River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-01-22

friends who knew of the attack of
illness which carried him off. Death
occurred at $40 o'clock Saturday after
noon. The end was quiet and peaceful
and came after period of unconscious
ness lasting about twenty-four hours.
The interment will take place at
Worcester, Mass, where Mr.. Bancroft $
wife is buried.
George Bancroft was born in Worcester
Mass. October3 1900. He was one OF a numer-
Gus family, was educated at Exeter n. H.,
under Or. Abbott who saw that he had 1.-THE
stamina OF distinguished man" In 1918 he
entered Harvard College. and graduating.
with high honors in 1917, went the fol-
lowing year to Germany 10 pursue his
studies, receiving his degree as doc
tor OF philosophy at Gottingen in
1920 Mr.. Bancroft later visited Berlin, ana
made an extensive tour Of Germany. Switzer
land Italy and England enjoying personal ac
Quaintances wiz many of the most dis
tinguished lneR of the period in those coun-
tries. He returned to America in 1S23 and was
Tor year tutor of Greek at Harvard College.
He had been designed for the ministry and
preached some sermons, but abandoned
that profession for the pursuit Of
letters. Mr.. Bancrofts most enduring fame
will rest upon his History of the United States
from the discovery of the American continent.
OF which the first volume appeared in 1884
Mr.. Bancroft had early associated himself
with the Democratic party. and in
the lecture room and on the stump
frequent and earnest advocate of its
principles In January. 1888, he was APP
pointed by President Van Buren, collector of
the port OF Boston, an Office which he held
until the accession of Harrison in 1871 dis
charging its duties with marked energy and
fidelity. In 1874 he was the Demo
4. a..
chusetts, but was not elected. In March
of the following year he was called
by President Polk to seat in his Cabinet as
Secretary Of the Navy, a position which he
held until September, 1S4S His brief tenure
OF the Navy Department was signalized by
several needed reforms, and especially by two
important additions to its usefuness--the
naval school at Annapolis and the astronomical
observatory at Washington. Ir. Bancroft
resigned his seat in the Cabinet to accept the
appointment OF Minister Plenipotentiary to
Great Britain, where he remained until the
summer of 1sia. His residence in London,
apart from the distinguished post he occupied
as his country's representative derived yet
further luster from the intimate association into
which he was called with the eminent men OF
letters and statesmen of The day. OF such were
Macauley, Milman, Grote, Rogers, Dickens,
Whewell, Peel and Brougham, in England;
and in France Guizot. Mgnet, Lamartine De
not fail TO avail himself of the rare opportuni-
ties which his public and private relations
afforded for enrichng his store of docu-
ments upon American history. The public
archives in England and France were thrown
open to him, and many private collections of
manuscripts were placed AT his disposal Upon
his return to America Mr.. Bancroft made New
York his place OF residence and resumed act
i've work upon his history. At the OBJ
sequies held in Nex York upon tho passage
OF the remains OF President Lincoln
through that city after the assassination
in April, 1865, Mr.. Bancroft by request OF the
municipal government, delivered the eulogy.
In February following, by invitation of Con
gress and in the presence of that body and OF
the assembled officers of the Government. he
pronounced an Grafton upon the life and serv-
ices Of Abraham Lincoln in the House of Rep
resentatiyes at Washington In the
summer OF 1857 Mr.. Bancroft received
the appointment of Minister Plenipo-
Tertiary at Berlin. The Kingdom OF Prussia
81 this time as result Of the civil war OF the
previous year with Austria. had formed with
the lesser States Of North G armany the North
German Confederation, and to it the new en-
voy was also accredited. Mr.. Bancroft at
once applied himself TO the settlement OF an
International question which for three
quarters of a century had been an I'M
ceasing source Of dlseOrd between the United
States and Germany, as wen as other European
powers. On February %, 1858 six months
after his arrival at Berlin a treaty was con-
eluded by him with the Narth German
Confederation mutually rect gn.zing the
GIT OF expatriaton and naturalization.
Treaties to like effect were during the en- suing
summer concluded By Mr.. Bancroft With the
remaining then separator powers Of Germany,
viz Bavaria, Baden, Wurtemburg and Hesse-
Darmstadt. Upon returning to the United
States in 1874 Mr.. Bancroft established
himself at Washington. and in the same
year published the tenth volume 81
his history which brought the narrative to
the treaty of peace in f7s2. In the succeed
Ing years Mr.. Bancroft devoted him.
self wholly in continual n % his great work,
10 the preparation of the history of the forma-
tion of the constitution which app AIRED in
two volumes IN the spring Of lSS2. Mr. Ban
croft's hours OF relaxation have been for many
years devoted 10 the enthusiastic culture OF
the rose, of which his collection both at Wash
ington and at his summer residence at y W
port surpasses probably in number OF varie-
ties ana perfection of specimens, any other pri-
waite collection IN the eountry.l