Typed Letter Signed

West Virginia's greatest unofficial representative and cheerleader ever, a revered newspaperman famed for founding "The West Virginia Hillbilly" in 1957, legendary for preserving and publishing the history and folklore of this state; he published, authored and edited numerous regional history volumes such as "The West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia," "Ma and Pa and Mister Kennedy" (1965), "West Virginia Songbook" (1974), "West Virginia Picture Book" (1978) and others. TLS, 1p, 8½" X 11", Richwood, WV, 1971 July 8. Addressed to noted Lincoln and Civil War scholar ARNOLD F. GATES (1914-93). Very good. On "West Virginia Hillbilly" letterhead, Comstock replies graciously to a request for information about reknowned John Brown scholar (and West Virginian) Boyd Stutler and his well-known Brown collection: "I wish I could tell you more about Boyd Stutler. Only recently we had such an inquiry and my staff spent hours going over my unindexed paper to find my Comstock Load Comments on his passing. Nobody even found it. Now, as to the collection: It is shrouded in mystery. There was a drive here... to see that it stayed in the state. But rumor has it that the son sold it to parties unknown. I wish I could tell you more. I wish I knew more. Enclosed [not present] is a book of my own, a bit of a sleeper which surprisingly (to me) sold 200,000 copies last year. Note, too, if you will my ambitious plans regarding a 50-volume encyclopedia for my state of West Virginia." Boldly signed in red ballpoint. Great and varied contents!