The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-10

Blair. who came from Scotland and set
! tied in New Jersey in 1920 He and hi
! brother. Samuel Blair. who came to this
| country year or TWO later We're both
! clergymen and were among those who
procured from Governor Belcher the orig.
inal charter for Princeton college
John Blair became professor of moral
philosophy in the new college He was
the grandfather OF John T. Blair During
the years following the establishment OF
Princeton there was considerable mining
in Warren county. and the old Oxford
furnace established by William Penn was
famous for its ores. John Blair, a son
OF the Princeton professor. became man
ager of the oxford mine and established
the camp known as Foul Rift" so as to
ship ore by the Delaware river to Phila-
delphia and other points Al this camp
Manager Blair lived in the summer with
his wife, and there his son John /. was
born.
The Blair family was large one, There
were eight sons and three daughters. In
those days college professors and manager!
of iron furnaces did not receive big sala-
ries. and tho young Bairs had TO think o
shifting for themselves when of early age
john |. Blair went to school until he was
10 years old and was an apt pupil. lie
cared more, however. for the ousy life OF
the iron mill and the hard work of ship
ping ore than for an extended educational
course, and or beginning his eleventh
year he prevailed on his mother TO let him
so to work.
Mother" he said, 81 have seven broth
ers and three sisters. That's enough In
tho family to be educated. I am going 10
get rich
He began by trapping muskrats and rab-
bits and selling their skins at 81 for six
teen. He then became clerk in the small
village OF Hope. At II he was considered
the best storekeeper in that part of The
country, By 1880. when 81 years of age,
John !. Blair had in operation five general
stores, In which his brothers and broth
ers- law were associated with him. be-
sides running four Touring mills. AT the
same time he was supplying the Morris
and Essex Canal company with produce,
parts OF the State
In 1928 MIR. Blair married Nancy Locke.
granddaughter of Captain John Locke.
who was a soldier In the evolutionary
war. She died in 1888 at the age CT 81
years.
In 1884 Mr.. Blair organized the Beivi-
dere bank. OF which he was made resi-
dent. Regularly once week .,r mnny
years he made the trip TO the hank Nv
wagon. carrying the money of his leigh
Tors to deposit In the strong box.
He was also postmaster ~ Blairstown
for forty years.
During this time q cargo OF cotton from
New Orleans came "a? the Delaware river.
The cotton had been wet in transit, and it
was offered Al very low price 10 anybody
who would pay cash for H. Mr.. Blair en-
amined some of the damaged ba'ss. made
an Offer and got the cargo. When tho cot
ton was nploaded It. was found that a
comparatively few bales had been dam
aged I'm that deal the young merchant
cleared $4,000
dr. Blair laid the foundation OF his far
tune as country storckasper but Il WAS
as a builder Of railroads that hei remsm-
bered.
In 1915 he became associated with Scran-
ton Bros. In the first attempt TO mauufac-
ture iron with anihracta coal. The sue
cess of tnis ventura lcd him to assume
the lead ir the Organization OF the S,rnn-
ton Coal and Iron company. from which
one OF the most important industrial eilirs
In Pennsylvania took its name.
TIC facilitate the transportation OF the