Johnson-Bourbon-Linn County KS Archives Biographies.....Blair, Ed 1863 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 20, 2008, 5:48 am

Author: unknown (1915)

  Ed Blair, the editor of this work, who, by the way, is not the writer of this
biography—but merely the subject, is a Kansas product as well as a Kansas poet
and author. Kansas was admitted to the Union, January 29, 1861, at Washington,
D. C, and Ed. Blair was admitted to Kansas, January 1, 1863, near Fort Scott,
Bourbon county. Therefore the State is about two years older than the poet, and
it looks even more than that. Like most other poets worth while, Ed. Blair was
born with a natural gift of verse writing, and has been writing poetry since he
was a mere boy, and thousands of readers, not only in Kansas, but in every State
in the Union, have been reading the product of the pen of this "James Whitcomb
Riley of Kansas" for more than a quarter of a century. Mr. Blair's works have
been published broadcast, and critics and press have made many favorable
comments on his writing. The Fort Scott "Tribune" says: "No truer to human
hearts sang Robert Burns of his highland and murmuring streams, or Riley of his
quaint neighbors in Indiana than does our Kansas bard of Kansas. He employs no
satire nor does he dip into the depths of Byronic gloom, but as the bard sings,
so sings his gentle muse. There is no wild love passion sweeping the string of
his harp, but clear, perfect song of our everyday life, quaint in the imagery of
his thoughts, yet they are the thoughts of our better moments." The Topeka
"Capital" estimates Mr. Blair's writings as follows: "Kansas boasts of a number
of men who can write good Sunflower Verse, but none of these can do it more
entertainingly than Ed. Blair." Commenting on Blair's "Bound for Kansas" Tom
McNeal says in the "Mail and Breeze:" "It at once caught the ear of the public
and was republished not alone in Kansas papers, but appeared in the leading
papers of the country, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. As writer of dialect
verse, we consider him the equal of James Whitcomb Riley." Mr. Blair has written
for various publications for years, and while his career has been a strenuous
business one he has always found time to write. For years he wrote for
relaxation and recreation, but never neglected his business. But he is now
devoting himself exclusively to literary work and writes for a great many
newspapers besides much special work to which he is devoting his time. In 1901
he published a volume entitled "Kansas Zephyrs" which had an extensive sale, and
in 1914, he published another, "Sunflower Siftings," which was received still
better by the public and the demand has been very satisfactory. Perhaps the
greatest field of Mr. Blair's success is on the platform, in which he gives
readings of his own poems, delineating the quaint humor shown in his verse so
much appreciated by the public. Mr. Blair appears on the stage with ease and
grace, and has a very pleasing delivery and an original way of getting his
audience to grasp the spirit and humor of his theme. His peculiar style of
verse, which gives the fullest expression to his quaint wit and humor, places
him in that class of poet-humorists who make the world forget its
hardheartedness and smile. Such a mission in life seems more commendable than to
be a captain of industry, and fix the price of grease or wreck a railroad
instead of a train. Ed. Blair's parents, James and Mary (Snoots) Blair, were
Kansas pioneers, the father was a native of Guernsey county, Ohio, born December
17, 1832, of Scotch-Irish descent. Mary Snoots was a native of Virginia. They
were married in Ohio and came to Kansas in 1857, by boat down the Ohio river and
up the Mississippi and Missouri to Westport. They drove from there to Fort
Scott, and the father bought a "Squatters' Right" to 160 acres of land, four
miles north and two miles west of Fort Scott, for $75.00. He was a blacksmith
and built a shop on his place and followed blacksmithing and farming there until
the time of his death, in August, 1905, at the age of seventy-two. He was one of
the first blacksmiths in that section of the State and lived through all the
uncertainties of the pioneer days, and the dangerous and disagreeable features
of the border war. He was a Free State man and served in the Kansas State
militia. He participated in the battles of Mine creek and Big Blue. His wife
preceded him in death about four years. She died in 1901, aged seventy-two. They
were the parents of eight children as follows: Addison, died in infancy;
Loretta, died in infancy; Nixon, resides at Hubbard, Ore.; Lizzie, married
Lincoln Hiatt, Vancouver, Wash.; Ed., the subject of this sketch; Ira, died in
1909, at the age of forty-two; Elmer, died in infancy; and John, resides at
Portland, Ore. Ed. Blair was educated in the public schools and the Fort Scott
Normal School and when seventeen years old began teaching in the public schools
at Bourbon county and followed that vocation for three years. He then began
clerking for the Grange at Cadmus, Kan., and became its manager January 1, 1886,
and remained in that capacity until 1903, or over seventeen years, when he
resigned to accept the management of the Spring Hill Cooperative Association
Store, remaining there until May 1, 1914, when he resigned that position to
accept a like position with the Johnson county Cooperative Association at
Olathe. He resigned from that position March 1, 1915, and has since devoted
himself to literary and newspaper work and the lecture platform. Mr. Blair was
united in marriage September 2, 1885, at Fort Scott, Kan., to Miss Lula A.
Hiatt, a native of Winchester, Ind., born September 29, 1863. She is a daughter
of James M. and Mary (Kemp) Hiatt. The Hiatt family came to Kansas in 1864, and
settled in Bourbon county, about four miles from Fort Scott, where the father
followed farming throughout his life. He was accidentally killed by the breaking
of an emery wheel and his widow now resides in Kansas City, Kan. Mrs. Blair was
about four years old when her parents came to Kansas, and she was reared in
Bourbon county, and received a good public school education, and was a
successful teacher in Bourbon county for a number of years prior to her
marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Blair have been born two children, Streeter E., born
July 16, 1888, graduated from the Spring Hill High School, then entered Kansas
University, where he was graduated in the class of 1911 with the degree of
Bachelor or Arts. He was then principal of the Sabetha public schools for two
years and held a similar position at Junction City one year, and is now engaged
in the mercantile business at Fort Scott, Kan. He married Camille Hook, of
Sabetha, Kan., and they have one child, Betsy. Mr. and Mrs. Blair's youngest
child, Mary Fay, is a graduate of the Spring Hill High School and Kansas
University. She has given special attention to music and languages and is now
engaged in teaching.

Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

HISTORY OF Johnson County Kansas
BY
ED BLAIR

AUTHOR OF
Kansas Zephyrs, Sunflower Sittings and Other Poems and Sketches

IN ONE VOLUME

ILLUSTRATED
STANDARD PUBLISHING COMPANY
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
1915


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