260 HISTORY OF OHIO. 



district; Ephraim Cutler for the Ohio company's lands, N. 

 Guilford for Symmes' purchase, and Josiah Barber for Connec- 

 ticut Western Reserve school lands. 



All the persons appointed commissioners, accepted of their 

 offices, as it appears, by referring to governor Trimble's mes- 

 sage to the legislature, in December 1822. Five of these 

 commissioners, to wit: Caleb Atwater, John Collins, James 

 Hoge, Ephraim Cutler and Josiah Barber, entered on the 

 duties of their appointment, and assembled at Columbus, the 

 seat of government, in June 1822. They organized their 

 board, appointed Caleb Atwater their chairman, and, inas- 

 much, as N. Guilford, and James M. Bell, did not appear, nor 

 act, the five, who were present and acting, informally appoin- 

 ted Caleb Atwater, to perform the duty, assigned to N. Guil- 

 ford; and, James Hoge, was appointed to supply the place of 

 James M. Bell. 



This board, thus organized, ordered their chairman, to ad- 

 dress a circular letter, to all such persons as had the charge 

 of the school lands, in the state, soliciting information, as to 

 those lands; what was their value, how they were managed, 

 how, and by whom occupied, and finally, all the information, 

 necessary to be possessed, by the commissioners. 



Each commissioner, agreed to exert himself in obtaining all 

 the information, in his power, relating to these lands. After 

 an active session of seven days, the board adjourned, to meet 

 again in August then next. 



Five hundred letters were addressed to persons in various 

 parts of the state, and fearing that unless the postage were 

 paid, these letters would not be attended to by those to whom 

 they were addressed, the author of them paid the postage. 

 His time was devoted almost wholly to this business, until ia 

 August following, the board met again at Columbus. At this 

 i]fieeting which lasted seven days, the chairman was directed 

 to prepare three pamphlets for the press: first, a pamphlet, 

 showing the actual condition of the school lands; second, a 

 bill proposing a system gf law, regulating commc«tj schools; and 



