The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-17
FAIRMoNT.
The WransIe In Regard TO the late Dr.
HIaiF aud His school,
FAlRMoNr, W. Va, Jan. 10, 1879.

FAIRMoNr, W. Va, Jan. 10, 1879.
Editors IntOlllsonSsr
The Grafton Sentinel Of last Saturday,
the 1lth instant, contains quite caustic
editorial concerning the conduct Of the
Fairmont State Normal School while It
was under the Principalship OF the late
DR.. Blair. As far as our citizens have
been served with an opportunity to see
and read the article, they are struck with
surprise and astonishment at its daring
and glaring lack Of veracity; but rather
than charge the Sentinel with wilfully per-
verting the truth they are generously In.
clined to the opinion that he unwarily
permitted some evil minded person-some
devil incarnate-to lead him astray re.
garding the management OF the Normal
School at this place. To the people here.
abouts, this opinion is very natural and
conclusiveone. They remember certain
hoary headed printer, an occasional aAacl.e
Of the Rst Tirginian editorial staff, and an
itinerant among the country printing
offices, as an inveterate hater OF Normal
Schools and a wicked, unrelenting abuser
Of DR.. Blair, and they very naturally
attribute the SentiEets article to him.
This itinerant typographer, 1t is gen.
orally known here, usually leaves
his "ear.marks," consisting Of disparap-
ing remarks concerning Dr. Blair and the
Fairmont Normal School, ut each Of Inc
printing Offices he may select as being
worthy OF honor by his royal presence.
Hence 1t Is presumed here tthe tear
marks" having appeared) that this wander
ing typogapher-thi slanderer Of The,
living and the dead-has enliyened and .
enlightened the sanctums Of the Fairmont
Ptginidn, the Clarksburp TeleordDh and
the Grafton ISntinel. All Of these panera
have recently contained articles written In
abuse Of DR.. Blair and his efforts TO buiId a
frstclass, tirst.rate institution Of learning
In our midst, andit Is strongly surmisei
that all Of these articles were written at
the instance and on the information OF the
Aforesaid hoary headed itinerant printer.
better known hereabouts, especially atthe
RIginidn Office, by the endearinR name
Of HPap." "Pap,H however, Il 4 regular paiap
Jesuit, cunning, crafty, misunderstanding
devil, that all honest, peace-loyinp peonie
should fear and avoid. Had Il moi been
for his gossiping, slanderous tongue, the
Sentinel, In speaking OF our school, never
would have said that 'there has
dor long time been good deal
Of smoke curling up around the ipstitu.
ton, and there may be embers smoulder.
ing somewhere" ;" neither would il have
insinuated that the State Regents were
flnPfifef1Ri NutNk H., ~. =.
management OF the school. Had It not
been prompted to do SO, the Sentinel would
not have made itself ridiculous by making
such assertions, for they are both as false
as the father Of lies could have made them.
Ihere never was any criminality charged
in the conduct Of the school, neither u6on
the part OF the Principal nor the Regents,
whether OF the county or the State. No
one ever knew OF wrong in the conduct Of
the school, except as it originated in the
brain Of Pap" and was dispensed by The
ton to Dr. Blair and Is the Normal scEool Nal
at tins place has been the result Of malice.
"only that and nothing more and that,
100, AZ on the side Of Pap" and his kith
and kin, not amounting to a dozen people
IN al the country. For this reason our
PuOtAS hhCh w uOL 10 eXDluln
away, asthe Sentinel suggests they should,
the surmises and suspicious which NAV
exist in regard 10 The manner in which
DR.. Blair conducted the Fairmont State
Normal School. On the other hand, how
ever, It affords the Sentinel ample ground
andsufiicient reason for apologizing for Inc
Indecent and false statements II made in
its article OF the llth inst. In regard to DR..
Blair and his management OF the Fair
mont Normal Scool. VIII it make the
dmerlde honordblef 717f1
The recent complaint against DR.. Blair,
II am not mistaken, grew out Of his re.
fusal to respond to an inquiry of an
anonymous correspondent OF both the In
der and the Erginian, OF This place, as to
why he (Dr. Blair) compelled the Normal
cadets 70 buy their books when the law
provided for their purchase. Dir, Blair.
Of course, knew there was such law
but, unlike his ignorant and anonymons
inquisitors, he knew that the Legislature
Jailed 70 make an appropriation under It's
PROVISIONS, and he had SO explained 70 his
students, but did not feel called upon TO
answer bis anonymous newspaper in
Now that Dr.. Blair Is dead and that, tho
great majority Of those who knew him
best are willing 10 accord 10 him lhe honor
and praise Of having been a great scholar
and Christian gentleman, let US ali
agree that his memory shall not be
tarniehed by those who knew but little Of