The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-09-12
Richard 3. B. Wood Dies at the Home
of His Son In ST. Louis Last
Night at Six
O'clock.
ON MANY NEWSPAPERS
He Was Editorial Writer and Editor
of keokuk Sheets and Started
Several Papers of His
Own.


paper man of Keokuk, has written
Thirty" on his page of life's copy
He died last night at the home Of
his son, R. w. Wood, at st. Louis.
A telegram announcing his death,
which occurred at 600 o'clock Last
night, was received by his sons here.
Mr.. Wood worked on Keokuk news
papers for years, and was familiar
figure in Keokuk. He was respected
and admired for his integrity of
character and his abilities as a
writer. Not so many years ago, al
though man well advanced in years,
he was actively covering assign
ments on The Gate City. He has
been in former years owner and
editor of papers of his own. His
career has been fuh one, and in
his death, one of the '.old school in
Keokuk has passed.
AS a writer he was careful, con-
scientious and his English was ire
proachable. He was worker and
gave the best years of his life to his
chosen field. Weaned away time and
again by some other business, he
came back to the newspaper game,
with renewed vigor and energy.
Richard B. B. Wood was born in
Elizabethtown, KY, the county seat
of Hardin county, December 10, 1912.
/ He was seventy-sever years old. His
parents were Christian H, and Sarah
X. Wood who were among the early
settlers of Kentucky. Mr.. Wood was
educated in the schools IN this part
of the world. His first experience in
newspaper field came when as a
young lad he was carrier for the
weekly paper, the Elizaoethtown In
itelligencer In 1857 he went into the
mercantile field and three years later
entered st. Joseph college at Bards-
town, KY.
His First Efforts.
/ Three years later the war clouds
began to gather, and in 1860 Mr..
Wood became deputy county clerk in
federal forces made their appearance
on Kentucky soil, Mr.. Wood and
three companions set their faces
south, to join the army of the con-
lfederacy. They remained for some
time with Buckner's confederate
forces. Later Mr. Wood returned to
Elizabethtown with the intention OF
running the paper wnere he once
worked as carrier. He was IN
charge for short time-an editor at
ltwenty-when members of the Nine
teenth Illinois regiment arrived, and
toolc charge of the plant.
| October Z, 1862, Richard B. B.
Wood, who then lacked a year of
being twenty-one, and Lauretta Ellen
ICulley, daughter Of Judge James
Dewitt Culley of Elizabethtown, who
was not quite seventeen, were mar
ried. His wife came from one of the
old families of Kentucky. After his
marriage Mr.. Wood taught school for
a few months and then again entered
business in Nashville, Tenn, in the
spring of 1865, as clerk in restau-
rant. While in this capacity he
acted as correspondent for the Louis
vile Democrat Later he entered
the confectionery and grocery bust
ness, but this did not appear to him,
and he sold out.
Begins Publication Work.
In 1866 with Capt. Frank d. Moffit,
a native of Brookville, Ind, under the
title of Motif and Wood as the firm
name, the publication of The Weekly
Banner was begun. Motifs election
to municipal Office changed the firm
name to Wood and Culley, his wife's
brother becoming the junior partner.
In 1868 Mr.. Wood received his
license to practise law, and was at
the same time one of the editors of
the Kentucky Telegraph of Elizabeth
town. He retired from the news
paper field to open law office ana
was elected as city attorney for Two
terms and justice of tne peace for
one term At the same time he was
Iproofreader for the Louisville Daily
Evening Sun, paper started by Will
S. Hays, song writer, and Charles
D. Kirk, war correspondent of civil
war fame In few months he was
promoted to editor in chief Of the
paper. In 1872 Mr.. Wooc returned
Ito Elizabethtown and engaged in job
printing work.
The death OF his only sister in