Charles W. Chesnutt to the Secretary to the Governor of Ohio, 17 September 1921
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September 17, 1921.
Secretary to the Governor,
Columbus, Ohio.
Dear Sir:
Thanks for blank application for commission as Notary Public, which I return herewith filled out, with fee of one dollar.1 Prompt return of the commission will be appreciated.2
Yours very truly, CWC/FLCorrespondent: The secretary to the Governor of Ohio was an appointed position. One of the secretary's duties was to handle the details of commissioning notaries public, of which the governor appointed as many as needed.
1. Chesnutt requested the form three days earlier; see his letter from September 14, 1921. [back]
2. Being a notary public enabled Chesnutt to take depositions, certify official documents, and administer oaths. A commission as a notary public in Ohio required an initial certification by a judge, an application, and a bond to the state ($1,500 by 1921) and had to be renewed every three years. By 1921, the commission required a fee of $1.00. [back]
