Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Who's Who in 1921 & 1922 Wilson Reed

"The Fairfield Tribune"
Friday, March 4, 1921
Page SIX

NO. 5

WILSON REED

"Forward, the Light Brigade," "We have only just begin to fight," "England expects every man to do his duty." These and a dozen of the old thrills come to you when your eyes lamp this picture of our own heroic Wilson Reed storming the Hun lines, trampling the whole German empire under his foot and leading his gallent men on to a glorious victory.

Hard to believe it perhaps, yet 'tis true that this is our same quiet, peaceful Wilson Reed who here at home wouldn't take the life of a prime spring pullet without a shudder. This picture is drawn from an accurate and graphic description given by a comrade in arms. It shows how a peace-loving insurance agent may be transformed into a fiend of fury by patriotic ardor. Few might suspect that under Wilson Reed's shirt-pocket beats a heart that knows no fear on the battlefield; we may well shudder when we consider the awful blood-thirst which lurks beneath his friendly smile. Nor can we feel surprise that the Germans hastened to surrender when they discovered that Lieutenant Wilson Reed and his gallant men were on the job.

Not only the detestable Hun but also the iniquitous Spaniard have been made to bow in submission to our hero and his men, for be it known Lieutenant Wilson Reed is the hero of two wars. It may be only a coincidence but it is a fact neverthless that the side on which Wilson fought won both these wars. This is not meant to discredit the services of some of the other fellows who also served--Wilson in entirely too modest to even think of claiming all the credit.

Wilson wasn't always a fighting man. Fact is, he was a pretty docile sort of a youngtser (sic); his father being a preacher, Wilson was early in life taught the sinfulness of fighting and the Godliness of turning the other cheek. History doesn't record Wilson having ever fully accepted the teachings of his father to the extent of giving the kids a chance to smite him on the other cheek, although there are unconfirmed claims that Russell Smith, Jim Wilson and some of the other kids walloped him on one cheek. However that may be, there is no authenticated testimony that Wilson was thought of as a potential hero when he was a youngster.

Perhaps Wilson first imbibed some of the fighting spirit when he served as deputy sheriff here years ago. Blood lust may have crept into his veins then. Accustomed to seeing the wicked flee at his approach, he probably took a fancy to the game of man hunting. That's probably why he has been in all of the wars since and, during the dull periods between wars, has been playing at war with a militia company.

For a long time Wilson followed the peaceful pursuits of hotel clerk and hotel manager. It was a hum-drum life for him and he half died of ennui. Wilson pined for adventure. When the Big war came, Wilson paged a bellhop, handed him the keys to the establishment and told him to run the thing. "Duty calls and I must respond," he told the boy in his best dramatic manner learned while a student at Parsons college.

Having suppressed the European uprising Wilson returned to Fairfield to do a bit more conquering. Selling insurance is a job fit for a fighting man--and Wilson has been selling right smart of it since the war. He finds the job rather tame at times, so makes it a point to get with his old comrades and talk the old days over whenever he can.

Just now Wilson is casting covetous eyes on the Fairfield postmastership some say he has a good, stout string attached to it. It is reported that one of the conditions under which Wilson Reed agreed to carry Jefferson county in the late lamented election for Warren Gamaliel was that the said Warren Gamaliel would see to it that Fairfield was supplied with a good pastmaster, and that Warren Gamaliel was readily convinced that Wilson was the best available man for the place.. There may be nothing to that report, however, but in any case, Wilson has decided that he will take the local postmastership. And theres a lot of people in Fairfield who tell him "Hop to it, Wilson we're here for you."

One of the essentials of a good pastmaster is to be obliging. That's Wilson's long suit. He learned that little trick as a hotel clerk and manager. Being courteous really comes easier to him than fighting. Of course Wilson has a lot of other qualifications for the job, too, if it can be truthfully said that a republican could be competent for so important a place. Among other things he is a good mechanic--he has an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the republican county machine and that's likely to help a lot in a postoffice scramble.

Because Wilson Reed is a devoted follower of Mars you must not get the idea that he is walking about with a chip on his shoulders. There isn't a more peaceable citizen in Fairfield than this same Wilson Reed. About the only time he shows any symptoms of belligerency is when he thinks some one is trying to put something over on the soldiers--he won't stand for that. But ordinarily--and particularly around election times--he is just as friendly and commonlike as if he had never won a war or two. And he does insist on being four-square--even in politics.