Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-09-22
For the Ere Pr,.a

Mesvs. Esi.iors: The Gllo~ing communi.
cation wss ri,ten Immediately after reading
your paper preceding the one last published
but upe \ pected absence from town prevented
its being handed To you an time To be pub.
lished in the paper for which il was intended
la perusing your remarks respe ciirr the
late fire, noticed With surprise, the esnre,
sions in which you speak. in terms Of unme.
sured reprobaiioo, Of certain 'Raxiny idlrrs %
~as ., the fire, and one among many. ~ho.
when the fire was 50 much reduced a. to be
harmless, did intenhy gaze at i, ~ an impres.
ave spectacle. Many Of those who were
thus gazing. were those Who had exer,ed
themselves the most sssenuousiy while there
was danger. aud they could do 40 witt, ,ry
useful effect. and not few ~ere Of thu, ci..,
OF our citizens. whom you % Justly repre,~n,
- the moot efficient in the exeftions required
ON such occasions.
saeh afn'cting occurrences are. happily, 20
rare among us. that inexperience necessarily
produces much confusion, with many iniudi.
c'ous. variant. and oftentimes y orse than use
less efforts. Some persons are also ambitious
Of disfincsisn on such occasions, and some Of.
'entimes not little officious and assuming in
hei manners and some. strange ss the re.
mark may appear, seem even to look upon
hires ~ frolcs These last arc indeed some.
what rare, and many Who appear officious,
nave no doubt. have that appearance fiom
their earnest and laudable desires to render
- much assistance ~ possible. From the
evils. however, arising from inc experience,
and the too forward dispositions Of some, the
necessity IS manifest Of having ire company
~'th suitable officers, Who may turn their NJ.
tention to what 10 best to be done ut fires and
feel themselves responsible for the authority
With which they arc entrusted. am satisfied.
that we have company properly orgsaixed,
and would respectfully suggest the proprie,y
OF your urging the citizens on such occasions,
to put themselves under the dire tion of the
oihcers OF the fire company, and to consider
them only ~ their leaders Thus they will
the most; they viii also have the advantage
OF knowing ,sho they are To obey, and their
exertions will likewise be more united, vigor.
Gus. and useful. The names Of the fire war.
dens or officers should be published, that the
c'tizens may know whose orders they are To
regard. I would also recommend. that n.
mong the useful implements to be provided.
such as fire hooks. &c. sbeaking fyumpeis be
also obtained and furnished to each officer.
that their orders may be heard above the
stentorisn voices Of some boisterous mediers
AZ the close OF the lAi- Gre, there were GER
tA'n'y many injudicious efforts. and much Ia
the opinion and language OF many Of those
efficient working men" whom you 90 hoe.
rally praise. among whom an ranked, and
J presume you also wish to be considered,
though the goose quill on handle is rather a
Lgh fool Many of these ceased to work, at
the time to which ] refer. and either went
home, or became the observers of what vas
certainly an impressive scene. Hence,
Messrs. Editors. there might have been some,
and even many ga:eTs, who were not disposed
TO be idiers, and sm very sure. more sincere
friends to those who suffered, than many Who
had oil the distinction that could be obtained
by loud vocifera,ou and assumed authority.
Our citizens are we'll enough disposed to
give their assistance TO the utmost Of their
power on such occasions. The difficulty ut
such times arises not from the rant of such
disposition, but from the inerperience Of all,
and the clustering importance Of q few too.
forward persons.
The above remarks are made, believing
With all due deference, that sone Of your ex.
pretsions were too Unquatf fed, and that they
originated IN 'nissppreh-psion, or from erro.
neous information re ceived from those Who
wish tn display themselves on such occasions,
and afterwards have the rrvy enriabie hsppi.
ness OF recounting their eaertions and their
Isondrous feats.
Respectfully. yours, NERtTAS.
Charlesiown. Sept. l4ih, 1850.
We are sorry our friend vrnrr,s has m ista-
Ken the whole spirit and meaning Of our remarks.
We certainly did not intend indscriminately To
condemn all Who ceased work, TO look at the
"impr' ssive" spectacle, but only those who were
enpha,ic;.liy gazing idlcrs.' Those who were
not Of the idle class, have right 20 take exeep-
TONS and with others IL is not necessary to dis
puic. As 10 the " officiousness" Of certain
Persons alluded To, have not a word TO say -
The remarks Of the acting editor, as well as his
e0ndnct at the fire, having been induced by the
hes, motives, feirors were committed by him ia
either case, those errors should be deemed mi -
fortunes and not faults