Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1884-03-05

speaking OF IluDcfo H. pahOioi'
the historian, the San Francisco Post
says:
Whether the circumstances be grave
or CAV. traditional or didatic in nature,
dramatic in situation or electrical in
incident, religious in sentiment or
wildly heroic in aciion-this author
has an acute sense Of propriety in his
treatment OF the subject and the figures
with which he illustrates it. In his
description of poetic subjects he
clothes his imagery with the graceful
festoonery of polished rhetoric, and
his martial scenes are strong and ring
ing with the stalwart accents of pure
and robust English. The superficial
critic who AYERS that many pens have
combined to make this series of his
tories, has but 10 trace the charming
eyenness that charncteriZes the flow OF
the narrative in the ten volumes al
ready issued, to be convinced that the
elegant genius Of master mind is
over. every chapter, and that no prem
tice hand can have had place or privi-
lege in the framing Of the story. The
Judgment, the style, the classic taste.
the ripe culture, the chosen forms of
clear expression are uniform through
out and bear the signet tracings of
Hubert II. Bancroft's mentality.
Nor Is it alone in the somber prose
of war, Invasion and conquest that this
historian finds field for his well-trained
powers. A keen appreciation of hu.
NOR pervadcs the relation of every
occurrence tinged with folly; and an
effective ridicule belittles incidents
unworthy of stately consideration. We
COPY page in illustration of this
quality of the author, end with the
extract below close our consideration
Of volume which gives added honor
TO the most distinguished author of
our Coast Referring to a war with
xugland, he records:
1t had been known to the Californi.
ans that Spain was on the verge of II
war with England, the effect being
much foolish excitement All foreign.
ers were regarded as possible foes;
harmless traders were arrested and
sent 10 Mexico; and couriers dashed to
and fro with orders and reports as if
the country were already invaded The
mere rumor of possible war causing
all this ado, the reader may imagine
the excitement when it was known
In 1897 that war had actually been
declared. The records overflow with
martial correspondence; nearly $4,000
was contributed for defense; muskets
by the half dozen were sent t0eXpOsed
points; the militia was organized
and elaborate instructions were issued
to subordinate officials. There were
only about fifty soldiers in the whole
peninsula; and the garrison at San
Jose del Cabo, one of the points re-
garded as most important and most
likely to be attacked, was five soldiers
and two armed citizens. But the peo-
Die we're not discouraged, and the
Governor was confident that the in.
vadef would I've repulsed with igno-
miny. The drOwsy spell ever hanging
0veT the pininsula was for time exor
cised; and more paper was used for
Official correspondence than for cigar.
cites. The shabby, unpaid trooper
patched up his leatbern armOr in grim
anticipation of foe worthy of his
Spanish valor; the vecino furnished
mn his rusty firelock, an heirloom
from the days of OtondO, more deadly
to the patriot at the butt than to the
invader at the muzzle; and even that
poor, cOwed creature, the neophyte,
twanged the bow of his savage sire
and footed it in the war dance to show
his anxiety to defend the country he
had lost IN behalf of those who had
robbed him of it. Unhappily for
those who hoped to earn glorious
laurels, but fortunately for the ma
vies of Great Britain, the conquest
of California was not attempted. True,
. feet OF sixteen sail was sighted off
San Miguel, but after 81 900 had been
spent in publishing the alarm, the dis
appointed and warlike watchers had
% admit that they had been threatened
1y nothing more formidable than an
a1mada Of clouds"