Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-01-20
EUsERF HOWE BANCROFT,

Hubert Howe Bancroft, who occupies a
foremost plece among American historians,
was born at Granville, O., on the 5tn of May.
1882, OF parents descended from q Yankee
stock and VINO maintained the severely devout
ussges Of PuIitanism. Ju4giGg from his
future the boy took no harm from these. he
attended school during the winter and worked
hard ia She summer. A. 10 he was placed
with his brother.in-law, George Ii. Derby, of
Buffalo, II. Y, 60 learn the trade Of book
seller In four years time he had acquired
such an acquaintance with the bu=iness that
he was intrusted by his employer with the
task Of establishing q branch store In San
Francisco. The result of this experiment is
seen to-day 10 the eminence Of the position
occupied by the tookselliog and publishing
house of A i. Bancroft & Co., San Fran
cisco. among the most distinguished firms in
the United States. With a strong DISPOSE
ton for literary work, Mr.. BIncroft is also
an excellent business man, and not until the
year 1868 did he plaza in his brothers hands
the active management of the mercantile de-
partmen5 Of the house, and devote himself
absolutely to the fascinating occupation Of
the author.
At an early stage in his career Mr.. Ban
croft began TO collect and preserve iuforma-
ton relating TO the Pacific Coast of the North
American Continent. Beginniag with such
materials as he found on the shelves of the
store in which ne spent his time, snd limit
ing his selection to what related to California
and Oregon exclusively, his work naturally
ramifed and extended in scope until it had
grown to comprehend the accumulation of
books and manuscripts containing historic
detail OF the western half of North America.
In the pursuit of his useful search Mr.. Ban
croft made many trips last aud TO Europe
and became possessed Of invaluable material,
sparing neither labor nor expense to make
his collection "a comprehensive aud perfect as
possible. By the year 1881 the Bancroft his
torical library had outgrown the practicable
ity and safety against fire of its continuance
along with the stock carried in the business.
Accordingly, Mr.. Bancroft bought large lot
in San Francisco and erected on it two
story and basement brick building, 40x60
feet, had iron shutters made for all its OPEN
ines and removed into this substantial
structure his precious collection of 50 coo
books. maps and manuscripts and 400 files Of
Pacific coast newspapers.
This building is Mr.. Bancroft's literary
workshop, wherein he is producing works
upon subjects kindred to West Coast occupa
ton snd supplementary TO bis great works,
4" The Native Races of the Pacific States !"
and History Of the Pacific States" To
assist him In his herculean tell Of reducing
his unrivsled collection of material to the
purposes of thu historian, be employs a corps
of skilled linguists ard literary experts
about thirty in number-who file away in
a systematic manner their concise statement
OF what they fad of available information.
Mr.. Bancroft is not a dry-ss-dust compiler.
Ga the contrary, bis books are as readable as
they are trustworthy and exhaustive and
their author has achieved that high rank
among historians due to completeness of in
formation, untiring assiduity and care. and
that comprehensive scope of intellectual vision
and warmth of Imagination and sympathy,
without which the most indefatigable in
dustry is inadequate TO the production of hia-
tory which will be read and will live.