The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-18

croft regarded his life work rs finished two
years ago and of late had done no literary
work. During the last decade he revised
his great work, history of the United
States, going over it In severely critical
style and eliminating the flowers of rhet-
oric in the earlier work. His last produc-
tion was his history of the formation of the
constitution. He undertook TO write his
tory Of President Folks administration, in
whose cabinet he served as secretary of the
navy, but WAS compelled to abandon it.
In the spring of 1882, in letter to a
friend. Mr.. Bancroft wrote: "Being more
than four-score years old, know the time
of being near the shore of eternity, await
without impatience and without dread the
beckoning Of the hand which will summon
me to rest" That was nearly a decade
ago. yet the statesman. the historian and
the man of letters lived on past his nine
tieth birthday into a serene and happy old
age, with faculties unimpaired almost to
the end, thus rounding out one of the most
notable and useful literary careers that
ever fell to the lot of any American,
George Bancroft was born in Worcester,
Mass, Oct. 3, 1900. His father Aaron Ban
croft, a clergyman of scholarly tastes, was
minute man in the war of the revolution.
lus
later years. a leader in the Unitarian
movement. The son was prepared for
college at Exeter, N. H., and was graduated
from Harvard college with high honors in
1917. He studied for many years abroad.
At Gottingen he rend German literature
under Bsnecke; French and Italian under
Artaud and Bunsen; Arabic, Hebrew and
history under Planck and Heeren; natural
history under Blumenbach, and the antiqui-
ties and literature of Greece and Rome un-
der Dissen, with whom he took n course of
Greek philosophy. In 1919 DIR. Joseph Cogs-
we'll, of Boston, writing to friend in that
little Bancroft. He is most interesting
youth and will make one of our great men,"
From Gottingen young Bancroft went to
Berlin to pursue the study of history in as
sociation with the foremost scholars there.
At Jena he formed the acquaintance of the
poet Goethe, and at Heidelberg he studied
with the historian Schlosser. In 1892 he re-
Greek tutor at Harvard, and the following
year published now almost obsolete
volume of verse. In 1923. in conjunction
with DIR. Cogswell, he established the
famous Round Hill school at Northampton,
of which he became one of the principals.
While there he continued his historical
researches, delivered orations and made
translations of foreign historians. In 1890,
without his kno Wedge, he was elected to
the legislature but declined to serve. In
1884 he published the first volume of his
great History of the United States, and the
second volume the following year. He
took an active interest in public affairs at
this time and III 1885 drafted for the young
mems democratic convention an address to
the people which was an admirable ex-
position of democratic principles. In 1888
President Van Buren, appointed him col
lector of the port of Boston. In 1874 he
was the democratic candidate for governor
of Massachusetts and led his ticket, but
failed of election. He WAS made secretary
of the navy i'll Polk's cabinet. established
the naval academy and introduced NAVY
reforms and improvements i'll the servic'.
The naval observatory. one of the mos.
useful scientific institutions. received his fos-
tering care and in various ways he brought
the department to a higher standard than
ID had ever known. II was in his admins
tration that our troubles with Mexico arose
and Mr. bancroft gave the order, III event
OF hostiiities, that our naval commanders
should seiZe California. This was carried
into effect. Mr.. Bancroft. while acting M
of war pro TEN for II month. gave
the hrst order to our aruiy to march into
oxas From 1876 To- ls4g Mr.. Bancroft
WAS minister To England and secured the
adoption by the British government OF
more liberal navigation laws. In 1867 he
was appointed minister TO Prussia and after
the consolidation to the German empire
He was recalled at his own request in 1874,