Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-11-07
BANCROrT's HISTORY.
Hubert II. bancroft and His Historical
Undertakings.

Bancroft and OF his remarkable historical |
efforts in California but his methods, and |
his marked success in securing vast |
amount Of information which otherwise |
would have been lost to the world and /
in condensing the knowledge thus saved |
and presenting 1t in series of clear and |
interesting narratives in the form of vol |
umes OF history, are not so well known.
As Mr.. Bancroft is now making the tour
of this state, Texas being included in the |
tield OF his historical Investigations, and
| two of his associates, Col. j. I. Grayson
and Col. George II. Morrison, both gem
tlemanly and intelligent men and devoted
to their work, being at present in this
city gathering material for this history,
brief explanation of Mr.. Bancroit's
literary undertaking may not be out of
place;
Mr.. Bancroft is native of Ohio,
brought up TO the book business at Buff
falo, N. Y, and was sent by his employer
to California In 1852 TO start bookstore
there, which is still running, being the
largest establishment of the kind west OF
the Mississippi river. The story OF the
great gold discovery, or series of dis
coyeries which have originated hundreds
OF new societies, and revolutionized the
commerce and finances of the world, is
SO full of startling incidents and strange
experiences as to carry it almost out OF
the category of facts and place it in the
; field OF romance.
In all this Mr.. Bancroft became deeply
interested, and when he saw that nine
tenths of it was being lost, he went to
work to save what he could.
OF the value of such work, it
is unnecessary at this day to
speak. The experience OF those who
2 have gone before us are full of whole
some interest to us. BY them we may
] learn to avoid their mistakes and profit
= by their success. 1t is an elevating and
s ennobling occupation, and one that Is eX-
> ceedingly profitable as web, for ourselves
and our children, the study of history
I particularly our own history, and that OF
our neighbours Mr.. Bancroft's interest
! in his self-imposed task grew on him until
= it resulted in the collection of library
. of 90, 900 volumes, the erection of brick
building to hold 1t, the employment OF u
dozen able assistants, and the extraction
a of this immense mass Of historical data
l. and condensing it into series of histo
h rles, the whole to be comprised
5 when finished, in thirty-nine volumes
S and to embrace the western hal
!, of North America, including all of Cen
1t trail America and Mexico Texas, Callfor
n mia, Colorado, and the rest, to Alaska
/, And it is safe to say that owing to the en-
g terprlse and cxertions of this one man
C involving a lifetime and a fortune ircel,
spent by him, this whole vast re
e zion, upon which is now rapidly derei
/. oping n civilization superior to any Tn
d sun Shines upon, there will be secured t
e it, and to its posterity forever, fulle
re and more truthful account of its early az
0. nails than that of any other section OF III
!, globe.
Id without going into details regardln
Mr.. Bancroft's procedure IN regard I
he other localities, we will give his memo
nc in treating of Texas us 1t has been eNN
lt planned to us. Here, as in California !
err working up matters from the local sulhu
~ noint. he found the origin or beginning @
3. his narrative ever receding, going ial
* Their and farther back until he was iinalI
nv convinced that the only way to give Il tul
in and original history of Texas and Can
lis fornia was to 90 back to Mexico and Cen
trail America, to the coming OF the mrs
st Europeans to North America, and becom
ed inr inbued with the spirit which Sulde
,r- them. follow them down in all their act
in and adventures TO the time when tne wv
ng treat sections, Texas and California, le
ely successfully from the grasp OF the spar
he iards Thus he was enabled 10 truc
as somewhat as from a Mexican standpoint
.or though always remembering that ne
~ not n Mexican, the history OF Texas doW
he IN the Texan independence OF Mckee
Wis after which time, OF course, the histor
lee of Texas is wholly separate
, a There was glamour hanging arouI
led All this region long after the more sout
ay- ern sections were fully known, arislI
al from the early rumors OF strange nalion
rich cities and interoceanic STRATUS.
art a long time it was the El Dorado OF NE
raj leo, the colony Of colony, win nelus
of enterprise in war, mining, anu SUI
it raising. 1t was the grandest OF nllsslo
lrs ary lands, where Jesuits anu fTanoisoa "a,
er stroye TO redeem sous anu eourUii9' ~
nd tons for communal societies. Inc Gro
hocomcs the real path-opener, in VINO
the ,,,okr follow the typical missions ana pr
he sidjos here intensified in reality mo
rim o.,oinst foreign entertainments lh
,ith as5,inst the Indians. Round these pIuc
der settlement clustered--the trlar, the -
and dier The settler, minglng with plrat'
he sn,uoglers, and political schemers'
urn dusEy aboriginal being good LOT
! 10 inns the history Of Texas uniolds WI
vim nrculiar interest as it drops from
peryeless grasp Of Mexico, assumes IN.
nendence, and finally merges as the "a, ia'
the est member, full of mighty possiloi'''i'
ces into the more progressive republic,
last We might 90 ON and elaborate concern conc y,
the restless colonsts OF the uhlteu >",
he seeking openings for fresh enterpri ,,,i
nile results OF which, both politlcai anu
cial can be traced through suose4u'
With empire.founding, all along the roau W,
rht, ward to the Pacific ocean, the w
which remain to-day, and Nhlcn i ~
can be wholly obliterated, "hh,o ,,,,,n,
was destiny OF the people ald .ne t tUu
they But enough has been saiu, vi ~
rack satisfy our readers Una. tnls w ~ y
4th imnortance to the people OF Texas, n
tney t t social and material relations ~
a B. we Greatly misunderstood our pe9,pi,
.nhle NJ, NC 40 not extend TO MIR, Bancroits