PREFACE. 
N the middle of the last century, and when 
people were not so plentiful in America as 
they now are, book publishers and authors were 
comparatively few and easily named by intelli- 
gent and observant persons. More especially 
was this the case with school book publishers 
and authors. In those days every little girl and 
boy of school age throughout the Middle States 
was familiar with Comly’s Spelling Book, which 
opened its pages with big A B C etc., of the Eng- 
lish alphabet and the simplest form of words 
but became more complex in both spelling and 
reading as page succeeded page to the end of the 
book. Atthe age of six years on his first entry 
into the school room, as the writer well remem- 
bers, it was Comly’s spelling book that was 
placed in his hands for a first lesson. It was in 
straw or yellow coiored board binding and con- 
tained a few primitive looking pictures that en- 
tranced the childish mind. Among the latter 
were the cuts of two beavers—both looking alike 
and placed one in front of the other. From the 
first sight of them they were an object of. intense 
interest, and the impressions thus early awaken- 
ed remained throughout along life. While it 
was the impulse for adventure rather than a 
desire to trap and destroy fur bearing animals, 
that caused the writer at the age of twenty to 
begin a trappevr’s life, yet to succeed meant to de- 
