Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-13
THE BOOK TABLE.
BANCROFT,S ARIZONA AND NEW
MEXICO.
Literary Notes-Some Recent Novels
The Chinese Questionable
ties Of the Civil War.

Volume XVII. History of Arizona and New
Mexico [of the History of the Pacific States
of America series], San Francisco: The His
tory Company, publishers.
As the author of the volume under
notice we'll says, there are several reasons
that conspire to make the history of Ari-
iona and New Mexico one of profound in
terest. No part of the North American
Pacific Coast, if we except only that of
Mexico, is invested with deeper interest.
These territories were the first to be en-
tered by Europeans of whose occupancy of
the section history was published a full
decade prior to the landing of the Pilgrims
at Plymouth Rock. The Pueblo civilization;
the romantic events of the early history of
the territories; the struggles with the
Apache tribes; the acquisition by the
United States: the fact that a large portion
of one of the Territories is still inhabited by
Spanish-speaking people; the peculiar
ties of the topography of the region and of
the climate-all these contribute to make
the history of Arizona aud New Mexico, as
Mr.. Bancroft says. of unsurpassed interest.
1t cannot be expected that after the author
has compressed into a single volume the
history of these Territories, so old in their
civilization and comprising such a vast
stretch of time, any attempt will be made
to give here even an outline of the work.
1t must suffice to briefly indicate the gen.
eral features. The historical narration be-
gins with reference to the entry of the
Spanish into the region in the sixteenth
century and their contact with the aborigi-
nal races described in Bancrofts Native
Races of the Pacific States" work that
was the cradle of the more extended series
that has been so frequently commended in
these columns. The historian then takes
up the orthward movement of the Span
iards out of Mexico, and treats quite freely
of the fascinating Northern Mystery"
The discovery of Arizona in 1889 is
next taken up, followed by a
review of the operations of Coro-
nado in New Mexico between 1910
and 1912. From that point the recital is
more elaborate. and carries the reader
through the history of the two Territories
up to the present, the record including a
very full consideration of the Indian and
military affairs, the invasion of New Mex
leo by the Confederates, the era OF pros
perity and new life that dawned with rail-
road construction, and the industrial, COM
mercial aud social condition from that
time, 1878, to the present. The volume
covers period and consideration of inter-
ests and annals that in the case of Califor-
mia required seven volumes. But why such
extension of text was not necessary in the
case of Arizona and New Mexico, Mr..
Bancroft explains by, saying that all Span
ish-American provinces are in certain re-
spects so similar in their annals TO one
another that it was and is believed suf-
ficient and best in a comprehensive work
like this to present the minutia of local
q mo mol <>fh t,fA
California was chosen for this purpose, not
only because of its modern prominence, but be-
cause its records are remarkably perfect, and
because its position on the coast, facilitating
intercourse with Mexico and foreign nations its
mission system, its trading and smuggling expe-
rience, its Russian complications, its political
vicisstudes, and its emigrant and other foreign
elements gave to its history, as compared with
that OF interior provinces, notable variety,
tending greatly to mitigate the inevitable mo-
notony OF all provincial annals, even before the
knowledge of its golden treasure came to startle
the world. The history of New Mexico, written
on the same scale as that of the Pacific province
would not only fill many volumes but from the
lack of continuous archive evidence, and from
the fact that the story goes back beyond the aid
of memory, it would be at the best fragmentary
and irregular; and by reason of the country's
isolation and non-intercourse with the outer
world. as well as on account of the peculiar
nature of lis petty events. it would also be
most tedious reading. Not only is this
true of the first and most important pc
Rod of the countrys history-that of Span
ish rule TO 1S2l-but of the second period, en-
braeing the Mexican rule of 1926, the growth
OF the Santa Fe trade, change of flag, the In
dian wars, and the early Territorial days down
to 1875 or later The Mexican Mchive record is
more meager even than the Spanish the early
enthusiasm OF conquest and exploration had died
out, nothing more monotonous in detail than
the endless succession of Indian wars can be
imagined. and of the more important even's
and developments several are more convent
9 car tod in 10 Rf
other adjoining regions And rs to the third
and last period, that of railroads, Indian reser-
vations, mining Developments industrial pro-
gress and American immigration, valid reason
for condensation is found IN the fact that this
grand unfolding of resources has Just begun
thut IL is in transitory, changeable condition,
so that the result of the most minute treatment
would probably become antiquated and OF COM
paratively little value within few years"
The explanation is entirely satisfactory,
and 10 those who have read the preceding
volumes OF Bancroft's works was really I'M
necessary, since the reasons given by the
historian are to such readers apparent.
Bancroft in the present volume has bene-
fitted in style by the conciseness which he
felt TO be necessary and wise There is no
loss of clearness, while the recital of fact
is made more vigorous by the closer con-
nectedness of its parts. The romantic
story OF the two Territories to which at this
time so much attention is drawn, is to
simply clearly and with admirable direct
ness OF method. As the volumes of the
series draw to the conclusion of Mr..
Bancrofts great work, the Importance,
exhaustiveness and value of his life's
great labor rise more prominently
to view. Its true proportions develop
as time puts it into that perspective
OF distance which is essential to the devel-
opmert to the eye OF all great work When
the historian shall have passed from the
stage OF human action. his contribution to
American history will stand out boldly in
all It's worth, and its symmetrical proper
tons will be fully discovered, of which
but few, comparatively, now have an ade-
quate conception. There are greatly less of
terrifying notes and citations from archives
in this volume than in any of its prede-
cessors; at the same time more, compare
lively, of the recital of fact with less of
comment thereon, has been carried into
the text, and this results in advantage to
the book. So that the character of this
history of the last of the Pacific States
proper, is in several respects superior to some
of the other efforts OF the historian. New
ertheless, if we could, we would not turn
back and have single chapter eliminated
from these works, which are destined to
fill place in the worlds history of such
great Importance.
"The Atomic Weights and Their Varia-
TONS By L. Vogel, NJ. d. San Francisco,
The Bancroft Company. PIP. liz. Price,
90 cents. On the basis of Stas' expert
mental results the author has established
the new and fundamental fact that weight
is not constant, but varies with chemical
action according to a definite law. With
regard 10 the evidence put forth in support
OF this conclusion il can be stated that the
treatise having already been for some time
in the hands of the competent authorities.
no attempt at refutation has so far been
made, but an opinion of the reality of va.
ration has been expressed. Two very
interesting and important problems which,
in spite of all efforts have hitherto re-
manned unsolved, find with the variation
of weight their solution, viz, the truth of
Prout's hypothesis and the establishment
of the molecular weights of liquids and
solids The author has calculated from
whole numbers the atomic weights of al
most all of the 66 elements, and shows the
correctness in every instance by compari-
son with the recognized experimental data
on record. He shows further that the spe-
cifc heats are modified by combination
with condensation, and how, from the
modified specific heats, the molecular
weights of all gases, liquids and solids
follow, aud 126 determinations of the mole
cular weights of gaseous and non. gaseous
elements and compounds are presented.
The cause of variation is pointed ont as