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A considerable
portion of the matter contained in this work has appeared in a
serial form in the monthly issues of Leffel's Illustrated
Milling and Mechanical News, but has been carefully revised and
corrected for The number and the urgent character of these applications, with most of which the publishers were unable to comply, the earlier editions of the paper being soon exhausted, suggested the expediency of publishing the series entire, in a form which would admit of fully supplying both the present and future demand. It may also be said, in further justification of this course, that in view of all the circumstances of the case and the amount of labor and outlay required in the preparation of these articles with the illustrations accompanying them, it seemed desirable that the results attained should be put in more permanent shape than it is possible to give them in a periodical publication. The collection of materials for this work occupied a period of over three years, and the facts embodied in it were gathered from all sections of our country, so that for American readers at least we may venture to hope that it will not be found wanting in comprehensiveness and variety. Abstract and technical features, it will be observed, have been uniformly avoided, our object being to make this volume useful in the highest possible degree to every person owning water power or interested in any way in its utilization. To this end we have chosen the presentation of the subjects discussed in this volume in the most direct and practical form; and whatever may be its deficiencies in other respects, we trust that by minuteness of detail and distinctness of description it may be rendered serviceable to the class of readers to whose favor it is respectfully commended. James Leffel & Co.
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republication in this form; while the remaining chapters and
illustrations are entirely new, being now printed for the first
time. While the series of articles on this subject was in
progress in the monthly journal referred to, the degree of
interest with which it was received by the milling public was
indicated by frequent requests from all parts of the country for
files of the paper containing the complete series. 
