Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-29
WOULD AID LUMMIS'
HISTORICAL RESEARCH
PLAN TO DIVERT FIREWORKS
MONEY TO LIBRARY
Friends Say Patriotism Can Be Better
Shown by Collecting Old Rec
ords Than by Red Fire
for Fourth

In anticipation that the movement
now apparent in all parts of the coun-
try to do away with Fourth of July
fireworks will reach Los Angeles,
friends of the public library are pre-
pairing to suggest that money usually
appropriated for that purpose by the
city council be diverted instead to aid
Librarian Lummis in his work of UNI
earthing important historical manu-
scripts relating to this section. DR..
Lummis already has accomplished a
great deal of work on this line, but
so far it has been done entirely at
his own expense. The results, how
ever, become the property of the city,
as he turns them over to the library
The suggestion will be made to the
library board that this work, in a
country so rich in history. can be made
of considerably greater patriotic value
than a display of fireworks. If di-
version of part of the money so ex-
pended is permissible it is thought
there win be little opposition. The Ii
brary already has been enriched by
documents which throw great deal of
light on California and Spanish-Ameri-
can history, and which were entirely
unknown to Bancroft and other his
torians.
One of the most important, and
which the historical authorities are
regarding as wonderful find" was
the record of the Mercury case" Sc
cured in Mexico this year by DR.. Lum-
mis-. 1t covers the trial of Boston
trader, whose ship was seized off Point
Conception and taken to Santa Bar
bara, in 1913, by an armed Spanish
merchantmen. The manuscript of 1887
pages comprises the original docu-
ments. proceedings, letters and other
records, and is all in the possession
nF no library found
Mexico and the librarian had it in his
possession before the rest of the coun-
try had heard of it.
Collection is Remarkable
The translation made by Dr. Lummis
shows that it is a remarkable collec-
ton of information not heretofore
available on the life, customs. products
and traffic of the California of a hun
dred years ago. 1t is an official docu-
ment, and is the most valuable his
torically on that account.
The Mercury was seized June 2, 1918,
by the La Flora, commanded by Cap
tain Nicolas Noe. Captain George w.
Eayrs of Boston, who commanded the
Mercury, had nine other vessels in the
coast trade. Everything is set down
in precise detail, and the inventory of
the ship and cargo, bills of sale and
other items show the character of i'm
ports ana exports ana INC PRICES pre-
Vailing a century ago.
Captain Eayrs remained at San Die
go nearly two years, hoping to obtain
recompense for his ship. He was a
man of wide experience on the Pacific
ocean, having traded in India, the
Swedish islands, with the Russians and
with other Spanish possessions besides
California, and his letters preserved in
the manuscript are full of curiously
important information. So much of
it is so entirely new that the manu-
script is regarded throughout the
country as of high value, and Los
Angeles is considered very fortunate
in having possession of it.
BY working at night and at odd times
DR.. Lummis has translated the entire
manuscript in the Mercury case"
without expense to the city. He also
has secured this year the loan of a
highly important Spanish manuscript
from eastern sources and has made
a translation which remains with the
Los Angeles library 1t is his ambition
to give the public library an interna-
tional reputation as the repository of
important documents illuminative of
the patriarchal days of California and
the Southwest.
His friends believe money now spent
for celebration might realize more for
Los Angeles if turned over to him for
the purpose of extending this work,
and they soon will start movement
fo that end