The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-23


The perusal of tho catalogues revealed the
depth OF tho vistas that lay before him. But.
undiscoursged. he bought largely and reached
out In all directions for more material His
collection grow from one to nve thousand,
then to ten thousand. and By that time he had
formed connections with European dealers.
established aeebcies provided for represents
tlves ct all the important book salss. and gen.
orally made such provisions as resulted In
steady inflow OF books from all parts OF Europe
&c San Francisco
The day came at last whom Nj. Bancroft felt
that his collection was relatively complete.
and that he must determine how It should be
used. Naturally no consulted literary friends
and also some mon OF business. Many adj
vissd him to employ his material In the
OF . Pacific coast encyclopaedia
Doubtless such . work would have been val
liable. but had II been undertaken we should
have missed tho application OF an unparalleled
magazine Of facts to gigantic scheme Of his.
tory. This seemed TO Mr.. bancroft the solo
appropriate end to which such library could
be put TWAS true that ahistory OF Mexico
had been published BY scholar OF distinction.
but 1t could not be disputed that the data now
brought together very greatly exceeded both
in extent and siRniacAnce what had been
available for Prescott
1t 10 me thing. however to resolve that
library Of twenty-five or thirty thousand vol
umes In dozen languages shall 10 devoted to
a definite literary end. and It IL quite another
thing to make such an end attainable. Tho
very size OF the collection threasn At first
10 smother the undo taking. MIR. Bancroft
soon realized that for him 10 ATTEMPT the work
single handed would % madness. Tho utmost
Industry steadily oxertsd during . hundred
> ears would not suffico to reduce into nj an age.
able shape the contents Of his library. What
he had planned was q work the like OF which.
X ever approached in the past. had been con.
csivsd by some learned body or monastic
order. carried on at the cost OF some wealthy
government. an1 ex,ende over several gone
rations In time. That one man. and lie pri-
marily . man OF business aud only Incidentally
. man OF letters. should project a historical
series OF thirty.nine large octave volumes. and
should consider it possible to carry on; tho
enterprise in his own lifetime. may well have
seemed prepoeterous to the average observer.
The initial problem how to use tho library
had to be solved before the work could be be.
gun. Mr.. Bancroft Is to DO credited with the
invention OF q scientific simple. and rracti.
cable system ri indexinR which may DO said to
have produced PRINCIPLES and methods that il
in, elliRently applied must immensely increase
the productive powers Of authors and the u,il-
dexinG. which is described by Mr.. bancroft in
the present volume. 1t was made comparatively
easy to get the required Information out OF
every book In his library. and no matter how
the collection might grow the system OF index-
ing would adjust itself to the expansion. One
element OF uncertainty. Of course. remained,
the variable com retence and hdel ~ OF the en-
ployees The Importance OF this factor was
made known by vexsious experience. When
Mr.. Banc,oft's assistants were instructed to
extract certain specified In for alton from GER
tain books, It was only Of tho veterans that
satisfactory result could be predicted. Much
money and much time were wasted before a
thoroughly drilled staff was brought to gether.
ILL.,
At last tho difficulty OF overcoming the in
srtia OF tho library's mass was surnounted.
and patient labor had accumulated an euor.
nous quantity OF wsll-arranged matter on
such wide range OF subjects as rendered the
beginning OF the work Of antho.sh possible.
1t did not follow that Mr.. Bancroft would 30
capable OF putting mis- own machinery to the
literary uses for which it was intended.
Tho author o! this memoir sets forth frankly
all the hesitation and uncertainty which beset
him at This stage OF his task. 1t was long be-
fore he could decide upon the direction in
own 8 atemsnt. that he At fist desired to
leave the treatment OF the native races to q
later period. The subject was somewhat un-
congenial to him. and. indeed. its completely.
tho mass OF new facts to be examined. c!assi-
fed. and discussed. and the difficulty OF the
chronological problems involved. to say nothing
OF the lack OF trustworthy pioneers In
the field might we'll have daun,ed
more experienced investigator. With
the principles and rules. how YER. which
Mr.. Bancroft finally laid down he was
not likely 10 % far as ray. In all my
work." he writes. I ma 10 up my mind to keep
upon firm ground. to avoid meaningless and
oven technical terms. to SHIN theories. specu-
lstlons. and superstitions OF every kind. and to
deal only In facts. Ny work. I thought. could
not DO wholly worthless II gathered only facts
and arranged them In some form which should
bring them wi hin roach OF those who had not
access to my material. or could not use It II
they had" Upon these lines tn. first five VOL
umes collectively entitled Native Races"
were written: and for that reason thoy must
always constitute an absolutely Indispensable
magazine o! chronological and sociological data.
The Native Races" proved . stubborn task.
and no: until 1t was finished WAS Mr. Bancroft's
literary machinery In thorough order. His staff
OF assistants hs! to be made. and the process
tho inefficient aspirahts had teen eliminated
he had under bis hand q land OF literary work.
mon well adapted to his requirements.
Mr.. Bancroft had reason to be satisfied with
tn" reception OF Native Knces." no. only IN
tho United States but throughout Europe.
Those five initial volumes secured a wide
audience for whatever else he might say
through type. twas now known that lie pos
eessed all the nttainabl- material. and 1t was
proved that no knew how to use it to advnn-
tagc. No interruptions occurred in the sub
seQuent publication OF tho contemplated SO.
ries Year alter year chronicles were emit
ted until tho whole Pacific coast. including
Mexico and Central America hal been dealt
with In an exhaustive manner. 1t Was inev-
table that tie first really thorough research
ever maue into tho history OF those regions
should bring to light many facts which eithor
threw doubt upon or entirely dispro,ed con-
captions previously formed by loss complete
~ equipped Investigators. One may affirm
with confidence that the funess OF Mr.. Ban
croit's Information. and. 1t may be added. tho
impsr;iality Of his methods. resulted in near
II Al