Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1882-10-28
A ASTUPENDOUS WORK
The History Of the Pacific States Hubert H
Bancroft's Great Accomplishment,
ALABoR OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.


A LABOR OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
1t seems strange to look for the
leading ethnologist of the time on
these new shores, scorched with the
fierce fever consuming the veins OF
the gold hunter; yet, the fact remains
that for some years the student faces
of both Old and New England have
been turned towards the accumulated
riches of archaeological lore found
in the library of MIR. H. Bancroft of
San Francisco. Attention was first
drawn to it in 1875, by the pubiica-
ton of history of the "Natipe
Races of the Pacific States" in five
octave volumes. It took the world of
scholars by storm, both in Europe
and America, bringing from Herbert
Spencer, Lecky, Carlyle, Draper,
Parkman. Wendall Phillips and
others. bouquets of choicest praise to
the feet of the author. But this
work was mere incident, or, in some
sense, an introduction to the His
tory of the Pacific States" now rap
idly approaching completion. This
will form a complete and sustained
history from the arrival of the Euro
peans to the present time, comprising:
Central America, Mexico, New Mex
leo and Arizona. California, Utah,
Nevada, The NORTHWEST Coast, Ore
gon, Washington, Idaho and Mon
tana, and British Columbia and
Alaska, in all twenty eight volumes
Following this will be published
some special works on subjects con-
nected with West Coast occupa-
ton: the whole to be given to the
world at the rate of three or four
volumes a year. This is one of the
most stupendous literary undertak-
ings of modern times.
Fortunately for the success of the
enterprise it has been undertaken
from standpoint of unusual advan-
tage. Mr. Bancroft has been able to
supply himself with exceptional ia
cilities for its prosecution. Coming
to this coast thirty years ago, when
the gold fever had reached its high
est flush, he has spent the greatest
portion of his life in the midst of the
stirring scenes that will form the
subject matter of much of his work.
He has witnessed the making of some
of the most thrilling chapters of
the history that he purposes to write.
He has been the contemporary of
that grand race of pioneers now rap
idly passing away, whose strong
hands bore the banner of civilization
to this utmost limit of its course to-
wards the sunset, and laid the found
ations of permanent empire here in
the farthest west, where the wilder
ness weds the sea; assuredly, there
fore, he must be in sympathy with
his subject, and every pulsation of
his being must beat in rhythmic &C
cord with the throbbing current of
events around him.
But aside from his personal con-
tact with the transactions of which
he will be called to treat in his later
volumes,it has been Mr.. Bancroft's pe-
culiar good fortune to be enabled to
collect, during the last quarter of a
century,s store Of historical materials
of unexampled richness and variety.
With q wise forecast at an early day
that the time would come when the
history Of the pioneer age of the Pa
cific coast and of the wonderful ''days
of gold" would need to be accurate
ly written, he saw also that in the
hurry and hustle of the times the
materials for such a history were be-
ing scattered and hither and thither,
like the leaves of the sibyl blown
about by the winds, and were in dan
ger of being lost, unless gathered
and preserved by careful hands. He
therefore took upon himself this
work OF preservation, and began to
collect the data for a future record of
passing events on this coast, just as
Thucydides commenced gathering
the materials for a history Of the Pei
oponnesian war, while the war was
yet in progress. At first, however, he
had no thought of doing more than
merely to collect and preserve such
books and pamphlets pertaining to
the history of Oregon and California
as chanced to come in his way as a
bookseller, nor had he any intention
OF himself undertaking the writing
of that history. But the work grew
upon him as he proceeded and he
ultimately decided to include in his
collection all that had been written
relating to the whole western half of
the continent from the earliest period
to his own time, and gradually ma
tured plan for utilizing his mater
ials in the production Of a compre-
hensive history of this entire region.
He has devoted himself to this work
for twenty five years with the en-
ergy OF an enthusiast and with the
careful and exact method of prac
tical man of business. He has given
to it the best years of his life, expend-
ing his time, labor and money upon
it without stint. He has gone in
person or sent his agents to the IL
braries and boOk-markets of both
hemispheres in the ardent and ardu-
GUS hunt for books and manuscripts
relating to the Pacific coast, purchas-
ing all that could be obtained with
out regard to cost and the search is
still gong on. He has also col
lected hundreds of personal nara
tives and reminis cences of the early