Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1883-02-09

IRON 10 to 80 documents heretofor,
wholly unknown, each of which by
itself would send the enthusiastic loea
annalist into ecstasies. Two hundred
volumes Of original narratives from
memory by as many early Californians
native and pioneer, written by them
selves or taken down from their lips by
Mr.. Bancrofts agents. constitute q
valuable and unique mass OF historic
data; and finally miscellaneous collec
ton, 1870 volumes strong, completes the
Californian manuscripts. The thought
full visitor is impressed particularly with
the ideas, first, that 1t would by folly
to attempt the writing on an ex.
haustive history without this ma
terial; and secondly, that for no other
country in the world does there exist SO
perfect collection of material for its
earliest annals. The fourth class is that
made up of $50 works of reference, bib.
biographies, etc. This makes a total OF
IL, $50 volumes, which were placed on
this upper floor Immediately on CON-
pletion Of the building.
Descending by wide, open stairway,
which practically throws the whole
Library into one room, the visitor finds
on the Sidewalk shelves of the lower de-
partment l04 sets, aggregating 10000
volumes. These sets are conveniently
lettered and numbered in a manner that
renders each work readily accessible,
but which need not be described in de-
tail here. They consist of large collec-
tons of voyages aud travels, and OF doe
uments, periodicals, legislative and
other public productions of the differ
ent States and Territories, collections Of
laws and legal reports, California Su-
books, almanacs, directories, folios,
bound volumes of pamphlets, and other
miscellaneous matter. Here may BIO
noticed Lord Kingsborough's famous
foiios on Mexscan antiquities: splendid
set of the United States Exploring Er.
podition in 81 volumes. quarto and folio;
the tones of photographs and engrav-
ings on Mexican and Central American
ruins, by Charnay. Waldeck, Dupaix,
and Others; 1870 volumes of Judge Ben
Hayes historical collection on Southern
California; works in Russian, on Alaska;
and the Ross colony; and some thou
sands OF Mexican sermones in 60
volumes. OF no inconsderable impor-
lance is q set of Papeies Parios, in PIG
volumes, including some 5000 Mexican
pamphlets, largely political in their
nature, and invaluable for historic
purposes. This grand set has been
formed by uniting dozen smaller ones
collected by as many prominent Mexi-
cans in past years. On the rear OF wes-
tern walls, are the United States gov
eminent documents, numbering 1000
volumes. Three lofty double tiers of
shelving which extend across the room
from north to south, are loaded with
the bulky files OF 400 Pacific States
newspapers, before mentioned, amount
ing-if year of weeklies and three
months of dailies, be counted volume
to over 1000 volumes. It is some
what unwieldy mass, but indispensable
to the local historian. In this room is a
huge case with drawers for maps, geo
graphically arranged, and also cases
containing card indexes and catalogues,
which have been prepared with great
labor and which for working purposes
are found infinitely preferable to anysys-
tenn of classifying books on the shelves.
Amongst the first labors of the librarian
after removal, was to copy the card cat
alogueinto an imperial folio volume of
l40O pages, and place in each volume
the book mark of "The Bancroft Libra
ry." Maps and historic prints fill all
not otherwise occupied space on the
walls; scattered about on top of the
bookcases, and elsewhere, are some
aboriginal relics and curiosities which
have at various times been presented to
the Library by its admirers, but Mr..
Bancroft makes no effort to collect in
this direction. The basement OF the
is used for storage of fuel, of
stereotype plates, and other articles.
The Library is stillgrowing at the rate
OF about 900 volumes year.
1t is clearly evident to every intelligent
person, that the creation of this Library
was an important event in the annals Of
the country. Nothing approaching it
in originality, value, and magnitude, has
ever been accomplished in America, even
by State, Government, or Society.
None but a private individual could
have collected this material; none but a
man of ability, wealth, and literary en-
thusiasm-qualities which we rarely
see combined-could have remained
capable and constant during the long
series of years necessary to such devel-
opment. II State or society would
vote and supply the money, which they
would be backward about doing, even If
they could; and If the officers of the
State or Society did not steal or misap-
ply it; where would be found q compe-
tent person ready to devote thirty years
OF his life in the quiet, persistent effort
necessary? Who would have tramped
the whole world, searching every nook
and corner of it for additions to an ac-
emulation of facts? And when all
printed material had thus been brought,
from the four quarters of the earth, the
work was only just begun. There were
o thousan1, five thousand witnesses to
the early history Of this coast yet living,
whom, as before minated, Mr.. Ban
croft resolved to see and question, all
Of them possible; and thousand he did
see, and thousand his assistants saw,
and wrote down from their own mouths
the vivid narratives of their experiences.
Then there were the government and
family archives which he gathered or
copied, and the thousands of stray doc
uments he hunted and filed away for
safe keeping. And after many years
were thus spent, and many thou
sands of dollars. to erect sub
stantial edifice for the accommodation
and preservation of this priceless ma
terial-has the thing ever been done in
such Way as this befores M ona with