The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-08-05
Change at the W L. Asylum.
The V5udicator of last week published
the following card

Inc F1tUtcUEJf' VI ldSe WEEK PuoAchcu
the following card:
Editor indicator:
Under the head of more Partlzanism," the |
asylum authorities for the removal of Mr.. I
from the position of chief engineer !
at the Asylum, and the appointment OF M. ,
Dinneen in his place. Under the y-laws OF the I
institution ii is the duty of the Steward, win |
the consent of the superintendent, to hire the |
employees and to discharge them II he sees MT. |
AS for this reason the remarks of the VIRGIN |
IAN apply more directly to me than to any one |
else, propose to reply to them.
The statement. of the NIRGIN1AN that Mr. |
O'Donnell had voted the anti-primary ticket |
was the first positive information had that he |
had done so. His vote had certainly nothing |
to do with his removal, as 1t had been contem-
plated long before, provided we could secure
the services of a more experienced man:
have none but the kindest feelings for MI
O'Donnel. Oar relations have always been,
and are now most pleasant, and regret very
much that [ am likely to iDjure him more than
any one else by this public defence of myself
and the asylum authorities from an unfounded
charge. He has reason to ask to be delivered
from bis friends.
He is a temperate, industrious, and consci-
entious man, and his inability to fill the place
satisfactorily comes more from want OF expert
ence and previous training than anything else.
He came to the asylum something over Two
years ago with little or no previous @ Ibe
second place in the steam-house Inc us
charge of the chief engineer within year
afterwards threw the responsibility OF TINS III,
portant department upon him. he managed
to run it with The assistance of Mr.. Woodson, u
practical machinest, who recently resigned the
position of assistant engineer to take charge OF
the city gas works. But as might nave peen
expected his want of experience told against
him. l offered HIM the place made vacant Ny
Mr. WOodson'S resignation, and Woulo nave
been glad for him to have accepted II, put LOT
reasons satisfactory to himself, he declined IL.
will state for the Information of the public
that the position of engineer is by far Inc most
difficult and responsible sueo is pos' not
only thorough practical knowledge OF macnln-
cry, but an amount of study and calculation
little short of that used in the exact sciences.
for he has to solve the important question OF
heating the large buildings of the institution
by steam at a minimum cost to the State. Not
only are the health and comfort of nearly SUI
people, but the lives of the inmates and prop
erty OF the State are dependent upon ms sue ,cs
cessful management of his department. 1t was
] plainly my duty to secure the services OF Inc
very best available man that could get ior
so important a place, and IN employing MT.
| Dinneen l think that have done so. He mad
charge of the steam works for twenty years I'M
| der Drs. Stribling. Baldwin, and Fauntlefoy,
and had their entire approval ana commence;
DR.. Fauntleroy, after his reelection at the eno
of the Readjuster administration, showed ms
appreciation of his services by trying to secure
! them again. But he was at that Time superin-
tendent of the city water works, and the city
his work by refusing to accept his resignation,
or to release him from the obligation ne was
'iiu can h hardly think, from what know of the
gentlemen who edit the V1RGINIAN, tnat une ~
publish such an article if they had not been
| pnisIead in regard to the facts of the case, by
parties who had ehestnqts to pull out OF the me
presentation of the actual state OF the case,
Shall expect them to make the dnaende honora-
| bic. JOHN W. BLACKBURN,
Steward w. l.. A.
Mr.. Blackburn presents his side OF the
question with courtesy, and in the same
spirit we propose to reply. At the very
outset we must confess to possible error
of impression. 1t Mr.. Blackburn means
| to state that the removal of the engineer
was made after consultation and with the
consent of the Superintendent, and that it
was not due directly or indirectly to the
Executive Committee Of the Board OF
| Visitors, or individual members thereof,
then we have been misinformed. II Mr..
Blackburn never stated that he was acting
in accordance with the wishes or direction
of majority of the Executive Committee
in removing Mr.. O'Donnell, then we have
again been misinformed. If the Superin
tendent knew of the proposed removal
prior to the service of notice, we have
again been misinformed. Moreover We
can produce witness who is ready tC
qualify that when the Superintendent was
appraised Of the fact that the engineer h0o
been discharged he expressed his surprise
and disclaimed having had any knowledge
OF or part in the removal. The Steward
does not assert that in the instance in
question he followed the strict letter of
the bylaws as cited by him. Until he
does SC state, we shall incline to the belief
that he has assumed q responsibility which
properly rests upon other shoulders.
If MI. O'Donnell was not discharged fol
political reasons. his removal was rather
singular fulflment of prophesy. Prior to-
and Immediately after the late municipal
election, it was a current report that it Mr.
Dinneen was removed from the superin-
tendency Of the City Water Works, retalia
ton would be had by the discharge of Mr.
O'Donnell and his substitution by Mr.
4 Dinneen. Whilst some of Mr.. ODDS
friends were greatly disturbed by the
rumor, there were many others who re-
garded it as idle gossip circulated for effect
and groundless. Subsequent events, fol.
lowing SO swiftly, justified the belief that
the programme announced had been car
ried out. or else that there had been an ex-
traordinary and unexplainaEle verification
of prediction.
Mr.. Blackburn states that Mr.. O'Don-
nelI's inability to meet the requirements OF
the position arose from want of experience.
Let us inquire into this:
After three years. experience in oper-
ating pumping engines on the railroad, Mr..
Old. entered the service of the Asylum in
Sept. 1883, as fireman. He continued in
that capacity. with one months intermis-
sion, until May, 1884, when he was pro-
NOTED to the position of assistant engineer.
In Dec, 1884, he succeeded Mr.. Cox as
chief engineer, and discharged the duties
continuously until the first of the present
month. During all that time not whis-
per of complaint reached his ears. There
was no intimation to him that his work was
not entirely satisfactory-no suggestion that
the management of his department was not
| thoroughly competent. 1t is serious re-
| Election upon the present and former
administrations to say that it required
nearly two years to ascertain that an en-
ployee upon whom depended mot only the
health and comfort of nearly 800 people,
but the lives Of the inmates and the prop
erty of the State" was incompetent. If
his inexperience aaoao endangers the health
and comfort of the patients, in what peril
must those unfortunates have been for the
past two years! How can the authorities
excuse or palliate such wanton reckless
ness? If they did know of it, their tolera-
tion was crime. IF they did not know OF
it, their ignorance untitled them for the
positions they held. 1t lis idle to say that
a competent and ''erperienced'' man could
not have been found. There was more
| than one in Staunton who would have been
glad to accept the position. There were
hundreds throughout the country, espec-
tally during the past two years, whose
services could have been secured without
the slightest difficulty.
DR.. Fauntleroy never tried to secure Mr..
Dinneen after Mr.. O'Donnell was placed
iii charge of the department.
1t is intinated that Mr.. O'Donnell could