The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-07

terviewer. Averse. to publicity, accessible
to her friends, but reserved with strangers,
she lives a life of comparative seclusion,
undisturbed by the noise of less gifted
workers clamoring at the gates of fame.
A native of New York State, Frances
Fuller with her family removed to Ohio
when she was very young. She received
seminary education, the best then obtain
able, but continued to study and develop
her mind. Visiting the metropolis of New
York from time to time, the young writer
met all the celebrities of the artistic
and literary world congregated there
previous to the late war. 1t was
in this congenial atmosphere that the
young girl, already knownk by her contri-
buttons of prose and verse 70 the journals
of the day, received her first real encour-
for a bright career. She compiled
Youths History of America for an East
ern publishing house, but the breaking
out of the war prevented its appearance.
Home duties compelled her to return to
Ohio, and. eventually marrying Mr.. Victor,
a naval officer, they came in 1868 to san
Francisco, where Mrs. Victor Identified her
self with California journalism. Writing
sometimes under the pseudonym of Flor
ence Fame" Dorothy D" and other pen
names, frequently with no signature at all,
she became a component part OF early
coast newspaperdom. Her stories took on
the Western coloring, and when they ap-
peared unsigned in the San Francisco and
Chicago press they were accredited to Bret
Harte, then in the height of his popu-
Iarity.
A few wears later Mrs Victor went to
Oregon. Admiration for that lovely, pictur-
esque and comparatively unknown country
of almost boundless resources and q de-
sire to penetrate the mysteries OF It's past
environment led to her life labors as his
torian. The vast region now comprising
Oregon and Washington is familiar soil to
Mrs. Victor, whose historical and topo-
graphical researches have led her far afeld
in pursuit of her calling-tasks as compre-
hensive to her as they would have been
difficult for another, since aptitude and
love for her labors went hand in hand.
atlantis Arisen is the attractive title
of book by Mrs. Victor, dealing with the
physical features of the northwestern
country, interspersed with anecdote.
Among other books of Importance are:
1.-The River of the West, con-
an account of the fur companies;
"Alls Over Oregon and Washington"
and "History of the Early Indian Wars
of Oregon The Legislature of the latter
State passed bill authorizing the Secre-
tary to appoint some one for the writing
of this book, and Mrs. Victor was chosen.
"The New Penelope and Other Stories and
Poems was published in 1877. Mrs Vic
tors literary style is characterized by
force clearness, keen Imagination and
good English. The most popular of her
books is the River of the West, a second
edition of which will be brought out in
the near future.
When about 20 years OF age Mrs. Victor,
then Miss Fuller, published volume of
verse in cola boration with her sister.
Phoebe and Alice Cary were their intimate
friends, and the quartet was often alluded
to in the Ohio press as 1.-The two pair OF
poetesses. Mrs. Victor relates with much
amusement her experience with her first
pamphlet production, novelette,. She
asked an old-time friend of the family his
opinion of it.
"Well, Frank" he replied with COM
mendable candor, "the story doesn't
amount to anything, but the preface IS
fine"
Mrs. Victor AYERS that this wholesome
criticism saved her from further produc-
ton of trivial work.
1t is rather unusual in these days, when
some of our so-called first families can
trace their genealogy no further back than
the time when papa came round the
Horn" to meet any one whose ancestral
tree is as traceable as railroad
map. Aristocracy of mushroom growth
fades into sorrowful insignificance,
when. as in the case with Mrs. Victor,
the genealogical torch lights up a
pathway that has been trodden by sue
ceeding generations for more than 500
years. She is descended from Lady Susan
Clinton, wife of deputy Governor OF the
Massachusetts Bay Colony, who was her
self descendant of thirteen English
kings. One of Mrs. Victor's ancestors was
Sir William Walworth, the first Lord
Mayor OF London, who was knighted by