Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1916-01-27

For six months, which he has described as
six e%ventful months" he was the editor OF a
newspaper in a southern town, whose locality
l shall not give here, because Of certain circum-
stances connected with the case. There it was
another crusade against a municipal ring and
another case of being compelled to edit with a
revolver in the hand and also to walk with a gun
exceedingly handy. The ring eventually was
broken into bits, but meanwhile Mr.. Woolley had
lost his newspaper.
For a short time thereafter Mr.. Woolley was
the editor of the San Antonio Light in Texas.
Then he went back to New York and entered
upon a really notable career as a magazine writer
He was sent on many assignments throughout
the country for some of the best magazines IN
the United States, and then he became one OF
the Washington correspondents Of the New YORK
World. a position which he held for about Two
wears. Then again Mr.. Woolley turned to maya
zine work, and in the year 1911 ne became Tue
chief investigator of the congressional commit
fee npointed to look into the affairs of the Unit
ed States Steel corporation. This committee was
known as the Stanley committee.
Because of it's wide-reaching effects, 1t Is prop
able that a magazine article entitled, The Plum
derers of Washington" was the most notaple
contribution to the news and information OF the
davn which Mr.. Woolley ever wrote, This article
was preceded by an intimation that anyone men
toned and who chose so to do might KNOW thaV
he had recourse in the courts. In other worus,
the information upon which the article was Daseu
was tested in advance. This article was caieu
nv the press of the time fearless" 1t dealt with
some of Washington's big bankers and real es-
tate men and with a good many ofhclals'
Woolley was writing just as he wrote Wnen ne
was attacking municipal rings in smaller towns
of the country. 1t is not too much to say, per
hans. that the article largely was responsible
for a complete change in the manner OF men ap-
pointed to positions of high trust in the NUM-
cipal government Of the city of washington lor
Washington in a way has municipal government,
being under the rule, Of course, of congress- Dut
having a board of District commissioners as
responsible heads.
In the year 1912 Mr.. Woolley was the editor and
compiler of the Democratic Text Book" and was
chief Of the campaign of publicity bureau OF the
Democratic national committee. He also com
piled the text book of 1914. His political afflia'
tions at this time, however, newspaper men be-
lieve, did not have anything to do with MS ap
pointment to office. His efforts along liberal and
progressive lines had attracted the attention oil
woodrow Wilson. Mr.. Woolley was appointed
first as auditor for the interior department, an
office which, despite its name, is under the control
of the treasury department. Then he was given
his present position as director of the mint. He
is filling it,
am writing this article with feelings Of per
sonal admiration and liking, perhaps even of at
lection, for | have known Woolley for years. He
is a tried man. He is one of the newspaper fra
ternity, and after nearly a quarter of a century Of
close acquaintance / know that ! can say that he
is an honor to it. Robert Wickliffe Woolley lives
Just outside of Washington in Fairfax, Va. 1t is
this little town which has possession of the wills
of George and Martha Washington, and some
parts of the bill Of rights Of George Mason. Il
~ oooJ pIaoat for a nnTnnrrnt of STRONGLY DTO
gressive tendencies to live.
Mr.. Woolley married Marguerite Treholm o.
Winchester, Virginia. They have four children
all girls. The family life is of the kind &C
counted ideal. In the books Mr.. Woolley is pu'
down as Robert Wickliffe Woolley, but newspaper
men from coast to coast and from the Canada linz
to the Gulf know him much better as Bob