The Public Schools of Sf^n Pranclsco; 
 
 John C. Pelton's Course in Regard to 
 
 the vSane Unmasked.
 
 /f//7^ //v/< 
 
 THE 
 
 /^A 
 
 'Hdficy //^/i/^' 
 
 PUBLIC SCHOOLS t 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 JOHN C. PELTONS COURSE 
 
 IN REGARD TO THE SAME 
 
 UN MA.SKED 
 
 RESULT OF THE INVESTIGATION OF THE CHARGES AGAINST 
 
 JOHN C. PELTON BY THE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD 
 
 OF EDUCATION, JUNE, 1865. 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO : 
 
 1865.
 
 THE 
 
 PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
 
 OF 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 JOHN C. PELTOFS COURSE 
 
 IN RBGARD TO THE SAME 
 
 UN MA.S KED 
 
 RESULT OF THE INVESTIGATION OF THE CHARGES AGAINST 
 
 JOHN C. P ELTON BY THE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD 
 
 OF EDUCATION, JUNE, 1865. 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO 
 
 1 S65.
 
 '' •»"»« »*» "»
 
 51^ ,1 
 
 TO THE PUBLIC. 
 
 This pamphlet is published by those who sincerely desire 
 the advancement of the best interests of our public schools, 
 and for the purpose of directing public attention to the danger 
 to be apprehended from the schemes of a designing man, who, 
 through a mistaken sympathy on the part of the people, was 
 elevated to exercise a certain control therein. 
 
 The office of Superintendent of Public Schools is at present 
 filled by a man who, as a teacher, was guilty of neglect of 
 duty, unprofessional conduct, systematic insubordination, dis- 
 obedience and falsehood ; and one who has the legal right to 
 the office, but is apparently lacking in those high moral prin- 
 cipals which are generally supposed to form essential elements 
 of qualification for that position. 
 
 This was clearly proven after a patient and laborious inves- 
 tigation, made at his own request, and after he had been af- 
 forded ample opportunity for defense. 
 
 The decision and report of the committee having this mat- 
 ter in charge, was made to the Board of Education in June, 
 1865, and nearly four weeks after the election of John C. Pel- 
 ton to the office he now holds. 
 
 The report having been adopted, the Board directed their 
 Secretary, Daniel Lunt, to enter the same upon the minutes of 
 their meetings. Four months have now clasped and the order 
 is not obeyed ; Mr. Lunt refuses or neglects to make the re- 
 cord, under the absurd pretext that " he has not yet had time," 
 and himself and principal, with other friends, seem determined 
 tl(|ftt the will of the Board in this matter shall not be carried 
 into effect; and, in order that neither they nor their colleagues 
 shall be allowed to suppress the record in this manner, it is 
 now put in print and given to the public. 
 
 That a determination exists to prevent it from being record- 
 ed is clearly proven ; first, by the neglect of the Secretary (an 
 appointee of the Superintendent), to make the entry as di- 
 rected ; and second, by the refusal of the present Board to in-
 
 struct liim to perform his duty, as appears from the following 
 proceedings: 
 
 At the meeting of September 26th, 1865, a resolution was 
 introduced as follows: 
 
 Resolved, That the Secretary of the Board be, and is hereby, instructed to carry 
 out tiie instructions of the Board, in regard to tlie report of the special commit- 
 tee of wliich L. W. Kennedy was chairman; submitted June 13th, 18G5, within 
 four weeks from this date. 
 
 "Whereupon the President, J. W. Winans, a friend and sup- 
 porter of John C. Pelton, left the chair and offered the follow- 
 ing amendment : 
 
 After the word " instructed," insert as follows : " And in view of the fact that 
 be has lieretofore been unable to record the report of the Special Committee of 
 wliich L. W. Kennedy was chairman, submitted June 13th, 1865, in the minutes, 
 from the pressure of liis official duties, and because in the present relations of 
 parlies, and in the present condition of things, it is deemed by this Board inex- 
 pedient that such entry should now be made; he is therefore ordered not to make 
 the same." 
 
 The amendment was adopted by the following vote : Ayes 
 — n. T. Graves, W. A. Grover, A. C. Nichols, George C. 
 nickox, S. C. Bugbee, J. W. Winans ; Noes — L. B. Mastick, 
 M. L^^nch, C. M. Plum ; and the resolution as amended, only 
 failed of passing b}' the want of one vote. 
 
 As the election of Pelton to his present office, took place 
 some weeks before the report was adopted by the Board and 
 ordered on the minutes, it is not apparent how the "present 
 relation of parties," or the "present condition of things" have 
 changed since that time to make it inexpedient that such en- 
 try should not now be made, nor do we think that the fact of 
 bis election, either before or after such action would be a suffi- 
 cient reason for concealing his offenses or suppressing the 
 record of his misdeeds ; and we do not intend that he shall 
 again, in this instance, reap the reward of setting at defiance 
 the expressed will of the Board. 
 
 Had the Secretary carried out the instructions given him, 
 and entered the report on the minutes, it is probable that the 
 accompanying document and report, which were prepared in 
 June last, would never have been made public; and that the 
 report has not been recorded, and is now in the custody of 
 John C. Pelton as Superintendent of Public Schools, is of it- 
 self a sufficient reason for this publication. 
 
 San Francisco, October 11th, 1865. 
 
 Many Citizens.
 
 BEFORE THE BOARDJOP EDUCATION, JTJNE, 1865. 
 
 During the past year the case of tlie dismissal of J. C. 
 Pelton from the position of Grammar Master of the Kincon 
 School, by the Board of Education, has occupied a large share 
 of the public attention. The matter has been discussed through 
 the columns of the newspapers of the day. The action of the 
 Board in the premises was, previous to the election of Pelton 
 to his present official position, the subject of the most bitter 
 and acrimonious criticism, both in editorial articles and anony- 
 mous communications, written during the interval by parties 
 having no other object than that of bringing this body into 
 disrepute, thereby hoping to weaken, if not destroy, its useful- 
 ness, and cripple the cause of education, sim23ly to advance 
 the interests of selfish and disorganizing spirits, who care not 
 how much the public welfare may suffer, so that they may ad- 
 vance or attain their own sinister ends. With this object in 
 view, a regular and periodical system of warfare upon the 
 Board of Education has been kept up by these parties for 
 months past, and the flame constantly fanned by those who 
 hoped to warm themselves by its blaze in the end. To these 
 persistent and repeated attacks, the Board, in its collective 
 capacity, and as individuals, paid no attention, but have 
 gone on in the discharge of their varied duties, looking to the 
 interests of the educational cause in San Francisco, " without 
 fear or favor." The carpings of newspaper critics, and the 
 snarlings of anonymous correspondents, have had no terrors
 
 6 
 
 for them, and they have gone on in the even tenor of their 
 way, uninfluenced by the one, unawed by the other. 
 
 Deeming that a proper regard for the regulations adopted 
 for the government of the schools of San Francisco, as well as 
 the common school interest, demanded the removal of Mr. 
 Pelton for a flagrant infraction of those rules, and conduct un- 
 becoming the head of one of the principal schools of the city, 
 they saw fit to remove him. That the public may judge fairly 
 and impartially of the matter, and that no charge of a desire 
 to influence public opinion for ulterior purposes might be 
 urged in the premises, the publication of a full and impartial 
 history of this case, with the finding of the Committee of Inves- 
 tigation, its endorsement by the Board, and all matters bearing 
 upon the case, has been delayed until the present. Acting, as 
 they feel assured they have done, conscientiously in the prem- 
 ises, and for the best interests of the charge placed in their hands 
 by the suffrages of the citizens of San Francisco, whatever the 
 verdict of the people may have been in this case, they are 
 willing to stand by the record, and abide its final result. The 
 following statement is accordingly presented, giving the result 
 of the facts and evidence, drawn out by a long and laborious 
 investigation, suppressing nothing that is material to the issue, 
 and giving the defendant the full benefit of all testimony that 
 makes in his favor, giving no one-sided, or ex parte, statements ; 
 but endeavoring, as far as in our power, to give a fair and 
 candid review of all the facts bearing upon the material points 
 of the case. 
 
 The first evidence upon record of the antagonistic attitude 
 assumed by Mr. Pelton to the Board of Education, and his 
 efforts to detract from and weaken the influence of that body, 
 in his endeavors to make the same an object of censure and 
 public odium, appears in a series of communications and edi- 
 torial articles published in various city papers. In this de- 
 partment the gentleman certainly exhibits a zeal and industry 
 worthy a better cause; and the persistency with which he 
 flooded the papers of this city with his missives directed against 
 the Board, are alike indicative of his peculiar qualities of head 
 and heart. There is scarce a paper published here, from the
 
 highest to the lowest, that he did not seek to make the medium 
 of these continued attacks, and the organ of his self-concocted 
 malignity. When interrogated upon this matter, he confessed 
 to the authorship of seven articles of this character, which he 
 pointed out. How many more of a like character he may 
 have written, incited, or been instrumental in the publication 
 of, we are unable to determine — but that he was at the bottom 
 of the various newspaper attacks which have been made upon 
 the Board of Education during the past year, is a fact estab- 
 lished beyond dispute. A large number of these articles were 
 written at u time when Mr. Pelton was in the employ of the 
 party he was so persistently assailing, and whose influence he 
 was endeavoring to injure by this series of covert and insidious 
 attacks, thereby injuring the cause of education, which it was 
 his duty, as an employee of the Board and a principal teacher 
 of one of the public schools of this city, to sustain by all fair 
 and honorable means. His first endeavor is, by a series of direct 
 charges and speciously-worded inuendoes, to create a prejudice 
 against the Board of Education, in getting the idea before the 
 public that they are not men of families, and having no children 
 educating at the public schools, are consequently unfitted for the 
 positions they hold, as directors of the educational system of 
 our city ; and does this at the very time he was sending his own 
 children to a private school. As this matter has been the subject 
 of much discussion, both in the newspapers and upon the outside, 
 and as Mr. Pelton 's counsel, in his unwearied efibrts to make 
 "the worse appear the better reason," has studiously endeavored 
 to gloss this matter over in his remarks before the Committee, 
 and in his address to the public, covering up the specious de- 
 sign of the writer, and concealing the motive by which he was 
 actuated, we give the initial communication, which appeared in 
 the " Daily Morning Call" of April 26, 186i, that an impartial 
 public may judge of the consistency and propriety of the course 
 pursued by the writer in the premises, and the credibility of 
 his statements in point of fact. The discovery of the author- 
 ship of this communication was by the merest accident, but 
 for which the writer might for a long time have remained un- 
 known, and continued to stab his employers in the dark, 
 and direct his missiles unobserved, secure in his conceal-
 
 8 
 
 ment. A short time previous to the appearance of the article 
 we copy entire, Dr. Dodge, member of the Board from the 
 Third District, called at the Rincon School, during school 
 hours, and, as was usually the case, found the head of the in- 
 stitution absent, and away from his duties. Upon entering the 
 teacher's room and taking a seat, to await his return, his eyes 
 fell upon a paper, open, and fully exposed to public view, in 
 which, observing at first glance his own name occupying a 
 prominent position, he considered himself fully entitled to 
 read. Upon the appearance of the article in print, a few days 
 after, there could be no question as to its authorship. Upon 
 being taxed with it, Mr, Pelton admitted the fact of having 
 written it, as well as half a dozen others relating to school 
 matters : 
 
 " The Personnel of the Board of Education. — Nobody 
 will dispute the average respectability and intelligence of the 
 present Board of Education ; but, are many of them just such 
 as citizens interested in the subject would coolly select for the 
 office they fill ? "What peculiar fitness or qualification recom- 
 mends them for their position? Let us, without prejudice, 
 examine the matter a little. It will do no harm. Let us see who 
 now constitute the Board of Education, and observe what 
 their claims may be. 
 
 From the First District, we have Mr, Mastick, lumber dealer 
 — a successful, energetic business man — we believe a carpen- 
 ter by trade — an honest, good man, at any rate. But here his 
 peculiar fitness ends. He is without children. 
 
 From the Second District, J. F. Pope, well known as an 
 honest, intelligent gentleman, of fair education, and of aver- 
 age abilities. He has to recommend him, however, to his 
 present connection with our school department, what no other 
 member of the Board of Education can claim, to wit : one 
 child in the public schools of this city ! Is not this a very 
 strange circumstance ? 
 
 Dr. Dodge, an amiable, kind-hearted man, with no children, 
 represents the Third District. 
 
 The Fourth District is represented by Mr. Hitchcock, sta- 
 tioner. He is blessed with no children for the public schools. 
 
 From the Fifth District we have Mr. S. Storey, a gentleman 
 of leisure and means, of capacity and intelligence, but unfor- 
 tunately a bachelor; and so also, unfortunately, the Sixth 
 District has recently been placed in charge of Mr. Giles Gray, 
 an agreeable younfjf man, with all the needful qualifications, 
 except those most desirable — a family.
 
 9 
 
 The Seventh District is represented by Mr. Wm. G. Badger, 
 who needs not an introduction to the readers of the "Call." Our 
 only regret in this connection is, that the public schools do not 
 enjoy his patronage ! 
 
 Judge Alexander Campbell ably and honestly represents 
 the Eighth District, but we imagine* his children, if he ever 
 had any, long since graduated. 
 
 The Ninth is vacant, and to this position Mr. Superinten- 
 dent Tait recently nominated Mr. Jacob Deeth, with whose pe- 
 culiar fitness we are not aware. He sends no children to the 
 public schools. 
 
 Tenth District enjoys the earnest, honest, yet very quiet, ser- 
 vices of Mr. Widber, druggist. When Mr. W. has subjects of 
 liis own for the development of his educational talents — those 
 which will exert a personal and immediate interest in the 
 schools under his care — he will make a good School Director. 
 Such he has not yet, however. 
 
 Eleventh District sends to the Board Mr. M. Lynch, Secre- 
 tary of the Fire Department and President of the Board of 
 Education. He is a gentleman well qualified for his import- 
 ant position, except in the essential — a family and children. 
 Such he has not yet, however. 
 
 Twelfth District, Mr. D. Lunt, and unfortunately the same 
 objection holds against the latter as to the former. 
 
 Now, in re-examining the above list, what do we find? A 
 Board of Education, consisting of twelve gentlemen, elected 
 with special reference to their peculiar fitness for the discharge 
 of the most important duties devolving upon any officers un- 
 der the Government — the proper education of the people's 
 children — about three-fourths of whom are without children or 
 fiimilies — the whole twelve of whom patronize and bless the 
 Public School Department with which they are associated, and 
 for which they are now laboring, with one — just one — pupil? 
 Is this right? A set of bachelors and married men, without 
 families, in charge of the children of the community ?" 
 
 So far from the charges contained in the foregoing commu- 
 nication being true, in point of fact, nine out of the eleven 
 members of the Board of Education, at the time of its publi- 
 cation, were married men — the bare-faced statements and cun- 
 ningly-worded inuendoes of the Principal of the Rincon School 
 to the contrary notwithstanding. Setting aside the indelicacy 
 of an employee of the Board — a teacher of one of the public 
 schools subject to its government — resorting to the low subter- 
 fuges of an anonymous newspaper scribbler, to covertly attack,
 
 10 
 
 villify, ridicule and defame that body, Mr. Pelton is convicted 
 upon his own confession, he having acknowledged the author- 
 ship of this and a half dozen other anonymous newspaper 
 articles — of publishing a wilful and deliberate falsehood, that he 
 might lower that body in the public estimation to subserve his 
 own selfish and sinister ends. If such is the rnan who is to 
 be held up to the youth educating in our public schools as an 
 exemplar in morals and a model of correct deportment, then 
 indeed have we fallen upon evil times. 
 
 In order to show his own view of the character of his arti- 
 cle above given, and the others written by him, and the mo- 
 tives which induced him to write and publish them, we here 
 present his answer to the chairman of the committee, Mr. 
 Lunt, who hud been directed to ask him for an explanation of 
 his conduct in the matter. 
 
 His answer is characteristic of the man, and needs only to 
 be placed side by side with the above article in order to show 
 his entire unworthiness of belief on any question in the result 
 of which he is personally interested : 
 
 D. LcKT, Esq. — 
 
 Dear Sir: — I am in receipt of your note in behalf of the Ciinvassing Commiltee, 
 requesting me "to inform" said committee "what articles I have published in 
 regard to the Hon. Board of Education: " cilso, requesting me " to furnish a copy 
 of said articles," and " to state the motives which prompted me in writing them." 
 
 In answer. I beg to say that your requ3sts, prompted, as I am sure they are, 
 by kind intentions and feelings toward myself, are hereby very readily and cheer- 
 fully complied with. 
 
 Your inquiries I presume, have reference, only, to those articles of recent date. 
 During the past month, I have written for publication, several short and unimpor- 
 tant communications, on various school topics. These have all appeared in the 
 "Morning Call" from which they have t)een clipped, and are hereby placed at 
 your service. I have also designated them in the scrap book kept in ihe Super- 
 intendent's office, and should you so desire, Mr. Tait will point them out to you ; 
 but I think they will scarcely repay your perusal. 
 
 In all the articles in question I have, as you will perceive, twice alluded to the 
 Hon. Board of Education, and once referred to the gentlemen composing the same. 
 I beg you to carefully note the language of these references, and obtain correct 
 ideas as to the spirit which prompted each and all of them. If you wonld cor- 
 rectly understand the spirit and intent of them, please consider them as a whole. 
 When you have done this, gentlemen, I feel assured that you will at once acquit 
 me of, at least, all intentional wrong toward any one; of anything approaching 
 hostility, disrespect, or discourtesy toward the Hon. Board of Educaiijn or any 
 member thereof; all such motives and feelings I can, and do hereby, most sin- 
 cerely and truly disclaim, not only in relation to the matter in question, but in re- 
 gard to all my acts and intercourse with and motives toward said Board and its 
 members, since it has been my privilege and pleasure to be connected with the 
 School Department. Nothing but feelings of the utmost kindness and respect 
 have ever, or do now, or as I trust, will ever actuate me. Xo man can instance 
 an act or word of mine not in accordance herewith.
 
 11 * 
 
 As to the particular motive or inteution of each of the several articles submitted 
 to j'Oii, I can Hcarcely suppose you intend to in([uire ; I have, however, spol^en of 
 the whole matter to several members of your committee, as well as to yourself, 
 with entire frankness. I doubt not you or other gentlemen of your committee 
 will, if necessary, be kind euougli to more particularly explain anj'thing I may 
 have herein omitted. I ask no apology from you or from any other friend in your 
 committee, but a full and fair exposition of circumstances and facts regarding any 
 of my acta. I certainly feel that I need nothing more with the gentlemen com- 
 posing your committee, or with the Hon. Board of Education. 
 
 I remain, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of Canvassing Committtee, with due re- 
 spect, your obedient servant, J. C. Pelton. 
 
 May IGth, 1864. 
 
 Mr. Pelton's next move exhibits his utter disregard of the 
 rules adopted by the Board for the government of the schools, 
 and of that strict line of discipline and conduct which it is so 
 essential that a teacher in the public schools, of all others, 
 should observe to the letter, that he may, by his example, im- 
 press its importance upon the pupils under his charge. Being 
 made fully and painfully aware of the evil results attending 
 the holding of public festivals by the School Department, in 
 which outside parties were allowed to participate without dis- 
 crimination, and from which it is impossible to exclude im- 
 proper characters, a regulation was adopted, peremptorily pro- 
 hibiting the holding of any festival or exhibition^ except upon 
 permission obtained from the Board for such purpose. No 
 more cogent reason for the adoption of this stringent rule 
 would be given than that enunciated by the counsel for the 
 defense in this case, in his special pleading to his "jury of the 
 people," assembled to hear his harangue on the eve of the late 
 municipal election. In the course of his remarks, exhibiting 
 his desire to earn the five hundred dollar fee, contingent upon 
 the election of his client, speaking of some of these prohibi- 
 ted festivals, he stated that at some of them "the most noto- 
 rious libertines of the town were seen whirling with school 
 girls in the giddy mazes of the dance." The necessity for the 
 adoption of such a rule, and the importance of its strict ob- 
 servance and stringent enforcement, must be fully apparent to 
 every one at all conversant with the circumstances, and from 
 his long years of experience, claiming as he does to be the 
 pioyieer (?) teacher of San Francisco, no one could have been 
 more fully aware of this fact than Mr. Pelton. Without com- 
 pliance with the provisions of this rule, and in direct opposi-
 
 % 12 
 
 tioD to its plain prohibition, he advertises in the newspapers of 
 the day a public excursion of schools, appending to the notice 
 of invitation the names of other teachers, not one of whom 
 ever authorized or sanctioned the use of their names in such 
 connection. The appearance of this public notice on the 28th 
 of May, 1864, was the first intimation had by the Board of 
 Mr. Pelton's extraordinary procedure in this matter. At the 
 instance of Mr. Badger, the Director from the Seventh Dis- 
 trict and Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Regulations, 
 a special meeting was called April 29th, 1864, to take the 
 affair into consideration. All the members were present, ex- 
 cept those from the Tenth and Twelfth Districts, the vacancy 
 in the Ninth District not having been filled. At this meeting 
 the following resolution, which, with the notice appended 
 thereto, was published in the papers of the next day, was 
 unanimously adopted: 
 
 Resolved^ That the following notice shall be published in 
 the morning papers, and in the " Evening Bulletin " of Satur- 
 day, Sunday and Monday next: 
 
 Notice. — The Board of Education have not, in any manner, 
 authorized the excursion of the Public Schools, advertised to 
 take place on Monday, May 2d, 1864, to Redwood City. 
 
 At the same meeting the Chairman, Mr. Badger, the Super- 
 intendent of Schools, and President of the Board, were ap- 
 pointed a Committee of Investigation. This Committee accord- 
 ingly reported at a subsequent meeting, held the ensuing week, 
 presenting communications from all the other Grammar Mas- 
 ters, whose names had been appended to the notice of this 
 excursion, stating that they had nothing whatever to do with 
 the affair, and that their names, as well as those of their schools, 
 had been used by Mr. Pelton without their knowledge and 
 consent ; which statements they afterward, upon examination, 
 verified in open Board, upon which they were exonerated from 
 all blame in this connection. As Mr. Pelton, after the publica- 
 tion of the foregoing notice by the Board, disapproving his 
 action in the premises, persisted in carrying out his original 
 design, thus publicly setting the authority of his superiors at 
 defiance ; they considered it alike due to their own self-respect, 
 and the vindication of the rules adopted by them for the gov-
 
 13 
 
 ernmcnt of the schools, that their infraction in this case de- 
 served a public rebuke, and the following resolution of cen- 
 sure was accordingly passed. 
 
 Whereas, Mr. J. C. Pelton, at present a Grammar Master, 
 has been charged with violating Section 12, of miscellaneous 
 rules, by holding, or causing to be held at Redwood City, on 
 the 2d of May, 1864, a pic nic and festival, and has been 
 called upon to show cause why he should not be considered 
 guilty as charged, and has rendered his answer in writing, 
 which answer having been read in open Board, and considered 
 insufficient, therefore : 
 
 Resolved^ That the said J. C. Pelton, is hereby adjudged 
 guilty of violation of said Section 12, of Rules, and is hereby 
 publicly censured by the Board for violating the rules. 
 
 In his answer referred to in the foregoing preamble, among 
 other things Mr. Pelton says : " I then did have some commu- 
 nication with the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and 
 Regulations ; also, with the Director of my District^ and one or 
 two other members of the Board of Education. From all 
 these gentlemen I thought I received a cordial endorsement of 
 my proposed excursion, and certainly, neither of them intima- 
 ted the necessity of the formal action of the Board of Educa- 
 tion, and hence, if from no other reason, I presumed there was 
 none ; I, with other teachers, enjoyed an excursion and pic nic 
 with my pupils, last year, just as I have this, except as to ex- 
 tent, and without any previous action of the Board of Educa- 
 tion." 
 
 So far as the implied consent of the Chairman of the Com- 
 mittee on Rules and Regulations conveyed in the loregoing 
 statement is concerned, we have shown that that gentleman 
 took the initiative in calling the Board together to repudiate 
 Mr. Pelton's action, in every particular ; and as for obtaining 
 the consent of the Director of his district, there was no such 
 personage at that time in existence, there being a vacancy in the 
 Ninth District, which was not filled until the appointment of 
 Mr. Thompson, on May 18th, 186-4, some weeks after (see Mr. 
 Pelton's "Personnel.") The excursion or pic nic, which Mr. 
 Pelton says, he with other teachers enjoyed with his pupils 
 the year previous, was a widely different affair from his public 
 excursion to Redwood City. Had the grammar master of
 
 14 
 
 Rincon school, or any other teacher simply desired to go 
 quietly and without a public parade, upon an excursion or 
 pic nic with the members of his school, no possible objection 
 could or would have been made by the Board; but when, 
 without consultation with, or authority from them, he gets up, 
 and advertises with a grand flourish in flaming terms in the 
 newspapers, an excursion of the Public Schools to which all 
 creation is invited, making an unauthorized use of the names 
 of other grammar masters, and other schools, and by impli- 
 cation the name of the Public School Department to give char- 
 acter to his ovation, they considered it due alike to the author- 
 ity vested in them, and the interests of the Department under 
 their direction and control, to publicly censure such glaring 
 and flagrant insubordination. Mr. Pelton, in the concluding 
 portion of his answer, lays considerable stress upon the fact, 
 that there is nothing in the Manuel prohibiting in direct words, 
 an "excursion" or "picnic." 
 
 In the same writer's letter to the Examining Committee, 
 which will be found in another portion of this exjyose, he frankly 
 admits that he ^^ failed in Algebra, and did Utile better in Arith- 
 metic.^^ In his endeavors to make it appear that an " excur- 
 sion" or " pic nic " is not n festival, he exhibits an equal want 
 of knowledge in the department of Philology; the youngest 
 pupiljthat attended on this occasion, might well have taught him 
 that the terms are synonomous, and their strict meaning identi- 
 cally one and the same. That the very objections which called 
 into existence this vitally important rule, prohibiting festivals 
 and excursions except with permission of the Board, and which 
 were portrayed in such glowing colors by Mr. Pelton's counsel 
 on the occasion referred to, existed in all their force on the oc- 
 casion of this pic nic; we need but quote the following ex- 
 tract from a description of the affair which appeared in the 
 columns of a city paper the morning after, giving in italics, 
 those portions which more fully define its character : 
 
 " Getting out of the dry and dust}' city, and seeing the old 
 oaks, green fields, and timber covered mountains, one feels al- 
 most enthusiastic over the country. It is charming, it is mag- 
 nificent. The spot chosen on this occasion, the shady old oaks 
 with their gnarled boughs, here hung with moss, and there
 
 15 
 
 with mistletoe ; the elder trees in bloom, and the fragrant bay 
 trees; the green sward underfoot; the hillsides on one side, 
 covered with stately redwood trees, and on the other, the Con- 
 tra Costa mountains, with Mount Diablo looming up in the. far 
 distance behind them, all was grand. It was just the place to 
 spend a warm sunny day stretched at ease " under the greenwood 
 tree^"* or lunching in a merry company, or strolling off into more 
 retired portions of the grove^ or romping with the children in 
 their games, or dancing on the well prepared floor, each one fol- 
 lowed his or her inclination, and each one found pleasure at hand. 
 "There were family circles, here were lovers^ rambles^ ihere 
 were children's frolics. In a word everything was as well ar- 
 ranged, and passed off with as much satisfaction as possible." 
 
 In view of this description of the affair, need it excite sur- 
 prise in the community that so much was said about the im- 
 morality existing in the Rincon School, of which the public 
 were apprised about two months thereafter ; and, as is it not 
 probable that the origin of it, could be traced in part if not 
 wholly in this very violation of the rules and regulations of 
 the department, by the Principal of that school? 
 
 We leave the matter in the hands of the thoughtful, to pon- 
 der over at their leisure. 
 
 Before dismissing this subject we would state, that although 
 May parties and social gatherings had been held in times past, 
 by the various schools, none such was ever held without per- 
 mission having first been obtained from the Board by the 
 teacher having charge of the same. 
 
 Next, and for the sake of historical succession, we review 
 the charges in this case, not in the order in which they stand, 
 as they are preferred, but according to their chronological 
 dates, we come to the Rincon School examination, in May, 
 1864, which has occupied no small degree of attention from 
 the press and the public. In this matter, the Grammar Mas- 
 ter and Principal of the School plays a part, alike disgraceful 
 to a man holding his position, detrimental to his pupils, and 
 the interests of public education, resorting as he does to sub- 
 terfuge to cover up his delinquency, and prevarication to pal- 
 liate his offense. In order to judge by comparison of the pro- 
 gress of the Public Schools of San Francisco, by contrast with 
 the most prominent and successful in the Atlantic cities, the
 
 Examining Committee of the Board, after having prepared 
 questions for the examination, determined to adopt tha 
 questions contained in the report of the Cincinnati Common 
 Schools, their reputation being among the highest in this de- 
 partment of popular education in the East. Mr. Pel ton, 
 through his former superintendency, was in the receipt of a 
 copy of this report, and it appears from his own admissions, as 
 well as the testimony of the pupils, that he dictated the ques- 
 tions contained in it to his school to copy, which copies they 
 retained, and that a number were allowed to take the book 
 home with them. To verify this more fully we give the tes- 
 timony of some of Mr. Pelton's pupils in relation to this essen- 
 tially important matter : 
 
 Testimony taken at the State Normal School Building hy George 
 2aitj at the request of the Committee, at which tuo members were 
 present at the Investigation. 
 Statement of Miss Barnard, one of the pupils of the Rincon School: 
 
 My number Id the last examination (of Rincon Grammar ^chcol), was 35. I 
 obtained 49 per cent, of correct answers at the examination. 
 
 Quesiiou. — What was the reason of your faihire in the examination? 
 
 Answer. — I know as much as many who passed the examination; but you 
 know a great many cheated; they talked to each other; as soon as one would 
 find out the answers they would communicate. I saw ihe questions (printed for 
 the examination), before the examination took place. I can bring the copy I 
 made of these questions when at school, and also a copy of t e answers to these 
 questions. I have the questions on Ariihmetia G.ammar and 11 story." 
 
 Q. — Did Mr. Pelton say anylliing to your class in regard to the questions alter 
 the class had discovered that they were the same that you had had, before the 
 examination? 
 
 A.— He said, " 1 told you it might be to your benefit to study." 
 
 Miss Sophie Cadt. — I have been a member of the first class one year. I got 
 42^ per cent, in tiie examination. 
 
 Q. — Was any injustice done you in the examination? 
 
 A. — Yes; some girls studied the " Cincinnati Report ; " several scholars com- 
 municated; I copied tiie questions used in the examination, took them home, and 
 have not looked at them since examination. 
 
 Miss A. Sawyeb (No. 55 in the examination ) — I got fifty-one credits in exam- 
 ination ; have been one year in the class ; I saw several of the class whispering ; 
 the Examiner and Teacher could have seen them ; I had the questions out of the 
 " Cincinnati Report,' which I copied from the dictation of Mr. Pelton; I found out 
 the answers to them at home. 
 
 Q. — Did any of the class say anything when the questions were first given out 
 and recognized ? 
 
 A. — Yes; they said, " Oh, we've had them before!" I recollect having seen the 
 Grammar and History questions before they were given out at the High School 
 Examination; one of the girls took the 'Cincinnati Report" home and studied the 
 questions ; after we found out that (hat look was going to be used, other girls 
 asked Mr. Pelton if they, too, might not have the use of the book? Mr. Pelton re- 
 plied, "Wait until she (Carrie Hook) is through with it J"
 
 17 
 
 With this proof before the committee as to the questions 
 from the " Cincinnati Keport" having been used in the Rin. 
 con School, and in order to allow Mr. Pelton to explain the 
 matter, a communication was addressed to him by Mr. Gray, 
 chairman of the Committee on High Schools, asking him to 
 inform the committee if any unfair means were used by his 
 pupils at the late examination, so far as his knowledge ex- 
 tended ; and also, whether he was aware of any reason why 
 the examination was less severe to his scholars than to those of 
 either of the other Grammar Schools. 
 
 To this plain and direct inquiry, and with the full know- 
 ledge before him of the use made by his scholars of these 
 questions, but apparently not supposing that the members of 
 the Board had been informed of this fact, he replied in a 
 lengthy letter, saying that no unfoir means had been used by 
 them so far as he was aware, and that no reason existed why 
 the examination was less severe to them than to the scholars 
 of the other Grammar Schools, except their previous drilling^ 
 and wound up by complaining that he thought his pupils had 
 not had as fair a chance at the examination as those of some 
 of the other schools! 
 
 Afterward, when the matter was brought before the Board 
 for investigation, and the proof there adduced to show the un- 
 fairness of the examination in his school, and the great advan- 
 tage thereby obtained by his pupils, was so full, direct, and 
 overwhelming that it was useless for him longer to deny it; 
 he then admitted that he had dictated some of the questions 
 to his pupils to copy previous to the examination, which they 
 had done, yet he protested against a re-examination of his 
 class, and with that nice and accurate sense of justice for which 
 he is noted, contended that they had only received the infini- 
 tesimal benefit of one eighth of one per cent/ 
 
 "While Mr. Pelton may have been at the outset unaware of 
 the selection of these questions by the Committee, after the 
 fact was made known to him, he failed to communicate the 
 knowledge of the use which he had made of this report, and 
 during the progress of the examination allowed the book to 
 remain on his desk, for consultation by his pupils, to refresh
 
 18 
 
 their memories, thus giving them an unfair advantage over 
 those of the other schools. The consequences of the advan- 
 tage thus surreptitiously obtained were, that Mr. Pelton's school 
 came through the examination with flying colors, bearing away 
 the palm from the others — the Rincon School presenting by 
 far the largest number of candidates for High School honors, 
 was, of course, trumpeted forth as the model of the depart- 
 ment, and its principal the most successful of teachers. It 
 coming to the knowledge of the Board, through the complaints 
 of the pupils attending the other schools, that Mr. Pelton's 
 scholars had had the advantage over them, and they had not 
 been fairly dealt with in the premises, the Board, as an act of 
 justice to all concerned — to the pupils deprived of this advan- 
 tage, to themselves, and the public at large interested in the 
 matter — proceeded promptly to investigate the affair, and the 
 foregoing facts being elicited upon examination of both pupils 
 and teachers, they decided that the only reparation that could 
 be made in the premises, was to order a re-examination of Mr. 
 Pelton's class, which that gentleman most vehemently opposed, 
 claiming that the benefit derived by his pupils from this pre- 
 vious drilling in the questions that were used on the final ex- 
 amination, did not amount to more than one eighth of one per 
 cent. In order to cover up his own tergiversation and petty 
 little fraud, so innocently perpetrated in allowing this game to 
 be practised, winking the while at the advantage taken of 
 pupils not similarly favored, he, with that want of candor and 
 fair-dealing which has characterised his entire connection with 
 the Public Schools from first to last, endeavored to palliate this 
 fragrant outrage upon the rights of the pupils of the other 
 schools, as well as the good name and standing of the entire 
 department, by the base and unfounded charge that other 
 teachers had had copies of the "Cincinnati Report," and that their 
 pupils had had like access to, and availed themselves of the 
 information contained in its pages. This charge, like all simi- 
 lar ones emanating from the same source, was proved upon in- 
 vestigation to be the coinage of its author's brain, so fertile in 
 expedient, and apt in excuse, when detected in practices alike 
 unbecoming a man of truth and candor, and a teacher, and
 
 19 
 
 head of a scbool, who is presumed to present to the pupils un- 
 der his charge, in his daily walks and conversation, a model 
 of correct deportment and fair dealing for their study and in- 
 formation. 
 
 While upon this subject, we would state that the charge 
 against the Principal of the Rincon School of encouraging by 
 his own daily example the practice of falsehood, hypocrisy 
 and deceit, were fully sustained by the evidence. In order to 
 render the ordeal less trying and avoid any mortification to 
 either scholars or their parents, that might arise from a failure 
 to stand the test, the questions used upon this second exami- 
 nation were about of the same tenor and grade as those pre- 
 viously used. Notwithstanding this, certain city papers in the 
 interest oi tho, persecuted patriot Pelton, and for whose columns 
 he devoted that time to writing lampoons and concocting com- 
 munications bespattering his employers, that was due to his 
 contract with them as a teacher, abused the Board roundly 
 for practising this act of simple justice to all parties concerned. 
 
 This would-he victim of tyranny and oppression, has been 
 ^alike successful in his employment of that mightier weapon 
 "in the hands of men entirely great" — than the sword — " the 
 gray goose quill ;" and the oily tongue of the counsel allowed 
 by the courtesy of the committee, to conduct his defense be- 
 fore them, and who, to render the payment of his fee secure 
 beyond peradventure, bj^ the election of his client to the office 
 of Superintendent of Schools, adjourned the argument of the 
 case from before the committee to what he was pleased to term 
 "a jury of the public," assembled at Piatt's Hall the night 
 preceding the late municipal election. In this solemn farce, 
 in which, so far as both clitnt and counsel were concerned, 
 and which might, in common parlance, be truly styled a '^free 
 blow,^^ the latter, with a substantial background of " platform 
 statuary" — the stage being set with a special eye to scenic, if 
 not moral, effect — " the victim of systematic persecution," 
 whose fancied wrongs were portrayed in such glowing colors 
 on the occasion, forming the key -stone to the human arch, was 
 intensely edified, doubtless, at his advocates' lucid explanation 
 of his answer to the question concerning the angle of the axis
 
 20 
 
 of the earth with the plane of its orbit, and the recital of the 
 imaginary injuries he had received from those whose forbear- 
 ance he had abused, and at whom, with the cowardice of the 
 midnight assassin, and lacking the boldness of the bravo, he 
 had aimed his malignant missive, and hurled his pointless 
 shafts, secure, as he supposed, until detected in his nefarious 
 practices, in his hiding place behind the teacher's desk. Until 
 these wrongs were depicted in such glowing colors on this oc- 
 casion, their victim was doubtless unaware of the extent of the 
 injury that had been done him — like the suitor, who, upon 
 hearing the eloquent harangue of his paid counsel, reciting his 
 grievances, burst into tears in open court, exclaiming that he 
 really " had not known how much he had suffered until he had 
 heard his lawyer plead his cause." As was the case with his 
 defense of the Southern Confederacy pirates, the counsel labored 
 most assiduously to torture facts and distort evidence, that he 
 might, with his usual adaptability to any case, make "the 
 worse appear the better reason." He waxed eloquent over 
 the ruthless oppression of his client by the tyrannical Board of 
 Education, and their dismissal of him for his ungentlemanly' 
 deportment, unmanly conduct, incompetency, and, above all, 
 practices grossly outraging morality, and in the highest degree 
 unbecoming a teacher of the youth of our schools. We will 
 here state that, unwilling to damage his professional reputa- 
 tion and jeopardize his chances for employment elsewhere, the 
 Board forbore the public expose which j ustice alike to themselves 
 and the public, compels us now to make of the facts called 
 out by this investigation, demanded by Mr. Pelton himself. 
 His counsel, in his Bombastes Furioso effort at Piatt's Hall, 
 charged that, like "sleuth-hounds," the Board of Education 
 had hunted his client down, and sought his ruin, when his 
 little family were suffering, and the wolf was at his door. 
 Now, although not brought out directly in this investigation, 
 but since this side issue has been opened up by counsel, we 
 are prepared to show, from the records of the Department, 
 that Mr. Pelton has drawn, in times gone by, some thousands 
 of dollars from the public school fund, surreptitiously obtain- 
 ing, in one instance, a large amount in coin, which was in re»''
 
 21 
 
 ity due only in scriij) and so far from the gaunt wolf being at 
 his door, the loolf in sheep's clothing was really inside, licking 
 his chaps over a mutton chop, and laughing at the success of 
 the numerous little artful dodges he had played off. In the 
 course of his remarks before the Committee of Investigation, 
 Mr. Pixley, on more than one occasion, spoke of the corrections 
 administered to himself in his school-boy days by the knight 
 of the birch and ferrule. Ilis course throughout this whole 
 matter shows his need o^ further corrections^ and we accordingly 
 administer a corrective in the following extract from the report 
 of the Superintendent of Schools of February 28th, 1852, as 
 verified by the records of the Department : 
 
 " I find also that divers warrants have been paid out of these 
 tax moneys for purposes not recognized by the charter, nor 
 by tjhe ordinance creating the Free Common Schools; for old 
 debts due only in city scrip, and for the payment whereof in 
 scrijy provision had been made. 
 "August 12th, 1851, Warrant issued to J. C. Pel- 
 ton, and paid October 20th $500 00 
 
 " September 5th, 1851, Warrant issued to J. C. Pel- 
 ton, and paid January 5th, 1852 877 42 
 
 "October 1st, 1851, Warrant issued to J. C. Pelton, 
 
 and paid January 27th, 1852 500 00 
 
 "December 8th, 1851,^^ Warrant issued to J. C. Pel- 
 ton, and paid January 27th, 1852 500 00 
 
 " Total, $2, 177 42 
 
 " All this amount has been improperly paid out of the moneys 
 paid into the ' Free Common School Fund,' from the collec- 
 tion of the Free School Taxes, for services rendered long be- 
 fore that tax was ordered, and in open violation of the provi- 
 sions of the Free School Ordinance." 
 
 In addition to his long service as the Pioneer Teacher of 
 San Francisco, Mr. Pelton has also been Superintendent of the 
 State Reform School, and has more recently declined the ofl'er 
 of temporary Superintendent of the Industrial School of this 
 city; without being exactly aware of the institution at which 
 he received his early training, if it was one of the same char- 
 acter of either of these, his conduct reflects but little credit 
 upon the system pursued.
 
 23 
 
 The following letter from Mr. Pelton to the Superintendent 
 of Public Schools, in relation to the employment of Mr. Lit- 
 tlefield by the Board as Sub-Master of the Rincon School, in 
 order to allow its Principal more time to parade himself on the 
 streets, to electioneer^ and r/e^ up his papers^ will explain itself, 
 and needs no further introduction or comment: 
 
 San Fraxcisco, August 2d, 1864. 
 To Vie Superintendent of Public Schools, and Committee on 
 
 Rules and Regulations of the Hon. the Board of Education : 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 I deem it but a duty which I owe myself as well as my school, its patrons and 
 pupils, to state to you that I feel it to be simply impossible for one man to effi- 
 ciently and successfully perform the duties now required by the Manual of the 
 Principal of a school, such as that under my charge has now become. 
 
 To faithfully teach a class of from forl}'-five to fifty young gentlemen and ladies, 
 such as compose our first grammar clusses, is enough to tax tbo energies, of any 
 one, however steady his nerves or sound iiis constitution. 
 
 To attend to the suitable classification of pupils entering, and the proper in- 
 struction of a grammnr school numbering five hundred or more children and 
 youth ; to see that the instruction given in all the various classes, and in the sev- 
 eral grades has unity, and is in concert and harmony with the general system of 
 advancement, promotion, and graduation adopted by the Hon. Board of Education, 
 and required bj- them to bo properly carried out; to become familiar with the 
 circumstances of pupHs at home by visiting them there, and by such "frequent" 
 visits, securing the co-operation of parents and guardians in behalf of their chil- 
 dren and wards; to listen to the greivances, complaints, and requests of parents, 
 teachers, and pupils; to attend to the daily, and almost liourly wants of teachers, 
 and decide and act upon their appeals in matters of discipline, etc., constantly 
 arising in a school so large as that uuder my care ; to keep tlie necessary records 
 and make the required reports, and finally, to do and attend to the one thousand 
 duties which cannot be easily stated, but of which you can conceive, as indispen- 
 sable in a large grammar school in this city is also, without teaching much, enough 
 to full.v occupy one man's time and thoughts, and employ his unflagging energies; 
 but to faithful!}' and with good success to teach the Principal's class of fifty pupils, 
 and ill addition perform these other important and indispensable imperfectl}' enu- 
 merated above, (not one of which should be omitted) I repeat is an impossibility, 
 in my opinion. Wherefore, I most respectfully beg through you, the appointment 
 in my school, of a special assistant (gentleman preferred) or lady. 
 
 Respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 J. C. Peltox. 
 
 Dismissing this subject, we come next to the examination of 
 teachers, about which considerable has been said, both in the 
 papers and by Mr. Pelton's counsel. In his letter to the Ex- 
 amining Committee, which will be found in the report of the 
 Committee of Investigation, under the specious plea of illness, 
 that person admits that he '^failed in algebra, and did hut little 
 better in arithmetic^ His disease was really a mental and moral, 
 rather than physical illnes.s, caused by the fear of failure and 
 consequent rejection at this examination. His plea forcibly 
 reminds us of that of the writer of a letter, who, by way of
 
 23 
 
 • 
 
 excusing its errors of orthography, remarked that he "had 
 such a cold in his head, he couldn't spell at all, at all !" as well 
 as another of a Senator from one of the rural districts, in the 
 early days of California legislation, who, when ridiculed by a 
 colleague for his wholesale murder of " the King's English," 
 excused the fault by saying that '^ owing to the loss of some of 
 his front teeth, there were a great many words he could not pro- 
 nounce correctly ! " 
 
 After the examination, Mr. Pelton, feeling very naturally 
 nervous over the answer he had made to a question in physi- 
 cal geography, inquired of two of his fellow candidates, 
 Messrs. Marks and McGlynn, how they answered the follow- 
 ing interrogatory : " What angle does .the axis of the earth 
 make with the plane of its orbit ?" Learning from this con- 
 versation that he had given an erroneous answer to this ques- 
 tion, with his accustomed adroitness and adaptability in extri- 
 cating himself from every dilemma in which he is placed, he 
 forthwith addresses a note to Professor Minns, stating that, 
 upon reflection, he was satisfied his answer was incorrect, ren- 
 dering at the same time the true solution, giving his solemn 
 assurance that he had, since the examination, consulted neither 
 looks or individuals in relation to the matter — upon the strength 
 of which he was credited with the correct answer, and his per- 
 centage accordingly raised, making a very material advance in 
 his aggregate credits. This is but another evidence of the 
 many instances of the persistent prevarication and studied sub- 
 terfuge resorted to on all occasions by this persecuted, pure and 
 immaculate model, who claims to be the pioneer in the cause of 
 education here, and is held up by a common lawyer as the 
 head and front of the San Francisco common schools. The 
 proof being clear and conclusive that the certificate awarded 
 him under these circumstances was in part obtained by fraud, 
 what unprejudiced mind will deny the right and justice of its 
 revocation by the Board? 
 
 At the time of the discovery of certain immoral practices 
 among the pupils of the Kincon School, Mr. Pelton signifying 
 to the Board his desire to ferret out and bring to punishment 
 the vendors of obscene publications, leave of absence was
 
 24 
 
 given him for a short time, during which he, with commenda- 
 ble zeal and industry, aided by an efficient police detailed to 
 assist him, succeeded m capturing and confiscating a quantity 
 of those contraband articles, which had been so instrumental 
 in poisoning the youthful mind, and corrupting a prurient im- 
 agination, clandestinely permitted to feed on such unwhole- 
 some mental aliment. The time required for this service was a 
 little less than three weeks, for which term Mr. Littlefield was 
 employed and paid by the Board, to supply Mr. Pelton's place. 
 Judge Shepherd, and the policemen who assisted Mr. Pelton in 
 this laudable undertaking, being called for the defense, testi- 
 fied that the time really occupied in the business was but about 
 eight days — notwithstanding which Mr. Pelton took advantage 
 of the three weeks of absence allowed him. At the expira- 
 tion of this leave, finding it much pleasanter to range around 
 the town, stand on the streets to button-hole passers-by — no 
 matter whom — to sign his "pioneer" documents, Mr. Pelton 
 continues Mr. Littlefield — whom he wished to place in the po- 
 sition of sub-master of the Rincon School — for three weeks 
 longer, with the assurance that if the Board of Education did 
 not sanction the authorized employment, he would himself pay 
 the salary due for this time. The Board, not being bound 
 either in law or equity to pay this bill, and unwilling to set so 
 dangerous and unwarranted a precedent, refused to allow Mr. 
 Littlefield for any longer time than that they had authorized. 
 During this time Mr. Pelton absented himself from his school 
 on his own private business, entirely distinct from his vocation 
 as a teacher, or that of the Department of Public Schools. 
 Upon the refusal of the Board to audit and allow Mr. Little- 
 field's bill for this unauthorized time — he having been notified 
 by the Superintendent of Schools that if he continued he must 
 look to Mr. Pelton for his pay — that gentleman refuses to give 
 him the amount due, and at the time of this investigation Mr. 
 Littlefield testified that the bill for this extra three weeks still 
 remained due and unpaid. As the municipal election has since 
 intervened, it is possible that the matter may have been ami- 
 cably adjusted. In canvassing this affair, it was proven by 
 the testimony of numerous witnesses — teachers, pupils and
 
 25 
 
 visitors — that Mr. Pclton was absent at times when he 
 should have been attending to his duties as a teacher. His 
 particuhar business at such times appears to have been getting 
 signers to his certificate, that he, and he only, was the pioneer 
 pedagogue of the city of San Francisco, State of California, and 
 perhaps of the entire Pacific coast. This certificate, with nu- 
 merous letters from our first men, which he " doctored " up to his 
 own standard, he publishes in pamphlet form, under the title of 
 " Origin of the Public Schools of San Francisco," which was 
 at first advertised for sale at the bookstores, but which for a 
 few days before the election was distributed gratuitously on 
 the streets, in hotels, bar rooms and railroad cars, with this 
 ticket on the title page — ^^ From J. C. Pelton" — "Origin OP 
 THE Public Schools of San Francisco." 
 
 In order that the public may understand this matter cor- 
 rectly, we here present Mr. Littlefield's statement as made to- 
 the Investigating Committee, to wit : 
 
 San Francisco, May 13th, 1865. 
 To Committee on Pelion Investigation : 
 
 Gentlemen: — I was seut by Mr. Tait, July 13th, 1864, to take charge of a 
 class (fourth grade) iu the basemept of Rincon School, two and one half (2i) 
 days, to which class Miss Ilobart was afterward appointed. 
 
 The following Monday, July IStli, I was directed by the Superintendent to take 
 charge of the first class, Mr. Pelton's, and to remain in charge " until fuither or- 
 ders." I remained there three (3) weeks, and at the expiration of that time, was 
 informed by Mr. Tait, that Mr. Pelton would resume the duties of his school, and 
 that I should not be any longer wanted. I went back to Mr. John Swett's office, 
 where I had been working previous to my teaching for Mr. Pelton. I remamed 
 in Mr. Swett's office one or two days and Mr. Pelton came or sent for me to come 
 and teach for him. 
 
 He said he would like to have me assist him the remainder of the term, and 
 thought we might get the Board to favor my appointment as assistant, and ad- 
 vised me to consult with the Committee on Rules and Regulations, of which Mr. 
 Badger was chairman. Mr. Badger informed me that " so far as he had any au- 
 thority," he was perfectly willing; but advised mo to see the other members of 
 that committee, mentioning Mr. Hitchcock whom I immediately saw and ob- 
 tained his consent. Mr. Thompson, the other member of that committee, I did 
 not see. In the meantime I saw Mr. Tait, and he peremptorily refused to sanction 
 my remaining there. 
 
 The consent which I obtained from that committee, did not fully satisfy me that 
 I should recover my compensation for my services, and I went after a few days 
 teaching for Mr. Pelton back to Mr. Swett's office. 
 
 I did this as often as three (3) times, but a day or half day would elapse when 
 Mr. Pelton would come or send for me. 
 
 I finally consented to remain with him until the close of Che term, by his prom- 
 ising to compensate me if the Board would not. I remained in his school and 
 took almost exclusive charge of his class (one week he not making his appearance 
 at all,) until the close of the term. 
 
 Yours, very truly, J. D. Littlefield. 
 
 We have shown that the overwhelming testimony brought
 
 to sustain the charges against Mr. Pelton, fully justifies the 
 verdict of the Board in finding him guilty of off'enses alike 
 against good morals and manners, any one of which should dis- 
 qualify him for the posiiion of the teacher of youth, whose 
 duty it is to look up to their principal, not only as a model in 
 their educational, but their moral training. Mr. Pelton is self* 
 convicted upon his own admissions, of covertly attacking the 
 Board and Department as an anonymous scribbler, while in 
 their employ, and under the implied obligation assumed by 
 every teacher to co-operate with, and aid and assist them, by 
 every means in his power to further the interests of the Public 
 Schools ; neglecting no occasion to make a blatant parade of 
 his fifteen years connection with the schools of this city, and 
 to exhibit his hypocritical zeal in the cause of Common School 
 Education, in order to further his own sinister ends, and ad- 
 vance his selfish aims — he covertly spares no pains or exertion 
 to undermine his superiors — neutralize their efforts, and dis- 
 organize the entire system. Under the specious guise of a de* 
 sire to comply with the rules adopted by the Board for the 
 government of the Public Schools, he is guilty of open, glar- 
 ing, and unblushing insubordination. By fraud and falsehood 
 he obtains a certificate of competency to teach, and procures the 
 position of Grammar Master. His own letter to the Examin- 
 ing Committee acknowledges his failure in two of the ordinary* 
 at the same time most essential, branches of the Common School 
 course. Installed in his position as teacher, instead of endeav- 
 oring to make up for these shortcomings and admitted failings, 
 by devoting himself assiduously to the business of fitting him- 
 self for the successful pursuit of the profession he claims to have 
 followed for nineteen years, he neglects the duties for which he 
 is specially employed, and services for which he contracted to 
 render as an equivalent for the salary paid him ; or spends the 
 time which he should devote to his pupils, in traversing the 
 streets, practising the low arts of the wire-working politician ; 
 laying the ropes with all the industry and subtle craft of the 
 trickster, who paddles about the purlieus of the " filthy pool 
 of politics," that he may rise on the surface with its scum, and 
 taking advantage of a turn in the tide, float into the safe and
 
 27 
 
 secure haven of public favor, making his " calling and election 
 sure," and landing in profitable place. With the craft and 
 cunning of an old political hack, while supposing himself se- 
 cure from observation, in his concealment, he directs his poi- 
 soned shafts against the hands that feed him ; discovered in 
 his hiding place, and his venality exposed, he forthwith raises 
 that most potent of all electioneering cries, that^of persecution. 
 Considerable of the testimony went to show that he was 
 tardy in closing, as well as absent at the opening, thus beget- 
 ting a habit of irregularity that could not but be fatal to that 
 routine so essential to the discipline of a well conducted school- 
 In his begging letter presented to the Board at its meeting 
 of October 12, 1864, Mr. Pelton, with a full knowledge of the 
 causes we have detailed, and which led to the revocation of 
 his certificate and dismissal as Grammar Master, after a recital 
 of his long years of service as a teacher, endeavors to enlist 
 public sympathy and manufacture outside capital by prefer- 
 ing the following request : 
 
 " May I not hope that those whose special care it is to defend the rights and 
 interests, and regard and enforce the ordinary courtesies due to teachers in the 
 practice of their profession — may I not hope that they (the members of your hon- 
 orable body) will cheerfully and promptly grant that which I again most respect- 
 fully claim, to wit: 
 
 "First — The return or renewal of my certificate, which was revoked without 
 cause, and, as I am assured, under a misapprehension on the part of your honora- 
 ble Board. 
 
 " Second — A fair hearing and trial before an impartial tribunal upon the spe- 
 cific charges, if such ever have been, or can be preferred, upon which I was re- 
 moved." 
 
 We have referred to Mr. Pelton's doctoring his documents 
 in relation to his claims as the Pioneer Teacher of San Fran- 
 cisco, for the purpose of showing that he is capable of taking 
 advantage of any circumstance, no matter how dishonorable, 
 to advance his personal interests. With regard to Mr. Pelton's 
 financial character, we give the following extracts from the 
 report of the committee of the Teachers' Institute, of which 
 he was Treasurer, and turned out a defaulter. 
 
 This matter was brought out on the trial by the defendant's 
 counsel, trying to show the high appreciation in which his 
 client had always been held by his professional brethren of 
 this city, consequently we have a right to use it here :
 
 Jb the San Francisco Normal School : 
 
 Fellow Members: — We, your committee appointed to investiprate the nature 
 of the diaries preferred against Mr. J. C. Pelton by Mr. J. C. Morrill, \)oth mem- 
 bers of your body, would respectfully represent that we have instituted a diligent 
 and thorough inquiry mto the causes which induced this controversy; have ex- 
 amined many witnesses in regard to the matters in dispute, and carefully com- 
 pared their testimony in relation to the following charges : 
 
 Of the above general and specific charges, we find the first, second, third, and 
 Beventh sustained, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth not sustained. 
 
 Your committee are of opinion that no further ground exists for the fifth charge, 
 regarding the sum of SI 24, alleged to have been retained or appropriated by Mr. 
 Pelton, he having declared himself to the committee liable to your association for 
 the said amount. 
 
 In conclusion, your committee, considering the relations we sustain to the par- 
 ties involved herein, would forbear the expression of any written opinion either 
 as to the facts elicited during our investigation, or the conclusions arrived at. 
 "We beg, therefore, to be discharged from further duty. 
 
 (Signed) GEORGE TAIT, 
 
 E. H. HOLMES, 
 T. C. LEONARD. 
 
 The following letter from Mr. Cook, former Janitor of the 
 Kincon School, fully explains itself It was thought probable 
 by some of the members of the Board, that Mr. Cook had 
 been tampered with by some one previous to the examination 
 of his charges against Pelton, but of this no proof was obtained. 
 
 San Francisco, July 12th, 1864. 
 Board of Education : 
 
 Gentlemek : — Allow me to leave before you the circumstances regarding Mr. Pel- 
 ton urging the Board to grant him the privilege of getting another Janitor, and black- 
 mailing me, as being not capable of taking care of his school. I have acted la 
 the capacity of Janitor in Rincon School for the last twelve months, and I have 
 discharged the duties incumbent on me with sobriety and attention. I did not 
 know anything of Mr. Pelton's intention of having me removed till yesterday 
 morning. He sent a Frenchman, who could not speak a word of English, aud 
 demanded the keys of the school. I told him I considered the Board alone had 
 that privilege, and when they would require me to resign. I would cheerfully do 
 it; but imtil then, I would go on with my usual duties. Gentlemen, I hope and 
 trust you have formed your own opinion of Mr. Pelton's mania of changing Jan- 
 itors. He has, or at least tried to have, some of the most efficient and capable 
 men in the Department discharged, and men of his own choice taken in their 
 places. I refer to Mr. Stratton's Janitor; also, "William, of Fourth and Cleary 
 Street School, men who, since they left him, have got on well, and have given 
 the utmost satisfaction to their Principals. The great evil is with Mr. Pelton, 
 he wishes to take all power in his own hands ; he wishes to hire his own men, 
 and pay them what he pleases, and have him work round his own private house 
 between school hours, run all his errands, and do all his chores. Such a man 
 would stand high in his estimation; but I always considered such jobbing incon- 
 flistent with my duties round the school Consequently, this is the cause of hav- 
 ing me removed. As also the next thing I find, he comes down to the office to 
 try to prevent a poor man from earning an honest living, by black-mailing him, 
 getting up petitions, and to have him removed. I am almost confident there is 
 not one gentleman, composing the Board of Education, but knows, or at least 
 has heard, of his unprincipled, ungentlemanly conduct toward his Janitors. For 
 my part, I am willing to submit to a fair and impartial examination into the mat- 
 ter. I have lived for the last seven years in this city, with respectable citizens 
 and tax payers, from all of whom I have, and can produce, the highest recom.
 
 20 
 
 mcndations. Knowing: that in yotir hands, aa a body of gentlemen, the power of 
 removing ino lies, I will contimie my daily vocation till you remove mo. 
 
 I am yours, obediently, H. A. CoOK, 
 
 Janitor of Rincon School. 
 
 In a prior communication the writer adds : "If I am allowed 
 the opportunity before a fair and impartial tribunal, and fail to 
 exonerate myself from every charge preferred by your com- 
 mittee, I will concede the justice of my removal and remain 
 silent. And I wish to be understood that I am willing that 
 my professional conduct should be reviewed for any period 
 the Board of Education may choose," 
 
 In answer to this petition, Mr. Pelton's certificate, as a mat- 
 ter of charity, not of equity or justice, was returned to him, 
 and a fair and impartial trial granted him, the Board setting a 
 precedent unusual in such cases, for as well might any public 
 servant, or even private agent or employee, removed for good 
 and sufficient cause, demand a public investigation of his con- 
 duct. Mr. Pelton was given his fair trial before an impartial 
 tribunal. He was allowed able counsel, a courtesy afforded 
 him although he had no legal right to it ; both counsel and 
 client were permitted the largest liberty in the conduct of the 
 case, and the broadest latitude in the examination of witnesses. 
 The desire of counsel was to give color and make capital 
 through the reports of the smart sayings, artful dodges and 
 sharp practices of a pliant attorney, equally at home in the de- 
 fense of a persecuted Pelton or a Confederate inrate^ through the 
 columns of the newspapers and the unflagging zeal of inter- 
 ested reporters. So far from adhering to the willingness to 
 have his professional conduct overhauled "for any period the 
 Board of Education might choose," the counsel was particular 
 to restrict the investigation to a period of time of limited ex- 
 tent, knowing as he did that the character of his client during 
 the period named would not bear ventilation and stand the 
 test of the scrutiny demanded. 
 
 A large number of witnesses were examined for_the defense, 
 most of whom never had visited the Eincon School ; but many 
 of them testified to Mr. Pelton's superior qualifications as a 
 public instructor. A majority of these witnesses appeared to 
 have been subpoenaed to prove that they had never heard any-
 
 ae 
 
 thing against Mr. Pelton as a teacher, a species of logic and par- 
 ity of reasoning marvellously akin to the decision of the 
 Dutch Justice in passing upon a petty larceny case. " Dere 
 est von vitness who schwears he seen de brizner schdeal de 
 poots ! De brizner's gounsel prings tree widuesses who schware 
 dey did' nt see him steal de poots. De weight of de teschde- 
 mony being in his favor, he ish discharched I" 
 
 While Mr. Pelton's counsel complained of what he was 
 pleased to term the unreasonable delays of the committee, he 
 himself occupied the most of the time devoted to this investi- 
 gation in frivolous debates and technical objections, and while 
 charging the committee with delaying matters so as to injure 
 Pelton's chances for success as candidate for School Superin- 
 tendent, on more than one occasion moved to adjourn the case 
 until after the election. When the committee decided upon 
 the summing up of the case with closed doors, this did not suit 
 the desire of client and counsel for electioneering capital and 
 ad captandum argument ; accordingly Piatt's Hall was hired 
 for the night before the election, flaming placards were posted 
 about the town inviting the public without money and with- 
 out price. Pixley sung the wrongs of injured innocence to the 
 tune of a five hundred dollar fee, which we hope he has got, 
 and we trust that the printers who published his electioneering 
 pamphlet have also been remunerated; that Littlefield's just 
 claim will not be forgotten, and that the papers fighting the 
 battles of this suffering martyr, and supporting his slender 
 claims upon the public sympathy, may also reap the reward 
 their zeal deserves. The solemn farce is ended. Mr. Pelton 
 has had his investigation. Every material charge against him 
 has been proven beyond doubt or cavil ; he has been found 
 guilty beyond dispute, doubt, or peradventure, on a fair trial, 
 by a jury of his peers, after every facility has been afforded 
 him to disprove the charges and exonerate himself. The finding 
 of the jury is adopted by the Board, and ordered to be spread 
 upon the minutes, and made part and parcel of the records of the 
 Department of the Public Schools. The suggestion of a lead- 
 ing newspaper — that because the party demanding the investi- 
 gation had, under the specious guise of a persecuted martyr,
 
 31 
 
 and by the clap-trap of cunning counsel, been elected Super- 
 intendent of the Public Schools of this city, the Board of Ed- 
 ucation should allow the matter to rest, stultify itself, nullify 
 all its previous action in the premises, virtually acknowledge 
 the falsity of the charges made against Mr. Pelton — was not 
 for a moment to be entertained, and, accordingly, we have 
 given to the world the facts in this case as called out upon the 
 investigation demanded by the party implicated, with such 
 comments as the testimony warranted. We have called things 
 by their right names, and have not minced matters in the least. 
 Having acted conscientiously in the premises throughout, and 
 exercised the utmost lenity and forbearance toward the princi- 
 pal in this investigation, until his final action, and one-sided, 
 unwarranted, and unfair appeals to public prejudice, placed 
 him without the pale of sympathy, removing any implied seal 
 of secrecy from the action of the Board in the premises — it 
 was only when forbearance ceased to be a virtue, that we 
 were induced to go to the same jury, and submit this statement 
 to an impartial public, to be canvassed after the bewildering 
 excitement of a heated municipal election shall have passed 
 away, and the cunningly devised expedients and artfully 
 worded appeals to public prejudice, misleading the minds of 
 the many, shall have recoiled upon their authors, showing 
 their utter insignificance and unworthiness of common cre- 
 dence or public trust. 
 
 To show the feelings of the members of the Board toward 
 Mr. Pelton in the matter, and their entire willingness to have 
 justice done him, we here present a copy of the preamble and 
 resolution presented by Mr. Lynch, and adopted by the Board 
 at a meeting held March 21st, 1865, under which the investi- 
 tion of the charges against him took place, to wit: 
 
 " Whereas, Since the dismissal of J. C. Pelton in September 
 last, from the position held by him as Principal of the Rincon 
 Grammar School, he has addressed communications to this 
 Board, asking that his certificate be returned to him and that 
 he be restored to his former charge, at the same time asserting 
 that no reason existed for his removal therefrom, and express- 
 ing not only a desire to hear any charges that might be brought 
 against^him, but a willingness to meet and refute them ; and
 
 83 
 
 since charges were furnished by a Committee of this Board, 
 and are now a matter of record on its minutes, (pages 651 and 
 600, Liber 4), the truth of which he denies, and which charges 
 he has had as yet no opportunity, to disprove, and 
 
 "Whereas, Said charges were not produced by the voluntary 
 act of this Board or its members, but on the contrary were 
 furnished on his particular request that specific charges should 
 be made ; and as it is not now and never has been our wish or 
 intention to treat Mr. Pelton or any other person in our em- 
 ploy unjustly, as he would have the public believe; and having 
 in view now as heretofore only the interest, prosperity and 
 harmon}^ of the School Department, and in order that any in- 
 justice done him, either from the loss of his position or the ex- 
 istence of said charges, (if groundless), may be repaired, and 
 any error of the Board be corrected, and the facts in the case 
 elicited ; therefore, be it 
 
 Resolved, That said charges, and such others as may be pre- 
 ferred, as well as all matters affecting the fitness of the said 
 Pelton, to hold a certificate of qualification as a Grammar 
 Master, or position as a teacher in the schools under our charge, 
 be taken up and investigated as soon as the members now ab- 
 sent shall have returned."* 
 
 With this preliminary introduction, we respectfully submit 
 the report of the Committee of Investigation, which was 
 adopted by the Board of Education of the City and County of 
 San Francisco. 
 
 It might be well to digress here to take a cursory glance at 
 the outrageous and unfounded charges made against the mem- 
 bers of the Board by Mr. Pelton's particular friend and pliant 
 tool, S. B. Thompson, Director from the Ninth District, as 
 they had a direct bearing on, and more intimate connection 
 with, this case than the public were aware. 
 
 The first that was heard from Mr. Thompson on this subject, 
 and about which he knew nothing on the trial, was at the 
 meeting of the Board held April 4:th, 1865, just two iveelcs after 
 the Board had adopted the resolution to give his principal a 
 trial. These charges were imaginary, baseless, and as far as 
 investigated, proven false, and were evidently concocted by 
 himself and master in the office of their attorneys, as an offset 
 
 * Messrs. Pope, Gray, and Doble were absent from the city at this time, 
 but were expected to return soon.
 
 88 
 
 to the charges then existing before the Board against the lat- 
 ter. At tlie time he signed them, and presented them to the 
 Board, he knew they were untrue, and also knew the object 
 to be attained by making them public; yet being a man lack- 
 ing in moral principle, he lent himself to this designing and 
 unscrupulous hypocrite to blast the good name and reputation 
 of his fellow-members. Thompson had been persistent in his 
 demands for an investigation of the charges against his ill- 
 used friend, Pel ton, up to March 21st, and then, when he saw 
 a resolution presented, granting what they both had been so 
 long asking for, he, with the usual consistency of this class of 
 men, voted against its adoption. 
 
 The object of these counter charges soon became apparent. 
 We can assert here, without fear of truthful contradiction, that 
 they were preferred for the sole purpose of intimidating the 
 members of the Board from proceeding with the investigation 
 of the charges against John C. Pelton. It was intimated on a 
 number of occasions to the Board, by Thompson's counsel, 
 that if the Board would withdraw the charges that existed as a 
 matter of record on the books of the department against Pel- 
 ton — or, in other words, whitewash him — the Thompson 
 charges against the members of the Board would be with- 
 drawn. 
 
 Indeed, so far did they proceed in their efforts to compound 
 this villainy with the members of the Board, and to frighten 
 them into suppressing the investigation they had long been 
 demanding, that a meeting was called at Mr. Badger's store 
 (who favored the proposition), at which Mr. Thompson, with 
 his counsel, G. Frank Smith, and a number of members of 
 the Board were present ; and the above proposition was then 
 and there openly submitted and discussed between them. A 
 few of the members, in order to get rid of the whole disgust- 
 ing subject and its prime cause, at first thought rather favora- 
 bly of the proposition, but on reflection, the majority of them 
 come to the conclusion that they could not lend themselves to 
 any such unjust and dishonorable proceeding. Hence, the in- 
 vestigation of the charges against Pelton took place, with the 
 result given in the report of the committee, and the investiga-
 
 84 
 
 tion of Thompson's charges against members was proceeded 
 with until he abandoned their prosecution, and with the result 
 shown by the report of the committee having 'that matter in 
 hand, which was presented to the Board June 13th, 1865, 
 adopted, and ordered to be spread upon the minutes, and will 
 be found on page 41, and following of this book. 
 
 There is one of Thompson's charges that we deem worth 
 while to notice here, since the counsel for the persecuted pio- 
 neer teacher, (?) in his harangue at Piatt's Hall, laid great stress 
 on it, and manufactured a vast amount of sympathy and capi- 
 tal from it for his irreproachable client. Here it is: 
 
 " Lynch, Tait and Gray, fearing Pelton's claims to the Su- 
 perintendency, wickedly turned him out of the Kincon School 
 on pretended charges, denied him a hearing, and though the 
 oldest and one of the best teachers in the department, sought 
 to blacken his reputation and consign his family to want," 
 
 Among the numerous witnesses for the defense, but one was 
 produced who said anything in support of this charge, and he, 
 putting his own construction on some remarks made to him 
 by Mr. Tait, appeared to think that there was at least some 
 foundation for it. 
 
 He testified that he called on Mr. Tait and asked him if 
 there was anything that should prevent a man from voting for 
 Pelton to take charge of the Industrial School during the ab- 
 sence in the East of Mr, Lynde ; that he had seen a great deal 
 in the newspapers lately about Pelton and his difficulties with 
 the Board, and he would like to knovy" what it meant? To 
 this he swears Mr. Tait replied in these exact words, which he 
 took down as soon as he reached his office : 
 
 " No, there is not ; I know of nothing ; you know that as 
 election approaches, people consider anything foir which they 
 may do to effect their object; or, in other words, all is fair in 
 politics ; you know at such times certain tilings are done which 
 would not be under other circumstances ; I consider him a 
 suitable person for the position, and know of no reason why 
 a member of your Board should not support him." 
 
 Now, admitting for the sake of argument, that these are the 
 words of Mr. Tait, the construction put upon them, and the 
 inference drawn therefrom by the witness, is illogical and un- 
 reasonable, and cannot stand the test of examination for a
 
 35 
 
 moment, even if we had not the testimony of Mr. Tait him- 
 self on the subject, which will be alluded to hereafter. We 
 would say nothing here to reflect in the slightest on the vera- 
 city or fair intentions of the witness, who appeared to be hon- 
 est in his views and straightforward in his testimony ; yet it is 
 hard to assign a plausible reason why he should so interest 
 himself to learn the private opinions of members of the Board 
 touching J. C. Pelton's fitness and qualifications for the posi- 
 tion of temporary Superintendent of the Industrial School, 
 for it appears that he also called upon Messrs. Gray, Lynch 
 and Pope on that subject. Why this anxiety on his part to 
 sound the members of the Board on this question, since he 
 testified to having been acquainted with Pelton since the early 
 part of 1850, and that he had never heard anything to his 
 disadvantage or discredit. If he had heard nothing to his dis- 
 credit, why did he deem it necessary to call on various mem- 
 bers of the Board to see if he would be justified in voting for 
 him? • 
 
 It is probable he had read in the newspapers, and likely 
 been told by Pelton himself, that for personal reasons a com- 
 bination had been made against him by Tait, Lynch, Gray 
 and others, who wished to get rid of him as a candidat2 for 
 the office of Superintendent, and probably assured him that 
 there was no truth in the charges given as the cause of his 
 dismissal, and from his subsequent conduct, it is almost certain 
 that he believed the statement, and at once enlisted to advance 
 the cause of the supposed victim of this conspiracy. 
 
 This being the case, he expected that by calling on these 
 persons, and manifesting considerable anxiety to do Pelton a 
 favor, providing he had their private opinions as to whether 
 he should or should not vote for him, he would also learn their 
 private reasons for having dismissed him, for he evidently cred- 
 ited the storj^, and was apparently on the qui vive for a full 
 confession from each of them, and confirmation of his suspi- 
 cions that he had been dismissed, in order to help the chances 
 of one or the other of them to the office, that Pelton, as now 
 shown, was determined to secure for himself, by fair means or 
 foul, and for which neither one of the alleged conspirators was 
 a candidate.
 
 36 
 
 His mind tilled with this belief, no doubt he was disappoint- 
 ed when, on consulting with Pope, Gray and Lynch, he could 
 learn nothing to confirm his too willing, but unfounded, suspi- 
 cions. He then calls on Tait, and makes the same inquiry. 
 Mr. Tait replied as undoubtedly had Lynch, Pope and Gray, 
 jhat Pelton would answer very well for that school for a few 
 months, and that he would like to see him get the appoint- 
 ment, and, continuing the conversation, replied to his allusion 
 to the newspaper articles, alluding to Pelton and the Board, 
 and that they were written for political purposes. 
 
 For the sake of argument, we will admit that Mr. Tait did 
 say that these articles were Avritten for political purposes ; but 
 could any unbiased or reflecting mind construe that admission 
 into meaning that they were written by, or for, the Board, or 
 intended to benefit the members of the Board in any way, to 
 the injury of J. C. Pelton? Most assuredly not ; for not an 
 article had appeared in the papers for months favorable to the 
 Board, or even calculated to justify their acts before the pub- 
 lic, while week after week, for nronths previous, numerous ar- 
 ticles appeared, emanating from Pelton or those in his interest, 
 alleging that he had been dismissed without the shadow of a 
 cause, and that the members of the Board were only actuated 
 by personal spite and jealousy toward him. The witness pro- 
 bably, without intending to do injustice to any one, but with 
 his mind ready to hear a disclosure, seized on the casual re- 
 marks of Mr. Tait, and examining them from his own inter- 
 ested stand-point, turned them to the benefit of his friend, and 
 to the injury of the Board -and its members. The examina- 
 tion of this point need be carried but little further to show 
 how absurd the idea of dismissing a teacher for any such rea- 
 son would be. It is self-evident that a person out of employ- 
 ment is much better prepared to look after opportunities to get 
 an office, and can and will make greater efforts to secure it, 
 than one constantly employed at a good round salary — for 
 being so employed, the duties of his position would necessa- 
 rily occupy considerable of the time that, under other circum- 
 stances, Avould be given to electioneering. Probably it would 
 make but little difference with Pelton whether he was em-
 
 37 
 
 ployed or not, as it was shown by the evidence introduced on 
 the trial, that he generally absented himself from his school- 
 room when it suited his own convenience or pleasure. 
 
 And again ; was there any objection to Pelton being a can- 
 didate for that office? or have grammar masters, at any time 
 within the last ten years, been removed, or threatened with 
 removal, because they aspired to office ? Certainly not. Such 
 a thing was never attempted, and probably never even thought 
 of, until this would-be martyr and stranger to honesty and 
 fair dealing started the story to accomplish his ov/n ambitious 
 ends. 
 
 As we said before, the defendant's counsel laid great stress 
 on the evidence of this witness, in his speech at Piatt's Hall, 
 and on the strength of it charged the Board with having 
 turned Pelton out of school for a political trick, saying " that 
 fearing his popularity and claims to the office of Superinten- 
 dent, they attempted to destroy him." Let us here ask why 
 should they fear him more than any other teacher in the de- 
 partment ; and if, when a teacher aspired to office, it was a 
 cause for dismissal, why were not other teachers in the de- 
 partment, who did aspire to that office, dismissed ? Did they 
 fear him because he was the poorest scholar among the entire 
 corps of grammar masters of the department, and received his 
 certificate of qualification on the second examination — having 
 failed on the first — and then, on a margin of only two and 
 one-half per cent, above the standard fixed to get one, and 
 as now proven, a part of that credit was obtained by deception 
 and falsehood? 
 
 Would his reputation for truthfulness and honesty make 
 him so far superior to any, or all other, male teachers in the 
 department, that he would be feared by any one ? Or could 
 his continual violations of the rules of the Board, for months 
 previous to his dismissal, tend to make him an uncommonly 
 dangerous opponent ? Did his attempt to drag in the gram- 
 mar masters, to aid him in violating the rules of the Board in 
 the matter of his picnic excursion, add so much to his popu- 
 larity with the teachers, that he was their favorite? And if 
 that did not, were they so delighted with the honor he con- 
 
 306548
 
 38 
 
 ferred on them by using their names, and that of their schools, 
 •without their authority, to get up his excursion, as to give him 
 their unqualified support ? 
 
 His attempt to make it appear that it was possible, if not 
 quite probable, that other grammar schools, and especially that 
 of Mr. Myrick, had the same questions from the Cincinnati Re- 
 port, previous to the examination of May, 1864, that were 
 then used to examine the schools, cannot yet be forgotten, nor 
 the emphatic denial given the charge by Mr. Myrick and 
 others before the Board. Lid this conduct tend to make him 
 a dangerous candidate ? His letter to Mr. Gray denying that 
 his pupils had any unfair advantage over the pupils of other 
 schools at the examination is yet fresh in mind, as well as the 
 result of the investigation that followed. Did his action in 
 this matter make him more to be feared as a candidate than a 
 dozen of other teachers that could be mentioned ? 
 
 Or could his statement, published in the " Morning Call," 
 under the head of " The Personnel of the Board of Educa- 
 tion," in which he stated " that about three fourths of the mem- 
 bers of the Board were without children or families," when, 
 in fact as he then well knew, there were only two of the mem- 
 bers unmarried and without families, be deemed as additional 
 proof of his popularity and qualification for office? 
 
 If these were good and valid reasons for making J. C. Pelton 
 pre-eminent among his fellow teachers as a candidate for tho 
 office of Superintendent of Schools, and a more dangerous 
 competitor for that office than any one of them, then, indeed, 
 •was be fully entitled to the honor of being so considered. 
 
 "\Ve will now return to the testimony of Mr, Tait, given in 
 rebuttal. He was not present when the last mentioned witness 
 gave his testimony, but on seeing it published in the morning 
 papers, asserted that he had not made use of the language at- 
 tributed to him. Therefore, when the defense got through 
 with their witnesses, Mr. Tait was recalled, and testified as to 
 what he had said on that occasion, and explained what he 
 meant by saying " that as election approaches people consider 
 anything fair which they may do to effect their object" (in case 
 he used that expression), was that the cry of persecution, 
 raised by Pelton and his friends through the columns of the
 
 39 
 
 newspapers against the Board, was a political dodge on their 
 part to help Pelton ; and, further, that he had not said or inti- 
 mated to any one that he had been removed without sufficient 
 cause, or for the purpose of benefitting the prospects of any 
 person for office, and that no one was justified in putting that 
 construction on his language. Now, as Mr. Tait swears posi- 
 tively as to what he did mean, and the former witness only 
 puts his own construction on what he thinks was said, and 
 then siqyposes that he knew what was meant, it can take but 
 little reflection on the part of any one to determine which of 
 the statements is to be taken as correct. 
 
 Nor do we stand on the testimony of Mr. Tait alone on this 
 point, for in support of him we have the testimony, direct and 
 positive, of Messrs. Gray, Widber, and Ayer, to the effect that 
 Pelton was dismissed for repeated violations of the rules of the 
 Board, for writing and publishing newspaper articles that were 
 untrue and reflecting on the members of the Board, and for a gen- 
 eral want of co-operation with them in carrying out the estab- 
 lished rules and regulations of the Department, and also a want 
 of confidence in him as a man ; and, further, that the following 
 charges against him were presented at a meeting of a commit- 
 tee of the Board, were discussed, and conceded by the mem- 
 bers present — viz : Messrs. Mastick, Pope, Ayer, Hitchcock, 
 Gray, Shepard, Widber, Lynch, and Doble — from facts within 
 their own knowledge to be true : 
 
 "charges against j. c. pelton. 
 
 " Systematic and studied attempt on his part to prevent the 
 carrying out the rules of the Board on three occasions : 1st, 
 Excursion to Eedwood City; 2d, Examination of Eincon 
 School ; 3d, Refusal to sign the teacher's contract after having 
 been asked so to do by a Director. 
 
 "Employment of Mr. Littlefield without authority. 
 
 "Discharge of pupils without notifying the Superintendent 
 as required by the rules. 
 
 "Teaching deceit by example. 
 
 " Absence from his class without permission. 
 
 " A general desire to attend to everything except such mat- 
 ters as wholly pertain to the duties of his position. 
 
 "Writing and publishing newspaper articles tending to 
 bring the Board into ridicule and destroy their influence."
 
 10 
 
 These are the charges made at that time, and that they were 
 true and could have been proven — and in fact some of them 
 had been proven before the. Board — was admitted by all ; yet 
 with this array of transgressions, and the proof to sustain them 
 at the command of his accusers, that would damn any man 
 (except Pelton) and consign him to the depths of oblivion, 
 they determined in committee, through a regard for his family, 
 and in order to avoid doing anything that might work to his 
 injury outside of the department, that they should not be made 
 public. This is testified to by the same witnesses, and is fully 
 corroborated by the minutes of the Board, showing that no 
 charges were made public, or entered of record, until after a 
 demand was made for them by the accused himself in writing, 
 backed up by frantic appeals through the columns of the 
 press. And even after they were furnished, the Board forsome 
 time refused an investigation, and because they knew the truth 
 of them, and that he alone would be the suflferer. 
 
 Now with all these facts before us, it is unaccountable how 
 any one could be found with the hardihood to come forward 
 and assert, on the mere distorted and absurd view of Mr. 
 Tait's remarks, that the Board dismissed Pelton without suffi- 
 cient cause, and hope to convince any sane man that the infer- 
 ence was either reasonable, correct, or even probable. 
 
 This charge however, served well the purpose for which it 
 was originated, and enabled defendant's counsel in his speech, 
 to appeal to the sympathies of the community, and not their 
 sense of justice, in behalf of his client, who he alleged was the 
 innocent victim of persecution and conspiracy at the hands of 
 Tait, Gray and Lynch, who "feared his popularity and deter- 
 termined to destroy him ! " This assertion is ridiculous even 
 to mendacity, and is made for the sole purpose of diverting 
 public attention from the overwhelming proof of the infamous 
 conduct of his client, to those whom he surmised might, by 
 some possibilit}^, stand in the way of their schemes; and there- 
 fore it was necessary to defile them, rob them of their good 
 names, blast their characters and make them odious to the 
 community, by bringing them down to their own dirty level. 
 
 A sufficient proof of the falsity of this charge is found in
 
 41 
 
 the additional fact that neither one of the alleged conspirators, 
 or other members of the Board, allowed their names to be 
 placed before either of the nominating conventions for nomi- 
 nation to the office of Superintendent; nor were they or either 
 of them candidates for that position. 
 
 Were anything more than what we have already said, re- 
 quired to illustrate the character of this man, it would be 
 found in his base ingratitude to the Superintendent and mem- 
 bers of the Board who had befriended him, gave him a lucrative 
 position, and retained him in it notwithstanding the objections 
 even then raised against him. 
 
 Writers of ancient and modern times both unite in con- 
 demning ingratitude, and one of them goes so far as to say 
 that, 
 
 " If there be a crime 
 
 Of deeper dye than all the guilt v train 
 
 Of human vicbs, 'tis ingratitude." 
 
 While another says, 
 
 •' The wretch whom gratitude once fails to bind, 
 
 To truth or honor let him lay no claim ; 
 
 But staud confess'd the brute disguis'd in man." 
 
 Report of the Committee appointed to investigate the charges made 
 by iS. B. Thompson against m.embers of the Board of Education, 
 
 To THE Hon. Board of Education: 
 
 Gentlemen: — Your committee upon the "Thompson 
 Charges," would respectfully present the following report, viz : 
 
 After much delay an arrangement was made with Mr. 
 Thompson, through his counsel to assist this committee in their 
 •investigation ; and a meeting accordingly was called April 
 14th, when the prosecution asked for time to correct and pre- 
 sent the charsres in legal form. 
 
 On the 24th of April, another meeting was called, and the 
 charges against Giles H. Gray, Esq., were taken up, and the 
 testimony fiiiled to show any moral obliquity or corruption on 
 the part of the accused. 
 
 At the next meeting, April 26th, the charges against L. B.
 
 43 
 
 Mastick were presented, but not sustained by the testimony. 
 Decision was given April 27th. 
 
 Another meeting was called on the 28th of April, when the 
 prosecution withdrew and refused to assist in the further in- 
 vestigation of the charges, leaving the committee to infer that 
 their 
 
 " Hope thus early became forlorn ; " 
 
 and that the charges were not made with a special reference 
 to benefit the School Department. 
 
 A meeting was then called on the 9th of May, when most 
 of the remaining charges were inquired into, and we were un- 
 able to fiud that any of the members had been guilty of the 
 least corruption or wrong dealing toward the Board or the 
 School Department. 
 
 Failing thus far to find any cause for the extraordinary 
 course of the prosecution, in bringing charges against certain 
 members of the Board, we did not deem the remaining charges 
 to be of sufficient importance to give more time for their in- 
 vestigation, as they had been abandoned by the party making 
 them. 
 
 In concluding this report, we desire to express our great re- 
 gret that any member of our body should thus, without cause, 
 invite and encourage the public censure to fall upon his col- 
 leagues, and destroy their reputation as gentlemen of honor 
 and honesty, and make them unworthy to be called good citi- 
 zens. 
 
 Swift opinions, like the swift lightning from the heated 
 summer sky, that withers the branches and destroy the trunk 
 of the stoutest oak, are liable to destroy the peace of the un- 
 obtrusive, and leave a withering blight upon the fair name and 
 good intentions of others. 
 
 The office of life is not exclusively an individual right ; life 
 has claims of relationship, of reputation and of dependence 
 upon one another that must be observed ; and honor, self-re- 
 spect, and dignity demand their observance, or we shall fall 
 far short of the higher purposes of our being, and shall also 
 fail to acknowledge the right and importance of any social or 
 organic law to govern us. 
 
 It should be remembered that our schools are not merely
 
 43 
 
 adapted to individual circum stances, nor should tbey be con- 
 sidered as separate and individual forms of some civil or mun- 
 icipal regulation with no view to the future ; but they should 
 be viewed in that spirit of candor and wisdom which contem- 
 plates things in their own relations, and with a wise reference 
 to their ultimate results. 
 
 We would therefore, take this occasion to remind the mem- 
 bers of this Board that a lack of mutual correspondence, and 
 an opposition to one another, will always increase our labors 
 and make the efficiency of our efforts less. 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 Washington Ayer, ] ^ .,, 
 W. A. Grover, [ Committee. 
 
 San Francisco, June 13th, 1865. 
 
 After the above report was presented and adopted, a resolu- 
 tion was passed requesting S. B. Thompson to resign his seat 
 as a member of the Board ; but in keeping with his previous 
 disgraceful action in bringing the charges, he still persists in 
 retaining it, thus exhibiting still further his unmanly conduct 
 and lack of spirit.
 
 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF INVESTIGATION. 
 
 To THE Hon. Board of Education: 
 
 Gentlemen: Your committee appointed in April last, to 
 investigate the charges preferred against J. C. Pelton bj a 
 committee of the Board, September 20th, 1864, and recorded 
 on pages 654 and 655 of Minutes, Book 4, and such others as 
 might be preferred under the resolution authorizing the inves- 
 tigation passed March 21st, 1865, have performed the duty as- 
 signed them and report as follows: 
 
 After two ineffectual attempts at meeting, the committee was 
 again called together on Tuesday evening, April 25th, at 7 
 o'clock, to take the preliminary steps to go on with the inves- 
 tigation. 
 
 A quorum being present, and also Mr. Pelton and his coun- 
 sel, on motion, Mr. L. "W. Kennedy was elected permanent 
 chairman of the committee, and without transacting any fur- 
 ther business, the committee adjourned until the next evening 
 at 7 o'clock. 
 
 At the meeting on the following evening, it was resolved 
 that Mr. Pelton be allowed to appear by his counsel, Mr. F. M. 
 Pixle3^ 
 
 The charges were then read, and both parties being ready 
 to proceed, the taking of testimony was commenced, Mr. J. D. 
 Littlefield being the first witness called. During the investi- 
 tigation the committee had about eighteen sessions, and twenty 
 (20) witnesses were examined for the plaintiflf, and forty-five 
 for the defendant, as follows: 
 
 For plaintifi"— Messrs. J. D. Littlefield, D. H. Whittemore, 
 George Beanston, John 11. Warren, George Tait, Bernhard 
 Marks, Giles H. Gray, Andrew E. McGlynn, George W. Minns,
 
 46 
 
 T, C. Leonard, Daniel Lunt, M. Lynch, James Stratton, Edwin 
 R Campbell, Washington Elliott, J. H. Widber, William G. 
 Badger, James Den man, Dr. Washington Ayer, and Ira Q-. 
 Hoitt. 
 
 For defendant — Messrs. J. S. Loop, Rev. J. T. Peck, J. M. 
 Buffington, W. O. Andrews, J. R. Hasten, T. W. Dickens, M. 
 J. Burke, John Coffy, Mrs. B. Cohn, Mrs. M. Hamilton, Wm. 
 II. Evans, Frank Spiller, C. F. Craddock, A. Campe, Patrick 
 McCormick, Delos J. Howe, Mrs. Galloway, George H. Cros- 
 sette, Wm. B. Cooke, Henry B. Janes, Frank Soule, C. L. 
 Ross, Henry Williams, George Dougherty, F. K. Mitchell, 
 Richard O'Neil, P. W. Sheapheard, Washington Elliott, W. 
 H. Willis, A. D. Hatch, Wm. Bartling, H. S. Kimball, W. H. 
 Allen, Wm. G. Badger, S. D. Baker, Levi Kellogg, George H. 
 Peck, Miss Helen Thompson, Miss M. E. Stowell, Miss Lizzie 
 F. Hitchings, Miss Frances Lynch, Miss C. V. Benjamin, Miss 
 S. L. Hobart, Mrs. M. S. P. Nichols, Mrs. Aurelia Griffith. 
 
 Many of the witnesses examined for the defense, knew ab- 
 solutely nothing about the case, nor could they answer a single 
 question of their own knowledge as to whether the charges, 
 the only matter at issue, were true or otherwise. They were 
 mostly brought forward to testify to the good reputation and 
 standing of the " Rincon School," while under the charge of 
 the accused ; yet many of them admitted on cross-examina- 
 tion, that they had neither sent their children to that school, 
 nor had they ever visited it. 
 
 They were brought forward and their testimony evidently 
 taken, not so much to enlighten the committee, or disprove 
 the charges, as to be given to the public through the columns 
 of friendly newspapers, to advance the political aims of John 
 C. Pelton, alike regardless of truth, honor, and fairness. 
 During the first meetmgs of the committee, the counsel for the 
 defense availed himself, apparently, of every quibble and 
 technical objection the law affords to delay the examination 
 of witnesses, and prevent a speedy conclusion of the investi- 
 gation ; and these objections were carried to such an extent, 
 that it was finally found necessary to prefer tlie charges against 
 the defendant in a new and different form, to enable the com- 
 mittee to introduce the testimony of witnesses they deemed
 
 46 
 
 essential to a correct understanding of the merits of the case. 
 
 These additional charges were presented to the Board at a 
 meeting held on the 2nd day of May, and referred to this com- 
 mittee for investigation, and a copy of them was afterward 
 served on defendant's counsel. 
 
 They will be found in their order, together with the result 
 of the deliberations of the committee, in a subsequent part of 
 this report. 
 
 As the counsel for defendant, at the very beginning of the 
 case, raised the cry of j^^^secutioji, outrage and injustice on the 
 part of the committee, against the rights of his client — a cry 
 that was kept up with remarkable pertinacity under all cir- 
 cumstances during its progress — the members^of the commit- 
 tee, desirous only of doing justice between the public and 
 defendant, deemed it advisable to do nothing which could be 
 construed either into unnecessary severity or unfairness; con- 
 sequently they oftentimes waived their rights on questions at 
 issue, and generally let the defense have their own way, rather 
 than listen to tirades of abuse and speeches for publication. 
 Still, they found themselves and their actions constantly de- 
 nounced and willfully misrepresented, the object of which is 
 now apparent to the most casual observer. 
 
 Indeed, it can safely be said, that never within the knowl- 
 edge of your committee did counsel do less for a client before 
 the jury trying him, and more for effect upon the public mind, 
 than in this case ; and that this assertion is beyond dispute, 
 we need only instance the__extraordinary action of counsel in 
 calling a mass meeting of citizens at a public hall on the even- 
 ing previous to the election, and then "summing up " the case, 
 instead of making his argument before the body hearing the 
 evidence ; after which, on his own ex parte and misrepresented 
 statement of facts, to ask a verdict at their hands, to the effect 
 "that said charges were wholly unfounded, and that they were 
 made unjustly and in bad faith." 
 
 This proceeding of itself, so unusual, unfair, and, under the 
 circumstances, unwarrantable, must be sufficient proof to re- 
 flecting minds of the political trickery of the parties interested, 
 and shows conclusively that the sole object was to enable the 
 counsel to make a political speech in favor of his client, before
 
 47 
 
 an audience wliich had not heard the evidence, knew little of 
 the merits of the case, and could not be expected to know 
 whether any regard was being paid to the examination of the 
 charges or the proof adduced to sustain them. Before taking 
 this step, the counsel himself admitted that it would be impos- 
 sible for the committee to go over the testimony taken, and 
 find a verdict on all the charges before the election took place ; 
 but notwithstnnding this, he seizes on a shabby pretext, un- 
 worthy of a honorable and high-minded man, goes before the 
 public, and there misrepresents facts and the evidence, and 
 abuses the individual members of this committee in a most 
 outrageous and unjustifiable manner. 
 
 Afterward, however, forgetting the indignity he had offered 
 your committee by going before a public assembly and there 
 reviling them in the grossest manner, in order to create 
 sympathy for his client, he came before us, and then, wholly 
 disregarding the evidence, advised the committee, " that as elec- 
 tion loas now over, it would he the better plan on our part to let the 
 matter drop.^'' 
 
 Your committee, not entertaining the idea that the charges 
 and their investigation had any connection with election, or 
 election anything to do with the charges, concluded to decline 
 the advice, and present the result of their labors, without re- 
 gard to circumstances, accidents or persons, and this we do 
 because we feel it incumbent on us to faithfully perform the 
 duty assigned us, that justice may be done in the premises. 
 Hence we report our findings on each of the charges sepa- 
 rately, for the action of your honorable body. 
 
 Taking them up, then, in their order, we will number them, 
 and proceed to give, from the evidence before us, the conclu- 
 sions we have arrived at on each. 
 
 Before doing so, however, we might be allowed to call your 
 attention to one of the important points made by counsel for 
 defendant in his speech at Piatt's Hall, in order to show its 
 utter falsity, viz : That your committee had purposely delayed 
 the investigation so as to prevent the rendering of a decision 
 until after the election ! It will be easily seen from what has 
 already been said, as to the course pursued by counsel from the 
 commencement of the investigation, from his own admission
 
 48 
 
 before your committee, "that it would he impossible for them to 
 make a report he/ore election day" and from the fact that he 
 himself moved, at least on two occasions, " that the further inves- 
 tigation of the matter he postponed until after election" which 
 propositions the committee invariably refused to adopt. From 
 this it will plainly appear that he was desirous of keeping the 
 question undetermined until election was over — and that he 
 shaped his course to accomplish that end, and finally succeeded 
 in his efforts, are facts too well established to admit of ques- 
 tion. The charge, therefore, of delay must attach alone to the 
 counsel for defense, and not to 3^our committee. 
 
 The Committee on Salaries and Judiciary reported the fol- 
 lowing resolutions in Mr. Pel ton's case : 
 
 Your committtee report, from the facts within the knowledge 
 of the committee, they are satisfied that J. C. Pelton, while 
 holding the position of Prmcipal of the Rincon School, has 
 failed to perform the duties of his position as follows: 
 
 First Charge. — He has failed to observe and enforce all the 
 regulations of the Board regarding discipline and instruction. 
 
 There are two counts in this charge, and we find from the 
 evidence that they are both sustained. 
 
 Second Charge. — He has failed to perform the duties required 
 of his position by Subdivisions 3, 5, 6, 11, 12 and 16 of Sec- 
 tion 3 of Rules and Regulations of the Public Schools, to-wit: 
 
 Section Three of Rules and Regulations. — Subdivision 
 3 — To be at respective rooms fifteen minutes before 10 a. m., 
 and if not so present, to report themselves as tardy. 
 
 There are also two counts in this charge, and we find they 
 are both sustained by the evidence. 
 
 Tliird Charge. — Subdivision 5 — To punctually observe the 
 hours appointed for opening and dismissing the schools, and 
 during school hours to devote themselves to the duties of their 
 office. 
 
 There are three counts in this charge, and we find that the 
 first, in regard to the hour for opening the school, is not sus- 
 tained, and that the two remaining counts are sustained. 
 
 Fourth Charge. — Subdivision 6 — To carefully instruct pupils 
 to avoid idleness and profanity, falsehood and deceit, and 
 every wicked and disgraceful practice, and to conduct them-
 
 40 
 
 selves in an orderly and proper manner, and so far as practi- 
 cable, to exercise a general supervision over them in these re- 
 gards, both in and out of school, and also while going to same 
 and returning home, and on all suitable occasions to inculcate 
 the principles of truth, virtue and patriotism. 
 
 We find that so much of this charge as relates to instructing 
 pupils to avoid falsehood and deceit, and on all suitable occa- 
 sions to inculcate the principles of truth, are fully sustained by 
 the evidence, and that the balance of the charge is not sus- 
 tained. 
 
 Fifth Charge. — Subdivision 11 — To obtain leave on the day 
 previous, when they find it necessary to be absent from school, 
 and to notify the Superintendent after such absence becomes 
 necessary. 
 
 We find that this charge is also fully sustained, and indeed 
 that a violation of his duty under this section of the Manual 
 was with him the rule, and a compliance with it the exception. 
 
 Sbdh Charge. — Subdivision 12 — To first obtain leave from 
 the Superintendent or President of the Board whenever they 
 wish to be absent from school during school hours. Any 
 teacher absent for less than a day shall report to the Superin- 
 tendent within twenty-four hours thereafter, and the excuse 
 therefor. The penalty for a violation of this section shall be 
 a forfeiture of the teacher's position. 
 
 We find that he frequently violated this rule of the Board, 
 and as the penalty attached is a forfeiture of the teacher's po- 
 sition, the rule should have been enforced against him long 
 before ?^ was. 
 
 Seventh Charge. — Subdivision 16 — To make]no contracts or 
 incur any debt on account of the public schools. 
 
 We find this charge fully sustained by the evidence, and that 
 in violation of said rule of the Board, he arrogated to himself 
 the power to employ a teacher, and keep him in his school for 
 about the period of three weeks, then sending in the bill for 
 services to the Board. This is a most unwarranted usurpation 
 of power, and far exceeds the rights and powers of any mem- 
 ber of the Board. 
 
 Eighth Charge. — He has failed to observe and perform the 
 duties required of him as Principal of the Eincon School by
 
 50 
 
 Subdivisions 7 and 12 of Section 4 of said Rules and Regula- 
 tions. 
 
 Section 4. Subdivision 7 — To suspend any pupil for 
 pointed or violent opposition to authority in any particular in- 
 stance, notifying the parent or guardian and the Superinten- 
 dent on the same or following day. 
 
 The testimony introduced in support of this charge, in our 
 opinion, is not enough to sustain it. 
 
 Ninth Charge. — Subdivision 18 — To fill any vacancy in the 
 position of the assistant teachers undsr their charge for the 
 day, and report immediately to the Superintendent. 
 
 There was no evidence produced in support of this charge, 
 consequently we find it not sustained. 
 
 Tenth Charge. — He has failed to observe and to perform the 
 duties required of his position by Section 11 of said Rules 
 and Regulations, to-wit : 
 
 Section 11. No festival or exhibition shall be held by any 
 public school without permission of the Board. The price 
 and quality of pianos, charts, etc , purchased for the public 
 schools from the proceeds of festivals, siiall be under and sub- 
 ject to the approval of the Superintendent and Directors of 
 the respective schools, who shall report the amount of the 
 prices to the Board. All property hereafter purchased 
 for the use of the schools from funds realized from festivals or 
 subscriptions, by authority of this Board, shall remain a per- 
 manent fixture of the schools. 
 
 We find that this charge is fully sustained by the evidence, 
 and further, that the action of J. C. Pelton, in procee^^ig with 
 his undertaking, after the action had by the Board at a special 
 meeting called for the purpose, and at which a resolution was 
 passed by them and ordered published, disapproving of the 
 same, showed a flagrant disregard of their authority, and is as 
 inexcusable as using the names of the other grammar schools 
 and the names of the grammar masters, without at first ob- 
 taining their consent or authority. 
 
 And hence the committee recommend the adoption of the 
 following resolutions : 
 
 Resolved, That J. C. Pelton be, and he is hereby, dismissed 
 from the employ of the Board of Education of the city and 
 county of San Francisco, and also from the charge of the 
 Biucon Grammar School, as Grammar Master, and that the-
 
 51 
 
 appointment of J. C. Pelton to tlie position of Grammar Mas- 
 ter is hereby revoked and annulled by the Board ; and the 
 Secretary is directed to notify Mr. Pelton forthwith of the 
 adoption of this resolution. 
 
 Resolved, That the Rincon Grammar School be opened on 
 Wednesday, the 2lst of September, 1864, at 10 o'clock a. m., 
 under the charge of Ira G. Iloyt, Esq., as Principal ; and the 
 Superintendent is hereby authorized and directed to demand 
 and recover the possession and keys of the said Rincon Sciiool 
 from every party who may have possession thereof, and deliver 
 the same to the said Mr. Hoyt. 
 
 Resolved, That the communication of J. C. Pelton be re- 
 ceived and placed on file. 
 
 W. Ayer, 
 G. A. Gray, 
 
 J. H. WiDBEB. 
 
 We now come to the new or additional charges before men- 
 tioned, and numbered from one to seven, inclusive : 
 
 Additional Charges against J. C. Pelton, Grammar Master, pre- 
 sented under the resolution passed March 21st, 1865. 
 
 Charge 1. — That at the examination of teachers in Decem- 
 ber, 1862, J. C. Pelton, then examined for the position of 
 Grammar Master, was guilty of immoral and unprofessional 
 conduct in this : That contrary to his written declaration that 
 he had not consulted either books or persons, he did consult 
 with other teachers, and procured from them information 
 which enabled him to respond to a question correctly, which, 
 without such information, he had previousl3'- failed to answer; 
 and that consequently the certificate then granted him was 
 fraudulently obtained. 
 
 The evidence of Messrs. Marks, McGlynn and Minns, in 
 support of this charge, is full, direct and complete, and fully 
 sustains the charge, so far as the answer to one question is con- 
 cerned. The reason why he was so anxious to secure addi- 
 tional credits, and adopted this dishonorable method of accom- 
 plishing it, was shown to be that it was generally understood 
 amongst the members of the Board and the teachers then ex. 
 amined, that he was likely to fail in passing the examination, 
 though the standard of per centage was less by ten than at the 
 examination last preceding it. In addition to the evidence of
 
 52 
 
 witnesses on this point, we have his own admission to the same 
 effect in writing, as follows : 
 
 To the Comm itlee on Examination of the Hon. Board of Education : 
 
 Gentlemen': — During the recent examination of teachers, especially during the 
 last two days, I was so ill as to render my doing myself justice, particularly in 
 mathematics, a matter of absolute impossibility. No principle was involved in 
 any question proposed, with which, as I believe. I have not for many years been 
 familiar; but, as stated, during most of the examination, I found myself incapable 
 of pursuing any analytical process whatever — could not even add, subtract, mul- 
 tiply and divide simple number3 {as doubtless my papers will readily show). 
 Under the circumstances staled, of course I failed in Algebra, and did little better 
 in Arithmetic. 
 
 I therefore ask, most respectfully, that at your earliest convenience I be per* 
 mitted a new examination, at least in the former of the two branches named. 
 I remain, respectfully, your most obedient, 
 
 J. C. Pelton. 
 
 Cliarge 2. — That since the election in May, 1864, he has been 
 guilty of a systematic and studied attempt to prevent the rules 
 and orders of the Board of Education from being carried into 
 effect. 
 
 We think that the evidence on this charge is not sufficient 
 to justify us in declaring it sustained, while at the same time 
 we are satisfied that so far as the re-examination of the pupils 
 of the Rincon School last June is concerned, Mr. Pelton, in- 
 stead of co-operating with the Board in carrying out their 
 order requiring such re-examination to take place, tried to 
 prevent the same from being carried into effect. 
 
 Charge 3. — That on a number of occasions he paid no re- 
 gard to the orders and directions of the executive officer of 
 tbis Board, the Superintendent of Schools, when acting under 
 its rules and authority. 
 
 This charge we find is fully sustained by the evidence of 
 the Superintendent and Mr. Littlefield, showing that Mr. Pel- 
 ton left his class and school after being told to remain in 
 charge, and kept Mr. Littlefield employed there, after being 
 told not to do so. 
 
 Charge 4. — That on a number of occasions, in his profes- 
 sional intercourse and dealings with this Board, he has been 
 guilty of prevarication and falsehood, thereby causing the- 
 members of this Board to lose confidence in him as a man, 
 and more especially as a teacher, and forcing on them the con- 
 viction of his unfitness to have the care and teaching of the 
 susceptible minds of the young. 
 
 We find that the evidence of witnesses on this charge fully
 
 53 
 
 sustains it, and in addition, we have the written statements 
 and verbal confessions of the defendant, which were proven 
 to be incorrect. 
 
 Charge 5. — That through attention to matters not pertaining 
 to the duties of his position as Grammar Master, he has fre- 
 quently neglected those duties, to the injury of the school un- 
 der his care and the general interests of the department. That 
 on one or more occasions, before his class, he has, for selfish 
 motives, exhibited a disregard for honesty and fair dealing, 
 i<ind been also guilty of unprofessional conduct. 
 
 There are two counts in this charge, and we find by the evi- 
 dence that they are both sustained. 
 
 Charge 6. — That he has written and published newspaper 
 articles reflecting on the Board of Education and its members, 
 that were untrue, and that tended to bring the Board into ridi- 
 cule and destroy its influence and authority ; and that he gave 
 information to other persons in regard to matters relating to 
 the School Department, and connived with and induced them 
 to write such articles while he was employed as a teacher; that 
 his character for veracity is questionable, and where he is per- 
 sonally interested, no reliance can be placed on his word. 
 
 We find that so much of this charge as relates to the writing 
 and publishing of newspaper articles while employed as a teach- 
 er, which were untrue, and reflecting on the Board and its mem- 
 bers, is fully sustained by his own acknowledgments and the 
 evidence, but the remainder of the charge relating to conni- 
 vance with and inducement of others to write such articles, is not 
 sustained. The remaining part of this charge, saying that 
 ' "where he is personally interested, no reliance can be placed 
 on his word," is also fully sustained by the evidence, and the 
 result of the examination of a number of matters in which he 
 was interested, and where his statements were known and 
 proven to be false, to-wit : that permission had been given him 
 to hold a picnic ; that he was authorized to use the names of 
 the other grammar masters and their schools for that purpose ; 
 that he knew of no reason why the examination was less se- 
 vere to his scholars than to those of the other grammar schools; 
 that the scholars of other schools had access to the questions 
 previous to the examination ; that the articles written and 
 published by him did not in any way reflect on the members
 
 54 
 
 of tbe Board ; that he did not hire Mr. Littlefield to teach 
 in his school ; that he received no information from books or 
 persons which enabled him to answer a question correctly at 
 his examination ; that he knew of no reason for his dismissal ; 
 that the charges afterward furnished him, at his own request, 
 were untrue, or taking his own words, he says, ^^ baseless and 
 wicked Ipro7iounce them ; " that his pupils only received a ben- 
 efit of one eighth of one per cent., by having the questions in 
 which they were examined given to them some time previous, 
 and by them carried home to practice on, and in their posses- 
 sion during the whole of the examination ; that they did not 
 have access to the "Cincinnati Report," in which the questions 
 were, during the same period ; and finally that he would de- 
 liver to Mr. Terry the letter given him by Mr. Gray fpr that 
 purpose, and would not use it in this city for any purpose 
 whatever. 
 
 Charge 7. — That instead of endeavoring, in good faith, to 
 to advance the best interests of the School Department, he has, 
 since December 1st, 1862, through a disrecrard for truth, and 
 by trickery, produced mischief, disorganization, insubordina- 
 tion in the Department, and distrust in the public mind to- 
 ward it. 
 
 This charge is in part, a repetition of previous charges, yet 
 divesting it of superfluous verbiage, we find from the evidence 
 that he did not in good faith endeavor at all times to advance 
 the best interest of the School Department, and that his acts 
 and conduct showed a disregard for truth, and tended in a 
 great measure to bring the evils spoken of in the Department, 
 and undoubtedly added materially, probably more than any- 
 thing else, to the distrust in the public mind toward it. 
 
 Charge 8. — That his connection as a teacher in the Depart- 
 ment was found to be detrimental to its interest, caused a want 
 of harmony and created continued discontent on the part of 
 the teachers, on account of his notorious violation of the rules 
 and regulations of the Department, without notice being taken 
 of the same by the Board. 
 
 We find that so much of this charge as says ".that- his con- 
 tinuance as a teacher in the Department was found detrimental
 
 55 
 
 to its interest, and caused a want of harmony " is sustained, 
 and that the remainder of the charge is not sustained. 
 
 Charge 9. — That particularly during the last term he was 
 in the Department, he was delinquent in the following essen- 
 tial duties of a Principal, to wit: Supervising the conduct of 
 his pupils out of school hours, and maintaining a proper care 
 of the school premises and property. 
 
 This is the last charge, and we find from the evidence that 
 it is sustained. 
 
 The above report was adopted by a majority of the com- 
 mittee, and ordered to be presented to the Board of Education 
 as the report of said committee. 
 
 San Francisco, June 13th, 1865. 
 
 L. W. Kennedy, Chairman. 
 Giles H. Gray, Secretary, pro tern.
 
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