those only who, upon due examination, are found to possess the qualifications required by the act. Hence recommendations, diplomas, etc., have no weight or influence with us-all must conform to the same law. The first question for the person who proposes to teach, to ask, is: Am I qualified? and not, Can I get a school? Other things being equal, in the employment of teachers, we give preference to home talent, though our supply is never equal to the demand, for first-class teachers.

Our graded schools will compare favorably with any similar schools in the State; and many of our school houses are of the best and most approved style of architecture.

Teachers of good qualifications command good wages, and poor ones we do not want at any price. The disparity between the wages of male and female teachers in this county is gradually growing less each year.

OGLE.-E. L. WELLS.

From my annual report I deduce some stubborn facts that are of immediate interest to the citizens of this county. In the limited space allowed me in your biennial report, I can but hint at some of these facts, and leave them for you to more fully and ably discuss.

Of the persons between six and twenty one years of age, eightysix per cent. have been in attendance at the public schools during the year, at an average of nearly eighty days each. The average length of the schools for the year has been one hundred and sixty days. In one township the pupils attending school averaged as low as thirty-five days each; in another the average was as high as one hundred and thirty days each. Male teachers have taught about one-third of the total number of days, for which they have received about forty-three per cent. of the whole amount of money paid to teachers. It has cost ten dollars and forty cents to school each pupil at an average of eighty days' attendance. This includes teachers' wages, fuel and other incidental expenses, and ten per cent. on the value of the public school property in the county. I find each day's tuition for each pupil has cost the county thirteen cents. Of this, eight cents is for teache, two cents for fuel and other incidental expenses, and three cents for the ten per cent. of the value of the school property of the district. The whole cost for each day's tuition of each pupil varies in the different towns of the county from eleven to sixteen cents. If all of school age had attended the schools the whole time the schools have been in session, the cost of each pupil's tuition for each day would have been six cents. If, as some contend, the value of the school property increases the value of the other property in the school district, so that it should not in this estimate Vol. I-66

be taken into consideration, this last cost would be reduced to five cents per day; and in the former calculation, the cost would be reduced to ten cents per day. Every taxpayer desires to have the public school moneys economically expended, and will inquire how greater economy can be exercised in their expenditure. Some will say at once, "reduce teachers' wages, and stop building such expensive school houses." These reports show that the least cost for the tuition of each pupil per day is often in the townships containing the most costly school houses, and in which teachers receive the highest salaries; while the highest cost per day is often in the townships that pay the lowest wages and have the poorest school houses. And further, the pupils in the schools where the cheapest teachers have been at work, are generally no better scholars at thirteen and fourteen years of age, than those of ten and eleven years in the other townships named. Sometimes, however, inferior teachers are paid as high salaries as good teachers in other parts of the county. From these facts, and from my personal knowledge of all of the schools of this county, after tive years' earnest labor in behalf of their interests, I briefly state three things that I think are needed to secure greater economy in the expenditure of our school moneys:

1. A reduction in the number, and an arrangement of the districts in many of the townships of the county, by which no more teachers need be employed than are necessary to teach well the scholars of the county. Many districts have not the pupils within their boundaries to make sufficient work for a good teacher. I have visited schools having at the time as few as two and three, and four and five scholars, and sometimes all have been chart or primer scholars.

2. A compulsory attendance upon the schools, as might be in wisdom, justice and economy. There is now enough money paid for school houses, teachers, fuel and other incidental expenses, to provide as good accommodations and instruction, as now provided, to all in the county, that ought to attend school. I have stated above that in one township the pupils attending school only averaged thirty-five days each. The schools in the same township were continned one hundred and twenty days. The county has been to the expense of furnishing schools one hundred and sixty days, for all persons of school age within its limits, and eighty-six per cent. of these have partaken of these privileges to the extent of eighty days each.

3. The establishment of a county normal school. This would, in my opinion, help to secure a uniformity in school work, a uniformity in wages of teachers, and also tend to give pupils of the county schools the advancement in studies which pupils of the same ages have in town schools. Many earnest teachers have a fair knowledge of books. They have been twice as long obtaining it as they ought, and their pupils must do as they have done. A

few weeks of normal training would help them very much in imparting this knowledge, by oral instruction, and the use of text-books, blackboards, charts, maps, globes, etc. Three per cent. of the money now annually paid for school purposes would enable many teachers to do from twenty-five to fifty per cent. more and better work than they now do. The question of establishing a county normal school is being discussed in this county. Many of our best citizens favor it. The people generally must be convinced that such a school is necessary to the economical expenditure of our school moneys, before it would be wise for our board of supervisors to establish one. I have received much encouragement in relation to the future establishment of such a school in this county.

The board of supervisors of this county have authorized me to furnish through the offices of the township treasurers, at the expense of the county treasury, all of the school election blanks, blank school reports, etc., that may be needed for general use in the county, and are not otherwise provided by law. This will secure system and uniformity in the work of school officers, and save them time and trouble, and also expense to the county. I propose to give on these blanks such suggestions as will assist school officers to discharge their duties in the use of them.

I cannot give you a briefer or better item on the interest manifested in our county institutes than to say that the number of actual teachers in attendance, for the past five years, has been respectively as follows: 30, 102, 142, 165, 205.

During the past year or two, there has been more than usual interest in the subject of music in our schools. This is owing chiefly to the assistance rendered us in the last three institutes, by the gentlemen who had given instruction in this science. Some score or more schools have had instruction more or less, such as their teachers have received from the author of the Graded School Songs. Some of these have more than equalled my expectations. Some teachers even, who are not professed singers, have had success in teaching, according to this system, the rudiments of music. to their pupils. Some of our teachers have been assisted in this work by the author of the Song Queen, and, by his instructions, have been able to present this subject to their pupils with greater interest and better success.

Very fine school edifices have been erected during the past year in Rochelle and Creston-the former costing $40,000, and the latter $10,000. They are truly the monuments of an intelligent and enterprising citizenship. Several school houses have been erected in rural districts, which, with their surroundings, excel any others I have ever seen, in beauty, convenience and comfort.

Our school officers think it would be much better to have the school year and the report year coincide; and that the system of reports should be simplified as much as possible.

Some of our townships have increased the principals of their school fund by donations from their respective tax collectors. The agreement, on the part of the collectors, to thus pay over a part of their percentages, has been made before or at the times of their election.

The series of teachers' examinations, the teachers' drills, and the educational lectures given by our own citizens, and others from different parts of the State-all have done much to give tone and popularity to the public school cause in our county.

In conclusion, I have but this to say: That we have taken for our motto, "Ogle county to the front." Not that we expect to stand there alone, but abreast with many other noble counties of our noble State.

PERRY.-B. G. ROOTS.

I have known something of the schools of this county for thirtytwo years past. When I consider the present condition of our schools, I am constrained to exclaim: What hath God wrought! The drones and dunces that once found a place among the teachers, are gone, some to honest physical labor, while others have found employment in other counties. The present corps of teachers will compare favorably with that of any county in the State. Some of our best teachers, who have taught many years in the county, seem to realize the importance of their duties, and read, study. attend every institute and use every means of improvement within their reach. I believe that in every school in the county. every pupil who has finished a Second Reader, will, at least once a day, write an abstract or compend of his reading, geography, history or grammar lesson. Within nine months past we have had three teachers' institutes, well attended by teachers who came to labor and to learn. By "teachers' institute" I do not mean an athenæum, lyceum, or some sort of literary association, with a president, thirteen vice presidents, etc., which meets to hear profound lectures from college presidents, on "The relation of the study of classics, to common schools; " to hear beautiful girls read fire essays on every imaginable subject, or to discuss questions with which teachers have no more to do than every other citizen of the State but I mean a model school, of which the superintendent is teacher and master, and controls everything connected with it according to his own judgment. Every good teacher will, at the proper times, confer freely with his pupils, and encourage them to express to him their views upon improvements in the school, and these opinions should be carefully considered and allowed their just weight-but during school hours the teacher is the absolute sovereign.

The Tamaroa and Chester railroad is building from the north

east to the south west part of this county, and the Belleville and Southern Illinois railroad from the northwest to the southeast. Both of these will probably be completed about the close of this year. School directors in the vicinity of these roads feel that they cannot now tell where new school houses should be built, nor what sized ones will soon be needed. This has caused the postponement of building, in several districts. But the determination of the people of this county is, to have good schools and good accommodations.

The county is small, but my own experience and observation confirm my belief in your statement, that there is not a county in the State where the ablest and strongest of superintendents would not find scope for all of his time and all of his powers, and still leave much undone that ought to be performed. God helping me, I am determined to continue to strive to comply with the law, which I am sworn to obey, and "labor in every practicable way to elevate the standard of teaching, and improve the condition of the common schools of the county." In doing this, I am greatly en couraged by the cordial co-operation of teachers and school officers, and, especially, in the discharge of my duties pertaining to finance, by the advice and encouragement of the county court.

Lest I should be understood as asserting that every one of our teachers is up to the general standard, I make the mortifying acknowledgment that eleven of them are living without an educational journal. I believe they intend to emigrate or seek other employment before the fall of 1871.

As to the objects to be attained by schools, and the best methods of attaining them, I agree with Dr. Sanders, page 258-291 of your last report. As to changes in the school law, I fully concur with Tho's W. Hynes, superintendent of Bond county, as expressed in his first and second suggestions, pages 407-8, of same report.

PIATT.-C. A. TATMAN.

The condition of the schools of this county is not as good as could be desired, but they are gradually improving. In visiting the schools of this county, I have been impressed with the taste displayed in the construction and location of school houses in some districts, and the total absence of everything like taste and refinement in others. In nearly every district in this county, where they have built good school houses, and have them well seated, ventilated, and well supplied with blackboards and outline maps, I find excellent schools. In districts that have ill constructed, ill furnished school houses, I believe it would be better if they had none at all, and saved the money paid out to inferior teachers. The teachers of this county are mostly possessed of a fine spirit, and are making great effort for self-improvement. I think we can