New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-25
DIR. WOODBURY. DIES
AT SOUTHAMPTON
AS Street Cleaning Com
missioner He Fought
Tammany for Years.

DR.. John McGaw Woodbury., Street
Cleaning Commissioner under Mayor
Low and reappointed by Mayor MeClei-
Ian, under whom he served through
one administration and part OF an
other, died Wednesday at Southamp-
ton, Long Island. He had been Ill Tor
several months.
DR.. Woodbury. was born in this city
and was educated In general courses at
Princeton, in philosophy and other
postgraduate courses at Heidelberg
and in medicine at Vienna. he also
had training on Western ranehes, IN
the United States army and At sea, IN
every occupation showing himself an
adept. With such a record, marked
throughout with distinguished success
he tackled N 1902 one OF the Two or
three most trying problems in tins part
of the world, as Commissioner OF
Street Cleaning in the administration
Of Seth Low, Mayor Of New YORK.
He was chosen for that place be-
cause of his record in the Spanish war.
lie had gone to Porto Rico as division
surgeon with the rank Of major on
General Wilson's staff, and the very
day of his arrival distinguished HIM
loaded in twenty hours, task never
accomplished by any one else within
three days. Similar expedition and
energy marked his dispatch OF his
wagon train, and indeed all his work
on the island. He was made sanitary
inspector and organized the first board
of health at Ponce. After the war the
government sent him abroad to in
spect, study and report upon the sanl-
tation of the German army. On that
trip he also studied the systems of dis
position of sewage, garbage and other
refuse in the chief Continental cities.
On his return home he became an in
structor in the medical school of Cor
nell University.
At the beginning of 1902 he became
Commissioner of Street Cleaning in
this city, and Immediately applied to
the arduous duties of that place the
same direct, energetic military methods
which had marked his previous career.
The result was that the streets were
cleaned about as we'll as the abnormal
conditions prevalent in New York per-
mitted. Graft, both grand and petty,
was eliminated from the department,
to the unspeskable distress Of the
faithful and unterrifed. Of all the
members of that administration ne was
most hated and most attacked by Tam
many. To this state of affairs he gave
little heed. He was in Office, he said,
not to play politics but to clean the
streets; and when he could no longer
do his duty by the public he would
get out. When the next mayOralty
campaign came on his administration
of his Office was made a chief target
of attack by the supporters of Mr.. Nc
Clellan, and when the latter was elect
ed Mayor the logical thing for him to
do was to put some one else in Major
Woodbury's place at the earliest pos
sible moment.
But he didn't. Instead, to the dis
gust of Tammany and the surprise of
everybody, he reappointed him and
kept him in Office. 1t was q monstrous
thing to do from the point of view of
Tammany Hall, so the attacks upon
him were redoubled in frequency and
quadrupled in virulence. In April, May
and June, 1906, committee of the Al
dermen, with that singularly astute
lawyer William NJ. WINS as its coun-
sci, Investigated the department from
A to lizard. Three reports were made,
one of which recommended the sum-
mary removal of the Commissioner for
incompetence, ineficiency, fsvoritism,
neglect of duty, waste, extravaganza,
violation of the city charter and what
not else; to the extent of two hundred
pages. But long in advance Of this the
Mayor had satisfied himself that while
there was need of some changes of
method, and while the Commissioner
might have erred in some things, there
was no adequate ground for dismissal.
Major Woodbury. therefore remained
in office until the middle of the fol-
lowing October. Then the redOubtable
Long Pat" McCarren, chief of the
Brooklyn spoilsmen and bosses, de-
manded that the Commissioner be re-
quired to take orders from him in that
borough and to let him make of the
department a political machine. To
this demand the Mayor unhsppily ac-
ceded. ThereupOn, the Commissioner
resigned.
Thereafter Major Woodbury., who
was a man of independent fortune, re-
turned to the congenial work of uni
versity instruction and sanitary engi-
neering.