John B, Dillon of Indiana; Lyman C. Draper of Wisconsin; T. Herbert Whipple of Illinois; Sullivan D. Harris and A. B. Laurens of Columbus; John H. James of Urbana; and Harvey Rice of Cleveland, Ohio.
The biographic notices furnish not merely interesting personal facts, but will be found valuable by students of bibliography, and of the history of periodical literature. The aid which has been rendered the Editor in their preparation is announced in the table of Contents.
The order of arrangement is according to the time when, as nearly as could be ascertained, the respective poets included were recognized by the public; excepting for the period 1850-60, in which the order of succession is according "to date of birth.
Trusting that his labors will promote encouragement of local literature among the people for whom he has worked, and believing that what is here collected will enhance respect for that literature, the Editor submits this volume not less cheerfully to their discriminating criticism than to the general good-will, which, in terms demanding gratitude, but with it enforcing embarrassment, has been expressed in leading periodicals and newspapers.
