The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-02-03

The romance OF the poor boy who
rose to wealth and comma nding posi-
ton was strikinply excmpfified in
the life Of William Madison Wood
The son Of humble Immigrant par
cnts, he became, as president Of the
American Wooden company. domin-
ating figure in the wooden and worst
cd manufacturing industry OF the
country. It was through his aptitude
and ambition, shown as boy in q
mill office and as youth in various
departments Of mill work, that he
won the opportunity to serve as su-
perintendent of . large mill, and
eventually to head the largest wooden
manufacturing corporation in the
world.
Woods father, a native Of Santa
Maria in, the Azores, came to this
country as q cooks assistant on a
whaling vessel. His name was Jac-
intho, Dut not long after his arrival
he took the name of Wood. A little
later he married . young woman who
had come from Flores, another island
of the Azores group. They establish
ed their home-in Edgartown on the
island of Martha's Vineyard off the
southern Massachu setts coast. There
William NJ. Wood was born April 5,
1858.
! Works to Support Family
The father became steward of a
little steamer plying between Edgar
town and New Bedford, and the fam
lily soon moved to the latter place.
: Wood attended the grammar school
and had entered high school when
his father died. The mother and two
Ii o~f
a Job in the office Of the Wausutta
Mills in New Bedford. He showed
such promise that Andrew G. Pierce.
head Of thu corporation, took per-
sonal interesi in the boy. After three
YEATS in the office he spent three
Years 1t the machines and then was
Advanced to the agents office.
He, md gone ahead RAPIDLY when
hGSccepted chance to entera bank
inc house, but after a brief cxper-
fence there he returned to mill work
Six years of increasingly important
duties in Fall River led to his choice
as superintendent of the Washington
mills in lawrence, which had been
taken over, for debts by Frederick
Aver Of Lowell.
rhe poor boy already had risen far
He was made welcome in Mr.. Ayers
home and after brief courtshlp he
was married to The manufacturers
Rise to Presidency
In 1000 merger of many of the
&vsnAsh nlilis in the east was consum.
mated and Mr.. Aver became president
of the resulting American Wooden
chm5any. while Wood was made treas
urer. Within short time he sue
cecded to the presidency. Other mills
were taken into the combination from
time ii time until the company had
apnroximately 10000 employees in New
England and New York.
Wood built in Lawrence, where the
comnany had $1,000 workers, the
Wood worsted mill, the largest OF its
hind in the world. Later he built IN
the neiehboring town Of Andover q
settlement of model homes for mill
workers, known as Shawsheen village
Here he gave employees of the corpor'
alton the opportunity to purchase
their own homes On system 81
monthly payments and provided 9
bowling green, soccer grounds and
other opportunities for recreation.
While emphasizing at all times his
desire for friendly relations with the
corporations employees, he could not
prevent the Lawrence workers from
Joining with those of other mills in
that city in the great strike of 1912
which resulted in much violence and
bloodshed. As an aftermath of the
strike Wood was indicted for conspir-
acy to "plant" sticks Of. dynamite
which had been found in the homes
of several mill workers, with the in.