The Canal Commission.

Subsequently, the duties of the commission were enlarged by adding to its work the duties previously performed by the swamp land commissioner, and providing for the recording of all documents, maps, plats and records in any wise appertaining to the title of any real estate formerly belonging to or now owned by the State.

The commission is generally called a "Canal Commission," but should be called a land commission, as it has nothing to do with the navigation or management of the canals, and has no relation whatever to the old board of canal commissioners that laid out and constructed the public works of the State.

The duties of the commission are to locate and define the State's property, to recover such portions of it as are found in the unlawful possession of individuals and corporations, to lease. such portions of it as are not necessary for canal purposes, to acquire title to swamp lands and to collect the cash indemnity due for such lands when they have been disposed of by the United States.

The original act was passed March 28, 1888, and shortly thereafter Governor Foraker appointed as members of said commission, General William H. Gibson of Seneca county, Col. Charles F. Baldwin of Knox county, and Judge Alexander S. Latty of Defiance county, General Gibson being made president, Judge Latty vice president and T. C. Ryan of Washington county, secretary. Col. Baldwin resigned after a few months' service, and Hon. R. M. Rownd of Franklin county, was appointed in his place.

The commissioners found that there was practically nothing with which to commence their labors. The original surveys and maps of the canals had all disappeared along with the books that showed the awards of damages paid for lands appropriated for canals and reservoir nurposes. Fortunately a half dozen of these books were found in a consignment of old paper that had been shipped to one of the paper mills on the Miami and Erie canal, and were finally restored to the State, where they have been of inestimable value in aiding the recovery of State property.

The first three or four years may be called the period of surveys and discovery. More than twelve hundred miles of transit lines have been run since the commencement of the canals and reservoir surveys, while hundreds of monuments have been planted to perpetuate the lines established for the boundaries of the State property. In addition, the title to lands owned by the State, at one time and another, aggregated one million two hundred and thirty thousand five hundred and twenty-two (1,230,522) acres, have been recorded in the records of the office.

Twenty-three large volumes of maps have been completed and bound in convenient book form, and others are in process of completion.

The Canal Commission.

These maps when completed will embrace the entire canal system, including the canals, reservoirs, basins, wide-waters, feeders, raceways, water-powers, hydraulics, dams, slack-waters, locks, aqueducts, bridges, culverts, bulk-heads, waste-weirs, and in fact nearly every thing pertaining to the public works of the State.

In addition to these, plats have been made of all the swamp lands in the northwestern part of the State. This was necessary in order to determine the indemnity due the state, from the United States, for swamp lands, and the commission has filed claims for swamp land indemnity aggregating $121,601.66, which claims are pending for hearing before the secretary of the interior.

The net results to the State from the work of the commission in lands recovered, and lands leased and sold, is approximately $1,000,000.00, and this will be substantially increased if pending litigation results in favor of the State.

The fixed policy of the commission has been to lease the State lands rather than to sell them in order that the State may derive a steady income from the same.

The following is a list of the different canal commissioners who have served on that board from time to time. The date of each commission being some day in the latter part of April.

The membership of the commission was reduced from three to two

H

ON. LEWIS D. BONEBRAKE, the present state commissioner of common schools is a product of the Ohio public school system and for twenty years has been actively engaged in educational work. He was born in Westerville, Franklin Co., O., August 23, 1859. His father Rev. Daniel Bonebrake was born in Preble county, O., and is still living at the age of 72 years. A great-grandfather served in the Revolutionary war and with his brothers served under Washington in and around Philadelphia. Two of his great-uncles were scouts under General Harrison in the war of 1812. Mr. Bonebrake's mother-Hester Ann-was the youngest daughter of Captain John Bishop who with his family came to Franklin county in 1818 from Duchess county, New York. Her father served in the war of 1812 and five of his father's family were soldiers in the war of the Revolution. Mr. Bonebrake attended a district school until 14 years of age when he entered the Westerville high school and completed its course. In the fall of 1876 he entered Otterbein University, Westerville, and by teaching during the winters put himself through college, graduating in the class of 1882. He at once entered upon his life work as a teacher and very successfully superintended the schools at Sparta, Elmore, Athens, and Mt. Vernon.

The Commissioner of Common Schools.

During his ninth year at the latter city he was nominated by the Republican state convention of 1897 at Toledo for the office of state commissioner of common schools. His popularity among the teachers of the state was such that he was given one of the highest pluralities on the ticket, receiving 26,549 over Myron E. Hard, his Democratic opponent. He entered upon the duties of his office on the second Monday of July, 1898, and during his first term visited and delivered educational addresses in every county of the state.

In 1900 he was re-nominated by acclamation and re-elected by a plurality of 68,302 over Joshua D, Simkins, his Democratic opponent. On the second Monday of July, 1901, he entered upon his second term of three years which will expire on a like date in 1904.

During his educational career Mr. Bonebrake has served as school examiner on city, county and state boards, successively, and holds a life certificate from the latter granted in the summer of 1885. Prior to his election his services as an institute lecturer were in great demand and he had done institute work not only in one-third of the counties of Ohio but in Indiana, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. It is a part of his official duties to visit teachers institutes and it is an interesting fact that in this duty during his first term he traveled, within the state, 13,000 miles each year.

CLERICAL FORCE, OFFICE OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONER.

The clerical force of the office is limited to two clerks and a stenographer. The correspondence is heavy as the commisioner's opinion is daily sought on all subjects pertaining to school laws and school management.

THE DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONER.

The office of state commissioner of common schools is a statutory and not a constitutional office, the act of March 12, 1836, being the virtual formation of the present school system of the state. Laws previously enacted had not been so broad or liberal in their treatment of education as this act which created the office of superintendent of common schools and provided that the officer should be elected by joint resolution of the General Assembly. The term was fixed at one year and the salary at $500.00. On April 1, 1837, Samuel Lewis of Hamilton county was duly elected. He filed his first report at the convening of the General Assembly and on January 16, 1838, that body ordered 10,500 volumes of it printed. On March 7, 1838, an act reorganizing the school laws. of the state was passed and under section eight thereof the term of the state Superintendent was fixed at five years unless the incumbent was removed by joint resolution. The salary was placed at $1,200.00. Two days later Mr. Lewis was elected for the term of five years. On March 23, 1840, the office of state Superintendent was abolished and the duties which he had performed devolved upon the Secretary of State who was authorized to employ a clerk to do the work at a salary of $400.00. This law continued in force until March 14, 1853, when the office of state commissioner of common schools was again created.

This law provided that the officer should be chosen at the general election and the term was fixed at three years, the salary being placed at $1500.00. The duties of the commissioner were plainly prescribed and provision made that while he was absent on official visits to the