332 OCEAN TO OCEAN ON HORSEBACK. 



by through the carelessness of a brakeman who neg- 

 lected to announce the stations. The town is quite an 

 important point on the road for its size owing to the 

 extensive fruit orchards of the surrounding farms. 

 This common industry which has sprung up in all 

 parts of the State, but especially in the southern por- 

 tion, and which attracts more attention than anything 

 else, is a contradiction to the statements of those who 

 examined the country while it was yet a wilderness. 



In 1815 the surveyor-general of Ohio made a 

 journey through the State and soberly reported that 

 not more than one acre in a thousand in Southern 

 Michigan would in any case admit of cultivation, 

 yet notwithstanding that worthy's opinion, six hun- 

 dred thousand peach trees flourished in South- 

 western Michigan in 1872 ! Surely that is a fact to 

 be proud of. On my arrival at Decatur I found the 

 Eagle of Grand Rapids, containing mention of my 

 lecture at that place as follows : 



"A very large audience gathered at Luce's Hall last night to hear 

 Captain Willard Glazier. The speaker was earnest and impassioned 

 his lecture was delivered with a force and eloquence that pleased his 

 hearers, and all who were in the hall went away glad that they had 

 been there, and ready to add to the praises that have been bestowed 

 on Captain Glazier as soldier, author and orator." 



Such notices were gratifying — not for the leaven of 

 flattery which they contained, but because they helped 

 along the cause which was to raise a shaft to the 

 deserving dead. For this reason I appreciated the 

 comments of the press and owed much to its co-opera- 

 tion. It is a pleasure to me to acknowledge my 

 indebtedness to this most powerful agent of modern 

 times^ 



