Death Of Ex-gov. Blair

Jackson, Mich., Aug. 6.- Ex-Gov. Austin Blair died at 1:30 this morning. There was no struggle as the breath left the worn out body that had lain on the bed so many weary weeks. Grouped about the bedside were the fsimily of four grown sons and the wife. Üov. Blair died in the bedroom he had I occupied as a sleeping room ever since j the house was built, 40 years ago. The bed stood near the middle of the room with the head to the west, and the furniture was the plain substantial patterns of 30 years ago. W. W. Bennett has preparsd the remains, and the time set for the funeral is at 3 p. m. Wednesday. It will be held at the house, which is a large mansion of the old style with large rooms. Rev. Reed Stuart, of Detroit, has been wired to deliver the sermón. In case he cannot attend, Rev. Washington Gardner, secretary of state, will be chosen. Only minor details for the funeral have yet been completed. A meeting of representative citizens was called at T. A. Wilson's office at noon. The county bar will also meet, but the hour is not yet set. There is a strong feeling that Gov. Blair should have a public funeral, one which the public men would attend, but more especially the soldiers, whom Austin Blair loved all his life. The funeral may not be in the strictest sense a public one, owing to the wishes of the faimily, although the matter has not yet been presented to them fully. Robert Blair, of Omaha, and William Blair, of Fremont, Neb., all the living relatives except a sister now here, have been telegraphed of the governor's death. The following public men were also wired and invited to attend: Gen. Alger, Thomas W. Palmer, O. E. Grosvenor, James F. Joy, Dr. James B. Angelí, Judge C. B. Grant, David H. Jerome, Charles T. Gorham, Gov. Rich, Don M. Dickinson, Congressman Gorman, Harry H. Smith, of Washington, Lyman G. Trumbull, of Chicago. It is understood the iïrst eight mentioned will be invited to act as honorary pallbearers if it is possible for them all to ttend. The outside details for the funeral are n charge of Theo. J. Camp, a nephew f Gov. Blair. Gen. Withington is takng charge of the details as far as the ublic men are concerned, and Mayor Brooks will attend to the city details. A BRIEF SKETCH OF KIS I.IKE. Austin Blair is of Scotch descent, arnd was born in Caroline, Tompkins ooumty, Xew York, Feb. 8, 1818.' His early tuitton m the eoimmon schools was supplementen by a prcparation for college at the Cazenovi acadeiny, whcnce he went to Hamilton, and in lis junior year to Union college, j;radiiatmg from tfoe latter in 1839. Tlie aiext tivo years were spent in his ,'inv studies in the office of Sweet & Davis, at Oewego, N. Y. In June, 1841, ho arrived in. .1,-ickwwi, and in Maren, 1842, removed to Eaton county, but IavO' years later came back to fackson havl,ng in the uieantime been elected elork oí Eatoui county and served part oí the t eran. He seems to havo, aequired a state reputation as a poiitical orator tai 1S44, contending toar Henry Clay n.nd the policios of the party whicli supportert bisa. In 1845 lic was elected a memoer oí the statie house of representatives, and during itJie seasoai of 184G was the leader of the whig minority in tJiat body. He identified himself witih the free soil party four yeare later. Tliis did not p.re-nt him froim doing full justice to Gen. Taylor in a. well-reinembered impromptu speech annile at the Jacksoai ceremonial exerciees on the occasion of that P'Pesddemt's deatli in Ju'.y, 1850. He was elected prosecutlng attorney for Jackfion couuty in is.")!'. In 1854 Mr. Blair wv.s a prominent actor in organizin the republicnn party "under the oaks, in Jackson." In November of that year he was elected a member of Uie tate senate. It liad been generalij' understood previous to 1858 that lie would that year be nomlnated by his xarty lor oongress, but the convention renominated AVilliam A. Howard, in spite of the vehement protests of the delegatlons froin Jackson and Livingstom counties. Tlie publication oí the p-rotesting speeches called the attention of tJiousands to his fitness ior liiiïh place, and had soimething to do in bringing about Jiis nomination to :i bigh office two year later. Dnrtng all these years, when offices had 8OUgM li i 111 and he had nol Miüniil ihem. he had Labored in hit) profeseioo and organized a av practice imderstóod to produce net yearly receipts at leasi flve times as large as ;!n" salary theai pald to the govermor oí the si ,-i e. In 1860 he was at the head of the Mie'.' ' igation in the oonvention wliich noniiiiat. d Abraham iLnco'ai for president. Tlie three delegates called 011 for responsea after tlie nominaticin were WÜUam M. Bvarts, of New York. Cari Sliurz, Iln-ii óf Wisconsin, and "Onr Blalr" of Michigan. Later in the Fa me year he was eieeted gtxvernor and re-elected in 1862, hifi two terms embraoing all oï the war period i n -laiiuary, 18(35. AS A WAK GOVERNOR. Tlir niaiiiicr in which hé discharged hls executive du;i(s is pubüc history. No state more promptly iüled its quotas of mem demaaded t pui down the rebeffltom. No state did bhe war business ;o econoonically, 'hei her for the state or öatioo. Tlie genér-ol rule was as mamy reuinieuts as ihere re ihousands of men ; any other rule was decüiared "ianpoesible" in otlicr si a les and at the jiational capítol, but hepui over 88,000 men in -17 regimrearts, thereby susta-ining the repulatiim of eífectlvenees of the regi ineiits, savin.LL' jniii;o!:s of money, and, ïiiui-e Important th.an all, givtng t.i i of the new reoruits the ndvanbage oí '. he compaoiioiniship of old paigners, .and BO keeping alive, to rejoice in the lina! victory, sorae tJionsands who would have perished huil they ;uoi beeoo pILaced in organiza-tiótna trained to avuidtie dismalex;perlencee of tive [irs1 years of the war. He foumid time to iaatroduce many retonms and ahang-ee, in the interest of ecomomy, in bom matters of state admiinst rai 'mn. and i-aine out of offtoe ilionsands of dollars poorer than wtoeo lie entered it. In 18(56 he was elected a ineraler of the national house of represent atives, nd was re-eJected in 1868 and 1870. His poeitiom tliere Was prominent, and would have seemed more so liad it mot been over-sluulowed by the distinction to which he was entitled as a "war gcweriior." IIIF ÜNCOMPBOMISING HONESTY. THiose who have aasociated Tvith Austin ta his office always derl.ircd' his aineoimpromising lionesty in dealing witJi his clients made liim poorer .than lie sliouM Iiíits been. Xo matter liow poor a maai miglit be, if Jie caim to Austim Blair w'Mi a srt'Ory of his wrongB his laok of money to pay a fee was no bar to the Tigorous prosecution )f his oase. Besi'h'M tdii'8, the goA'i'riior was never a. Jiavd driver for his pay. Any exeuse was a gccod ono 1o )iim, and in tJiis way tliousands of dollars never (■.■uno to his purse at all that other .-( i : rn-noys would iiave secured. WliiLe standing in the front rank as au nt toi-ncy. it was to his wonderful gilí of oratory tEat Gov. BLair oweil a great deal of his prominence. No orator in Michigan could overniaster liim lm the power of hfe speeches. He rarely, if erer, prepared aoyfchmg in adTance oí its delivery and never lacked language or att ention wlien he spoke. It was eald of him that, at the ooovention in Chicago in 1860, ■wJiich inominated Abraham Jjincoln, the speech made by Austin Blair congratulatiixg the uew republican party 0111 its choice of a candidate was one of the most eloquent heard in that iKMly of represpntntive men, nlthou.nii he weaat tliere with other Michigan ctóLegates pledged to support and djd support Wan. H. Seward to the last ballot. IIOW HE REBUKED FEAÜD. A story well known +o Jackson people 30 yeai-s aun Uluistratiee the iate oï those wlio soiig'ht t'o influence him for selfish interests. Tlie tion oí a regiment of troops to the seat nï war meaait a nice pile for the vailroiul conipaiiy Chat could get the regiment. It was made known to the governor that a certain line was anxi'Ous ito secure the transportation of the troops. ïhe men making the statement eatö : "Our road will carry the so'ldiers just as cheap as any ui line ; in. faet we will agree to duplioate any rate the other liue will give. JiOWi Governor, you are woiking day and night and neglectlng y onr law practice and are a poor man. I aun authorized by th,e oompany to say tliat hereaiter for eaeh regiment sent over our road tjie compo.ny will send you a, check for $1,000." Proun that time to the end, of the war aw soldier, at Gov. Blalr's orders, ever went over the line representerd by rtJie promotor who brought the word. And the governor hianseli refused to travel om that line wto-en h e went to AVashmg'ton.