LIFK OF JAMES WADSWORTII. 153 



of the school system of the State. The subject of the education of the body of 

 the people thus became the absorbing interest of his later years. In his reflec- 

 tions on this subject he formed the conclusion that the important point was to 

 form a taste for reading, and provide suitable books ; and it was among his pro- 

 jects to give to subjects of instruction the popular form of the newspaper. To 

 carry this into effect would have required more lime than he could have person- 

 ally devoted to it, and he found no one equally enthusiastic in the cause with 

 himself. Failing in this, he suggested the plan of the school district libraries; 

 and, when this had received the sanction of the State Legislature, his influence 

 was exerted in procuring the printing of an annual series of suitable works, and 

 his taste consulted in the choice of a competent editor. To insure the publica- 

 tion of the series thus selected, he became responsible for the sums directed by 

 the law to be raised in school districts in his own neighborhood — of wliich in 

 most cases a part, and in some the whole, became an actual contribution to the 

 cause of education from his private purse. lie had thus the consciousness of 

 bestowing a charity of the best description, and in the most unostentatious man- 

 ner ; for, so far as the publishers or the public could learn, the funds appeared to 

 be raised in the usual manner, by subscription or assessment among the inhabit- 

 ants of the district. 



His influence was more directly and openly exerted in urging the enactment 

 of a law by which the Controller of the !Statc of New- York was authorized to 

 purchase and send to every school district in the State a copy of Hall's " Lectures 

 on Teaching." Finally, aware of the want of text-books specially adapted to the 

 use of the common schools, he placed in trust a sum sufficient to call the best 

 talents into competition, to be paid to the authors of the best elementary treatises 

 on certain speciiied subjects. After much delay on the part of the very distin- 

 guished gentlemen who were invested witii the power of awarding the prize, the 

 money was paid to the successful candidates ; but, by this time, the want he had 

 desired to supply had been satisfied by individual enterprise, and the successful 

 treatises have not been published. In the selection of his umpires, Mr. "Wads- 

 worth had regard to a character beyond suspicion of improper influence, and in- 

 telligence of the highest order. It Avas not his fault that they undertook a duty 

 which their important avocations as statesmen prevented them from performing 

 for a long time, and then, it is believed, by deputy. Nor can we blame him if 

 the works exhibited for competition were so inferior in quality, or the judgment 

 in awarding the prizes so imperfect that the authors of the preferred treatises 

 have not yet been able to find a publisher bold enough to risk his capital on the 

 faith of the award. 



His plan had embraced the publication at his own cost of the successful com- 

 positions. The necessity of such publication having been done away with by 

 private enterprise, the fund he had set apart for this purpose was applied, by his 

 directions, to the publication of a Avork drawn up by Professor Nott and Mr. Em- 

 erson, entitled " The School and the Schoolmaster." 



With views of the same description, he encouraged the access of lecturers on 

 subjects of utility to his neighborhood, and the sums with Avhich he eked out 

 their renmneration from their auditors reached, in the aggregate, a large amount. 



His position as a large landholder, and the agent of large estates, led to con- 

 tinual calls upon him to contribute to the establishment of places of public wor- 

 ship, to the building of school-houses, and to enterprises of similar character. In 

 his contributions to such objects, no complaint can be made of his not bemg, in 

 1345; 



