The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-07-22
"a CONTRACTORS COMPLAINT.
q Chapter of History. II, which Ia show,
SOME ofihe Meihod. Adopt.t ~ the stat,
board OF Regents 10 iiuiiii IA, N,rmni
AslunI Vt,.L,,tl.... II. rH#H. $3.50

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events i becomes necessary for ia 10
crItielsc the actions OF our public ON
GERS. who abuse tho trust reposcd IN
thGm BY Il generous people, and ,vhn
prostitute the same to their own sol.
ilSN enda and private gain, a decent
regard for tho CplnlNnR OF mankind
REQUIRE That We should state Tho ron.
sons that impel uS to action, Wa hola
These truths to bC Welr.evidont TINT citI.
Gems OF our own state should have. AT
leaSt, m equal chance, With citizens Of
Z nSiEhnornG state, TO compete for CTlr
,upllc improvements. But when Il
long train or abuses and uSllrpR lions
pursuing invariably tho ammo course
cvince n design to ignoro the rights az
our c'tIclnE, 1t Is our duty and our right
to throw some light on s0mo OF thu
actions or our state board Of regents, :
We charge that they have uniustly
ana unwtscly persisted In employing
an architect TO erect buildings
throughout tho state that are Il dis.
grace TOY our commonwealth, and, one,
at least, with which We were familiar
was menace 10 itg occupunts until
the Lord In his mercy permitted II 10
b. rN2ed by IRE. s'.'' V
We charge TINT they yet persist IN
employing the aforesaid nrchitcct
IN spite OF the protests aud appeals for
mercy from localities whereip Inc
board Sc" ut TO Rtilict, AMI With n full
knowledge on their part that It is un.
Wise, unsafe. and unnatrIOtlC. Two
years ago. when there was mn appro.
printion OF $4,000 TO erect II school
building at West Liberty. the architects
OF our own state were not permitted
10 o1er any plans, and when the hon.
orable board was requested by the To-
cal executive committee and citizens
or OHIO county 10 at lcast give their
home architects 4 chance, thew poSi-
lively refused to do so, aud. informed
he executive committee II wuS n part of
The, business In which they had no say
and they might just az we'll shut
their mouths" What was the result?
~ plan made by n Mr. Davis, OF Balti-
more. was adopted, one that we suggest
ed In our humble opinion, could not be
pullt Tor the amount appropriated. But
our state superintendent OF schools
thought differently, and informed /, us
that II there was no one In West VIr-
Gin!a who could do 1t. he knew OF some
one who could and vcnturcd to predict
that 1t would not be a West VirgEnian.
And, sure enough, he knew us the flu
turC disclosed But when the bids
were received on the original plan.
$751; was about the average bid. Tie
play were then revised and the trump
card that Mr.. Lewis had up his sleeve
by same means secured the contract at
the amount appropriated. and building
that would have been disgrace to the
"moon.shIninG," "sang-dISg!ng" dis
tricts OF our state and worth probably
$4,000, was thrust upon an intelligent
community, within county paying al
most one-halt OF the state tax.
Inquire of most any citizen. where. In
his opinion, $4,000 was spent upon such
structure. They just wink the other
eye" but some. more outspoken, would
offer an opinion, which we refrain from
mentioning as we are only dealing with
tnctS. with which we nrc familiar. We
do not like 10 speak diSparagngly Of
the departed. but We must confess that
the dobe at West Liberty Is more grand
In Its ruins than ever in Its prime.
II might have seen better days" but
Il didn't and It's majestic smoke stack.
(Which was the larger portion OF the
building). Is about MI that Is left stand
Ing. and II 1t could speak, would doubt
less say. Don't tell them that you
saw me-" It still serves as gentle
plet!on OF the building, all the plans
were carefully gathered up and con-
signed To the flames. Peace TO their
ashes: II they could not commend n
virtue they could charitably conceal a
fault.
But this Is not all. gentle reader.
History Is about 10 repeat itself. June
II was commencement day at West
Liberty. The honorary board had 4
meeting. business was started as pre-
viouSly scheduled at Charleston md
MartinsbuEG. But they struck snag
when protest was made to employ Il
West Virginia architect to make plans
for the contemplated new addition to
the building. 1t was NOT serious one,
however, for our ''GncleyBo is an old
pilot and he wlnked at the captain, and
together with the first mate, they cau-
cused. and then permitted n resolu-
tion. (Which was the aforesaid snagl.
to be adopted. permitting architects
from West Virginia to submit plans In
competition. Then a caucus resolution
was offered. that committee of three
be Appointed to make the selection,
which, 0f course, was carried. and the
doughty colonel and the first mate
from Martinsburg, and u gentleman
from Clarksburg, we're appointed the
committee and. as everybody knew,
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