000 Wooden Trust.
INDICTED ON SIX COUNTS.
Charge Is Conspiracy In Connection
With the Alleged Planting of Dyns-
mite During the Textile Workers
Strike In Lawrence, Mass

With the Alleged Planting of Dyns-
mite During the Textile Workers
Strike In Lawrence, Mass
William NJ. Wood, president of the
American Woolen company, who has
been indicted on charges of conspiracy
IN connection with the alleged plant
ing" Of dynamite in Lawrence, Mass,
during the strike last spring, is one Of
the most conspicuous figures in Amer
lean industrial life
Although he rose from the very bot
tom of the laboring class, Wood is re
garded by labor as its bitterest enc
my. His life story is picturesque His
father was Portuguese named ia
cintho, who was brought to Edgar
town, on Martha's Vineyard, by Cap
tain Henry Pease, whaling master,
on whose ship Jac!ntho had been en-
ployed as cooks assistant Jacintho,
according to custom, took his benefac-
tors name and became a cobbler in
Edgartown. He married, and his first
child, known as William NJ. Wood,
was born April 8. 1861.
The son began life as n mill worker.
When DIR. Frederick Aver of Lowell,
the patent medicine man, was obliged
to take over the Washington mill in
Lawrence because that institution
could not repay his loans to it, VII
liam NJ. Wood was n travelling sales
man for New Bedford manufactory.
DR.. Ayers new manager, d man named
Sampson, got Wood to join his force
and later made him assistant manager.
Held a Trade Secret.
Mr.. Wood had one of the trade Sc
crets Of the day-a method of blend
ing woods 50 that he could sell cloth
of apparently n certain grade far be-
low his competitors. His concern
made money in the face Of hard times
Meanwhile he had come into social re-
lations with DR.. Ayers family and
eventually married the doctors daugh-
ter. All the Aver money then became
available for the development of the
Wood business.
When men We're forming combina-
tions Of manufactures of all kinds 1t
occurred to Mr.. Whitman Of the Ar
lington mill that this would be a good
thing to do in the wooden industry. He
began 1t and incidentally took In Mr..
Wood and his Washington mill, only
to find later on that Mr.. Wood was the
head and center Of the undertaking
and that his Arlington mill had been
left outside altogether.
mill in the world. He has installed
many improvements which are direct
ly for the benefit and the comfort of
/ the employees, putting an escalator In
the mill, for instance, to save stair
climbing and building cottages which
are rented to employees, improving the
workrooms themselves and even in
stalling restaurant in the mill, where
food Is sold at cost.
Yet 1t was against Mr.. Wood that
the bitterest feeling was shown during
the Lawrence strike, and, on the other
hand, 1t was Mr.. Woods action which
- regulated what the other mill owners
should do in the matter of settling the
strike or holding out against settle
ment.
The Penalty.
Mr.. Wood has a luxurious winter
home in the Back Bay district of Bos-
ton at 21 Fairfield street He has
home also IN Andover and country
houses at Cuttyhunk and Pride's Cross
Ing. He IS a member of the Eastern
Yacht club and the owner of several
yachts and automobiles. He is a mem
Der Of the prominent Boston clubs and
a stockholder and director In leading
Boston industrial and financial institu-
tions. He carries one Of the largest
life insurance policies Of any man in
New England.
The American Wooden company,
which bore the brunt Of the great
Lawrence strike from Jan. IL until
March IA, controls thirty-three manu-
Featuring plants In New England and
New York state. 1t has capitallza-
tion Of $75,OO0,OOO and employs $4,000
Operatives when all the machinery Il
&n motion. About $1,000 persons are
pn the payrolls Of the company's mills
n Lawrence.
The maximum penalty in the event
Df conviction on the conspiracy charge
is three years Imprisonment in the
house OF correction on each Of six
tOunts contained in the indictment.