A PIONEER AUTHOR TO A PIONEER EDITOR.
ONE of the most interesting books
relating to pioneer days
is John McDonald's "Sketches,"
a small volume of 267
pages, reprinted from a series of
articles contributed to the
Western Christian Advocate. The author
was born in 1775,
and died in Ross county, Ohio, in 1853.
He passed through
the rough, wild experience of frontier
life;-was in turn boat-
man, hunter, surveyor, military officer,
and state legislator.
Colonel McDonald was a friend and
associate of Simon Ken-
ton, and was himself familiar with the
exploits and dangers
of Indian warfare.
Shortly after the "Sketches"
came out in book form, the
work was reviewed by William D.
Gallagher in his magazine,
The Hesperian. The gratified author
returned his thanks to
the editor in a characteristic letter,
which Mr. Gallagher pre-
sented to me a few years ago, and which
is here published
for the first time. The epistle is
without date, but must have
been written in September, 1839, when
the author was about
sixty-four years old. The spelling,
capitalization and punctu-
ation of the original manuscript are
reproduced in the printed
copy.
[John McDonald to William D.
Gallagher.]
POPLER RIDGE, NEAR LATTAS, ROSS COUNTY
OHIO.
Dear Sir
A friend has recently placed in my hand
the Hesperian.
I have read through the two volumes; and
I am much pleased
with the plan and execution of your
project. Your work is
Geographical-Historical-Biographical-Political-Poetical
-agricultural-Theological, and sprinkled
over with fancy
sketches of Romance. A reader must have
a mudy intelect
indeed, who cannot find in the Hesperian
something to in-
struct, amuse, and please his fancy. I
will be mistaken if
your literary labor will not travil down
the road of time with
the immortal works of Plutarch.
I have written and caused to be
published, in the Western
Christian Advocate, sketches of the
doings and character of
four brothers of the name of Whetzel,
who were distinguished
255