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


papers preserved in the archives OF the
empire at Mexico. 1t is well known that
access to these archives is invariably re.
fused to the public, and that it required
the sovereign intervention OF an enlight-
ened Prince to render possible the long
labors of transcription.
From this sale at Lsipsic Mr.. Bancroft
secured 5000 of the rarest and most val
liable books extant. When he needed
them for use he found that they constituted
in reality the foundation of his working
library. In June of the same year small
lot from the same source was sold at Lon
don, from which, likewise, bis agents made
purchases.
From that time to the present day there
have been constant opportunities Afforded
by private and public sales for the further
enlargement of the library. Among the
most notable collections was that OF Mr.. Il.
G. Squier, man of distinguished ability
as an author, and at one time Unlted
States Minister to Central America. be
had gathered political and historical
pamphlets relating to Central America,
and choice lot of manuscripts, as well as
printed and manuscript maps. There were
fine original drawings by Catherwood OF
ruins and monolith idols, and engrayings
and photographs. There were also books
from the library of Won Humboldt,
Mr.. Sabin says: "In the department.
relative to Central America the collection
is not surpassed. Many of these books
being published in Central America,
and having rarely left the land
of their birth, are of great value and
are almost unknown outside the localities
from which they were issued" In April,
1876, this library was sold at auction in
New York, and from it Mr.. Bancroft pur-
chased whatever his own collection lacked.
Some of the Squier manuscripts are !:
"Griialva, Relacion )" "Andagoya Carta ;"
" Yzaquirre, Relaoion )" Alvarado, Car
tas - Documentos relatives la Histo.
ria de Ia Audiancia de los Confines ;"
Leon Pinelo, Relacion, and ''Velasco, Ca
pitulos de Carta."
MORE PURCHASES.
Then in 1879 followed the sale OF Caleb
Cushing's library in Boston, and IN July.
1880, the Ramirez collection. London. The
latter consisted of but l, 800 titles, but on
account their extreme rarity and value
brought astonishing prices. In purchasing
through his agent in London, Mr.. Bancroft
made cut the list of books he wanted, not
expecting the expenditure would involve
over ten thousand dollars. The numbers
ordered brought over $50, 900 Among the
works thus secured are: "Reales Cedu-
las, Reales Ordeneas, Leyes, etc. ;" " Ac.
tas Provinciales :" Albieuri, Historic de
las Alissiones :" " Figueroa, Vindicias )"
90 Papales de Jesuitas MoIf, Apuntes So
bre ell Nuevo Mexico;' and very many
others.
In its incipiency the library had humble
quarters a corner only of the second story
of the building which the business occu-
pied on Montgomery and Merchant streets.
But as the requirements of the business de-
manded, Mr.. Bancroft erected spacious
building on Market street. removing from
Montgomery street in 1870; and on the
fifth floor, with an area of ITO by 80 feet,
he located his library. At the same time
he exchanged the firm name to A. l.. Ban
croft & Co., being ambitious to make for
himself new name in the world OF letters.
Every thing was convenient and commodi-
GUS, but the fear OF fire was a bette noir,
and from the first this was considered but
temporary arrangement. Fire what
would that involve? The destruction OF
historical material that no power on earth
could reproduce. Two or three times there
was an alarm of fire on the premises, and
once in particular a dense smoke rising
from below drove the inmates of the library
on to the roof, and left its imprint on many
of the books and manuscripts.
In June, 1881, Mr.. Bancroft purchased a
lot on Valencia street, the natural continu
alton of Market street. In the center of
it he erected substantial two-story brick
building, 40 by 60 feet, and to make it
more secure from fire had iron shutters and
doors. The ample grounds are adorned
with shrubs and flowers, with masses of
scarlet geraniums, heliotrope, fuchsias and
air of refinement to the whole. The num-
Der tl53Sl upon the glass, and on the plate
in plain script "The Bancroft Library,
make it easily found by a stranger. Thus
stands the building in suburban quiet,
with unconfned air and sunlight, so essen
tial to the stimulating and sustaining of
the mental powers. The eye rests on the
beauties of nature from every side. The
coast hills in livery of green encircle the
valley, and clinging to their outlines is the
softening effect of the ocean mist.
THE BUILDING.
The interior of the building is admirably
arranged. There is no attempt at elabora-
ton everything is simply neat, tasteful
and convenient. Books in sets, collections
of voyages and Government documents
cover the walls of the first floor, while
three lofty tiers of shelving extend across
the room from north to south, which are
filed with five hundred bulky files of Pa
cifc States newspapers-an unwieldly
mass, but indispensable to the local his
torian. Here, too, is huge case for maps,
geographically arranged, and cases contain.
| ing the card, index and paper bags Of
notes.
On the second floor, as on the first, is
shelving nine feet high, extending all along
| the walls of the room. Numerous windows
admit an abundance of sunlight and fresh
air. At dozen tables are seated as many
men indexing and arranging historical ma.
! terial. At the east end is MIR. Bancroft
study, and opposite are three rooms occu.
pied by his assistants. There are photo
graphs, engIavings, drawings and unique
| specimens pertaining to his subject occupy.
ing all available space.
a curious object is a mummy, brought
! by Mr., Petroff from Alaska, and supposed
to be at least three hundred years old. II
is in glass case, brown and we'll dried,
the chin resting on the raised knees, with
hair smooth aGd black, and scanty mus.
tache and goatee, sometimes noticeable
among the Aleuts. The legend connected
with it is interesting, though there is moi
room in this article for its relation.
When the library was removed to Va
lencia street the number of It's volumes was
only approximately known, and Mr.. Ban
croft was himself surprised to find that
there was in all Sc, 600. They have been
arranged thoroughly and Systematically in
four classes. First is the working library
proper, containing 1000 printed works,
numbered and placed consecutively in al.
phabetical order in the second class are
400 rare volumes of great value, not only
pecunsrily, though worth from $40 TO $500
each, but they are Geographic curiosities,
as specimens of early printing and rare
| IiDoY1iatinq. tho third class comnrisas m mn,