SCHOOL REPORT. 261 



thirdly, an explanatory one, of the school system to be pro- 

 posed. 



The chairman was directed to collect all the school systems, 

 in use, in all the states; and to consult, by letter, or otherwise, 

 all our most distinguished statesmen, scholars, teachers and 

 jurists, on this matter. In pursuance of this order, he opened 

 a correspondence with not a few such men, in all the old, and 

 many of the new states. This correspondence occupied near- 

 ly all his time, during the three following months of Septem- 

 ber, October, and November, until early in December 1822, 

 the board again assembled at Columbus. During all this 

 time, not, a dollar had been advanced by the state, to this 

 board, nor was there a dollar in the state treasury to spare for 

 any object. 



Two of the commissioners, had been elected members of the 

 general assembly, to wit: Ephraim Cutler and Josiah Barber. 

 The other three, Messrs. Atwater, Collins and Hoge devoted 

 up their whole time to this service. Occupying a room, in a 

 public house, it became a centre of attraction, for all the lov- 

 ers of learning, who visited the seat of government, during 

 that session of the state legislature. In this legislature, were 

 many influential men who were opposed to a school system; 

 to a sale of the school lands; and, to internal improvements. 

 Calling occasionally, at the commissioners' room, these ene- 

 mies of all improvement, discovered the commissioners discuss- 

 ing the merits of the different school systems, which they had 

 collected. These opposers, as it now appears, with the inten- 

 tion of swindling the commissioners out of what would be justly 

 due to them for their expenditures of time and mone)^, request- 

 ed the chairman to let them see what the postage on his offi- 

 cial correspondence amounted to, and they would pay it. 

 This being acceded to, and that being found to be seventy dol- 

 lars, these legislators so framed a report, in the senate that it 

 would appear, that all the services had been finished and paid 

 for, nine weeks before the commissioners concluded their 

 session ! ! ! 



The board proceeded in their labors, day after day, and 



