Colonel Joshua B. Wood was a gentleman with a warm and generous heart, and of a sociable and genial disposition. He was remarkable for his great hospitality (in which he was warmly seconded by his wife), and it was a great pleasure to him to have visits from relatives and friends. He literally kept an open house. His business, located in Providence, R.I., grew to large proportions, as exchange broker, and extended to Boston and throughout the New England States. It necessitated frequent visits to New York and Boston, and in those days, when the rates of postage were very high and express companies unknown, passengers to and from these cities took not only a large number of letters, but packages of money. On one occasion, as Col. Wood was about leaving New York for Providence in the Sound steamer, a friend asked him to take for him a package containing several thousand dollars. He did so, giving it, as was his regular custom, to the barkeeper of the steamer with his own package of money. Just before the steamer left, while he had gone on deck to speak to some friends, it was discovered that some one had stolen the packages. The alarm was at once given, the police called, and orders were issued that no one was to leave or come on board the steamer. A rigid search was instituted, all the passengers submitting to an examination, but without success, and the money was gone.
Afterwards, the friend (?) who asked Mr. Wood to take the package to oblige him, brought a suit to recover the amount lost. Mr. Wood endeavored to secure the services of the celebrated Daniel Webster, but his opponent had been before him, and he was obliged to get such as was available. The case was tried at court, and the verdict was against Mr. Wood, who was obliged to pay the amount, with interest and costs.
At this time the lottery business was not only reputable, but a very large business in this country, and Mr. Wood had the sole agency for the sale of tickets in New England. It was the custom to report by mail, on the days of drawing, the number of tickets unsold, and the numbers of the tickets on hand, to the principal. house in New York City, and on one occasion the clerk reported to Mr. Wood, at the appointed hour for mailing, that there were but two whole tickets unsold. Mr. Wood said: "Charge them to me, report all sold and remit." One of these two tickets drew the highest prize. Crowds of friends and acquaintances, on hearing of his good fortune, poured into his office with their congratulations that he should thus fortunately receive the amount he had been forced to pay.
Mr. Wood afterwards (about 1828) removed to New York, where he carried on the exchange business for a number of years. He was a member of the vestry of St. Luke's Church, Hudson Street, and living a consistent and faithful Christian life, was called to his reward in the life to come.
He was born in Rutland, November 18th, 1779, and died in the city of New York, March 2d, 1852, in the 73d year of his age.
