Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-01-24
The Great Scholar Leaves This Habi-
tation in His Ninetieth
Year.
lie Catches Cold Which Ends His
Long and Useful Ex-
istenee.
A Short Biography Giving a History
of the Eminent Mans Event
full Career.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE commun-
ity was greatly shocked this evening by
the news that George B ancroft. the veneer
able historian Is dead He had been In APP
parently better health this year, since his
return from Newport, than for several sea-
sons His death was sudden and unex-
pected to all save few intimate friends
who knew Of the attack of illness which
carried him of. TIE death oc.
Cured at about $40 o'clock
this afternoon. The end was quiet and
peaceful and came after a perion Of I'M
consciousness lasting about "a hours. Sine
his severe illness two years ago he never
has been strong as before, but as men
toned above he has been feeling extremely
well since his return to the city. Last
week he caught a cold, but notwithstanG-
ing this he continued to seeks exercise ont
doors every day until Thursday, when he
took to a bed as matter Of precautlon.
His whole illness was less than three days,
He failed rapidly yesterday and became
unconscious in the afternoon, in which
state he remained until the end. His son
John c. Bancroft, who, with his wife
kept house for the historian, was with
him in the last moment.
It was decided this evening TO hold the
funeral services next Tuesday afternoon
in st. Johns Episcopal church. The
Interment will take place al Worcester,
Mass, where Blncroft's wife Is burid,
Mr. Bancroft regarded his life work as
finished two years ago and Of late had
done no literary work. During the last
decade he had revised his great work the
history of TIE United States Going over
it in a severely critical style and eliminat-
ing the flowers of Rhetoric in the earlier
work. His last production was a history
Of the formation Of the constitution. He
undertook to write Il history of President
Folks administration in whose cabinet he
served as secretary Of the navy, hut was
compelled to abandon it.
George Bancroft was born at Worcester,
Mass, Oct. 3, 1900 He graduated at
Harvard college in 1917, and entered in
1878 the university at Gottingen, Ger
many, where he studied history and
philology under such eminent men as
Heeren, Bunsen end others. In 1920 he took
the degree Of doctor of philosophy at Got
tingen. Having returned home in 1922
he published the next year his first poems,
and translation Of Heeren's Reflections
on the Politics Of Ancient Greece. In 1924
he produced the first volume of his His
tory of the United States He was APP
pointed secretry Of the navy under
President Polk, and in 1845 founded the
naval academy, He resigned this office
and in 1916 was sent as minister to Eng
land He returned in l849 and retired
from public service and became a resident
of New York, He now went to work in
earnest on his great work, and
in 1874 appeared the tenth
and last volume of his great history. In
1867 he was appointed minister to the
court al Berlin and negotiated several i'm
portant treaties lie was re-apponted in
1871 and this timo rendered important
services in settling he San Juan boundary
question.