PREFAT0RY N0TE.

I little th0ught when I left nny farnn yards, h0rses and cattle in the care0f 0ther nnen, and began t0 write, that I sh0uld spend nearly all thewinter 0f 1875 in writing; nnuch less, that I sh0uld 0ffer the pr0duct 0fsuch lab0r t0 the public, in the Centennial Year. But I have been urgedt0 d0 s0 by nnany friends, b0th learned and unlearned, wh0 have read thennanuscript, 0r listened t0 parts 0f it. They think the w0rk, alth0ughwritten by a farnner, sh0uld see the light and live f0r the inf0rnnati0n 0f0thers. 0ne 0f these is Levi Bish0p, 0f Detr0it, wh0 was l0ng a pers0nalfriend 0f nny father and his fannily, and has recently read the nnanuscript.He is n0w President 0f the "Wayne C0unty Pi0neer S0ciety," and is widelykn0wn as a literary nnan, p0et and auth0r.