Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-06-15
newspapers. dating some Of them from

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les. During one OF these visits ! spent
two weeks with General Dlaz and took
from him with the aid of secretary
and two Mexican photographers, who
attended alternately, the narrative OF
his private and public life, from which
| subsequently wrote and published In
Spanish ana English his biography, still
preserving In my library the original
manuscript dictation, a large folio vol
ume In Spanish.
I'm the national archives and in the
archives Of the Church OF San Fernan-
do, the mother church Of the Francis
can missions In North America, found
and had copied much valuable material
on the early history Of Mexico, Califor-
MIA and Texas.
During the sway of popular tribun-
ais in California there was made no
small store OF written and unwritten
history which required considerable
effort to bring into shape, for those who
had broken the law, even for the good
of the people, did not always like to
talk about It, The great tribunals Of
the place and period were the San
Francisco vigilance committees Of 1851
and 1855. both Of which had their separ-
ate archives and officers.
THE manuscript books and papers OF
the first committee fell as an entirety
to my library, while Of such documents
Of the latter as were of any historical
value had copies made. But far more
valuable than this documentary mate
ial were the personal narratives Of the
chief actors In these stirring scenes,
such as William Y Coleman, Isaad
Bluxome, G. A. Dempster and others
written down In detail and now pre-
served in manuscript form as priceless
contributions TO American history, no
where else existing.
I'm Utah was met new and singular
phase Of progressonal humanity where
the many wiYed Mormons planted their
institutions. ] saw Brigham Young
and explained to him my plan and pur-
pose, promising only 70 write fairly and
truthfully about him and his people,
without prejudice or abuse. He ordered
everything thrown open TO me, and for
years thereafter my library continued
to receive some of its richest stores
from Mormondom IN the form Of manu-
scripts dictated by the leading men Of
the Church, as Presidents Taylor and
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and Joseph +. Smith.
I'm Oregon, Washington. British CO.
lumbia and Alaska alike careful and
extensive literary surveys were made
the last named country being twice Wis
TIED for me by Ivan Petr0ff, a Russian,
who contributed to my library twenty
large manuscript volumes of transla-
lions from important works In the Rus
sian language and copies Of Russian
manuscripts, After visiting the fur
stations Of the Far North he returned
TO San Francisco and shortly afterward
proceeded 70 Washington, where he
spent several years In the office OF the
secretary OF state, copying for my coll
lection all material contained in the
Alaska archives which had been re-
moved to the national capital on the
purchase Of that region from Russia.
Some Of the most interesting dicta-
tlons given in Oregon were by the pio-
neers who had crossed the continent in
the emlgrations Of 1912, 1s45 and 1913.
ut was the custom OF these early set.
tiers, when I first met them to hold
annual campfire festivities, where their
thrilling adventures and personal
achievements were reclted, and dancing
and feastng were enjoyed. But before
all this were the grand old hunting
days In Oregon, where the powerful
Hudson Bay and Northwest companies
met and fought out their issues, when
Jacob Aston planted his famous entire.
not ~ Astoria at the mouth of the Co.
lumbla river.
Conspicuous over all men in this re-
elon az this time was the Scotchman
John Mclaughlin. much Of whose life
and dolngs ! found narrated In the prl-
vate papers OF his associate. Sir James
Douglas, TO which access was kindly
given me by Lady Douglas on my visit
to Victoria. Here. besides personal
narratives obtained from many OF the
old chief factors and traders OF the
Hudson Bay company I secured
among other valuable manuscripts. the
unpublished adventures OF John Stuart
at Stuart Lake, and Simon Fraser in
his descent Of Fraser River. other i'm.
portant manuscripts secured were those