An Illustrated Historical and Biographical Sketch of the Descendants of William Cowden, Who Migrated From Ireland to America About A. D. 1730, and of James Gilliland, Who Came From the Same Land and About the Same Time - Including a Sy... #223136

Less, and have come to feel, as never before, that we are indeed members of one familv as in very truth we are. Our traditions, our marked facial resemblances, our family names. As, Robert, James, liliiam, John, David, Joseph, Samuel, Speer, Mary, Margaret, Catharine. Elisabeth, Jennett, Isabel, and Mc Chesney, found in nearly every home, all seem to point unerringly to the identity of our ancestry. Personally it has been a delight to the writer to collect and compile the necessary data for the work. At the first it was only contemplated to arrange in columns by generations on a wall-chart the probable three hundred or four hundred names; but as the nets were cast and the contents noted. Behold, a multitude! Fully four times as great as was expected! The small boat — the chart idea — was abandoned and a ship con structed to accommodate the larger company. The purpose, as you see from the plan, was, to accurately locate each individual member, with a glimpse at his home-life, profession or occupation, whether in Boston or San Francisco, Illinois or Mexico, so that he may be called at any time to the phone for a Hello chat or to the office for a letter. Thus each may be at all times in vital touch with every other member. If this has been accomplished, and if you are pleased, the writer has his reward.