USA > California > A history of the new California, its resources and people; Vol I > Part 30
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It was at this date that the bibliophile's determination to become a writer of Pacific coast history was formed. His business house in San Francisco was now so well organized and prosperous that he counted upon it to afford the material support needed for many years of severe and expensive literary labor. Hard times, indeed, came later, and losses by fire and by the in- solvency of others put greater burdens upon the merchant-author than any but a real master of trade could have borne, but, throughout a long period of stress, the business, in the hands of agents trained by him, never failed to supply the means for his further collecting and to meet the demands of his large staff of library assistants or the still heavier cost of publishing his series of great historical works. In this combination of business acumen
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with literary ability Mr. Bancroft's career presents a remarkable contrast with those of the majority of famous authors. Doubtless the plan to remain at the head of a large and intricate business while devoting his attention to the historical undertaking was not, a priori, eminently practical, and in com- menting on this in his autobiography Mr. Bancroft tells a story of the Cen- tral Pacific :
" 'How dared you undertake crossing the Sierra?' the pioneer railroad men were asked.
" 'Because we were not railroad men,' was the reply."
This chapter is less concerned with Mr. Bancroft's writings than with the library which made them possible, and a mere mention of their titles must serve to indicate the character of his works, which were published between 1874 and 1890: "The Native Races of the Pacific States," 5 vols .; "His- tory of Central America," 3 vols .; "Mexico," 6 vols .; "North Mexican States and Texas," 2 vols .; "California," 7 vols .; "Arizona and New Mexico," I vol .: "Northwest Coast," 2 vols .; "Oregon," 2 vols .; "Washington, Idaho and Montana," I vol .; "British Columbia," I vol .; "Alaska," I vol .; "Utah," I vol .; "Nevada, Wyoming and Colorado," I vol .: "Popular Tribunals," 2 vols .; "California inter Pocula," I vol .; "California Pastoral," I vol .; "Es- says and Miscellany," I vol .; and "Literary Industries," I vol.
Upon the publication of "The Native Races," W. E. H. Lecky, the eminent British historian, declared it "a noble monument of American en- ergy as well as of American genius," and added: "I was talking of the book the other day to Herbert Spencer, and was gratified to hear him speak so warmly of the help he had found in it in writing his present work 'Prin- ciples of Sociology.' The book will take a very high place among the earliest works of great learning America has produced."
Meanwhile the library grew apace. Indeed, between 1869 and 1880 the work of collecting and collating materials occupied more of Mr. Ban- croft's time and that of his expert assistants than could be given to the prep- aration of matter for the press. Visits to Europe, to Mexico and Central America, to Oregon and British Columbia, yielded splendid results. Many of his bibiographical adventures are recounted in the "Literary Industries." For example, in 1869 was sold in Leipsic, London, and other foreign cities the notable library collected by Don José Maria Andrade, the famous Mexi-
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can bibliophile. Andrade had sold this great collection to the unfortunate Emperor Maxmilian, who designed it as the foundation of a Biblioteca Im- perial de Mejico. But when Maxmilian was shot, Andrade, fearing his treasures might be seized by the republican authorities, packed the books off on the backs of two hundred mules to Vera Cruz, whence they were ship- ped to Europe. The bulk of the library, when it fell under the hammer, was bought by Mr. Bancroft, who thus gained some 6,000 volumes of the rarest books and manuscripts relating to his subject. "A sum five times larger than the cost of the books," he exclaims, "would not have taken them from me, for I never could buy any considerable part of them again at any price. Their use has taught me that these works included foreign books of the highest importance."
A few years later the sum of $30,000 was paid at a London auction to enrich the library with the choicest works collected by Don José Fernando Ramirez, president of the Emperor Maxmilian's first ministry. Ramirez, a learned and discriminating bibliographer, had acquired his prizes from the Mexican convents after the suppression of the monastic orders. Of the prices which these books fetched at public sale Mr. Bancroft writes: “I had before paid hundreds of dollars for a thin 12mo volume, but a bill wherein page after page the items run from $50 to $700 is apt to call into question the general sanity of mankind. My chief consolation was that if the books were worth these prices, my library would foot up a million of dollars."
The accessions from these and other celebrated Mexican libraries in- cluded specimens of the earliest American printing-the products of the press at Mexico as early as 1534; the valuable manuscript "Concilios Prov- inciales Mexicanos," in four large folios, constituting the original record of the first ecclesiastical councils of the church in Mexico, held between 1555 and 1588; certain costly originals on the aboriginal languages, preserving the laws, tribute rolls and biographies of rulers and nobles, written in the Aztec hieroglyphics on strips of metl or agave paper; a copy of the report of Andagoya in 1534 on inter-oceanic communication across Panama, and many other rare and even unique books and MSS. from the time of Cortes to that of Maxmilian.
During Mr. Bancroft's travels in Mexico he obtained valuable dictations
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from leading actors in the stirring history of that country during the war with the United States and the civil conflict growing out of the French inter- vention. Thus, with the aid of native stenographers, he procured a detailed narrative of the career of Porfirio Diaz, now president of the republic, from the lips of General Diaz himself,-a manuscript which throws light on the most brilliant period of American history.
Profitable trips were made by Mr. Bancroft's agents to the Central American capitals, where many valuable originals were collected and where the authorities lent aid to the work of copying or digesting the historical records. For this region an important acquisition was the library of Mr. E. G. Squier, formerly United States minister to Central America and author of many works on ethnology and history. His collection was rich in Cen- tral American books and MSS., ancient and modern; in newspapers of the country, in important portions of the library of Alexander Von Humboldt, and in transcriptions from the archives of the Spanish government relating to early Central American history.
Nearly a score of other large and important collections, with twice as many minor ones, were at different times added by Mr. Bancroft. One of the former was the library of Alphonse L. Pinart, a wealthy French scholar, who spent several years on the Pacific coast from Alaska to Central America, making investigations and gathering materials. In the same class were the collections of the French abbé Brasseur de Bourbourg, resident of Spanish America for twenty-five years and author of several works on Mexico; Placido Vega, general commanding under the Mexican President Juarez during the Maxmilian period, and Don Juan Osio, governor of Lower California and author of an historical manuscript containing much information regarding times and events of which there is no other chronicle.
In early California history, one of the noteworthy acquisitions was the library of the late Benjamin Hayes of San Diego, formerly district judge at Los Angeles and an indefatigable collector. "Judge Hayes," Mr. Ban- croft writes, "performed for posterity a work beside which sitting upon a judicial bench and deciding cases was no more than catching flies. *
His collection was formed with a view of writing a history of Southern California, but this purpose was defeated by age and ill health."
Mr. Bancroft received great if not always ready aid from many fa-
T
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mous actors on the Mexican side in the events that ended with the trans- fer of California to the United States. That typical Spanish Californian, General Mariano G. Vallejo, commander of the outpost of Sonoma under the Mexican régime, long held aloof, and the extended course of diplomacy required to obtain his co-operation is described with delightful humor by the author of "Literary Industries." At last the gallant old soldier yielded, and forthwith became the most enthusiastic worker for the library. From hid- ing places unsuspected came forth treasures the very existence of which had been denied in the name of all the saints. Books and MSS. not only unique but of immense historical value were produced, and for several years the general busied himself in preparing a memoir of his times and in gather- ing from the missions and early California families more than 10,000 his- torical documents.
This distinguished convert to the cause of history was also an efficient proselyter and aided in recruiting many of his compatriots. Thus in time the library acquired the papers and recollections of many old Hispano-Ameri- can families : Arguello, Alvarado, Coronel, Estudillo, Castro, Pico, Bandini, Arnaz and Ortega in this state: Bonilla, Altamirano, Corona, Barrios and fifty others of Lower California, Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala, all be- ing rich in unique manuscript documents and memoirs. The purchase of the collection of Thomas O. Larkin, United States consul at Monterey prior to the acquisition of California, gave the library a valuable mass of undupli- cated documents and official correspondence during the important period, 1844 to 1849.
The papers and records of Isaac Bluxome, executive officer of the San Francisco Vigilance Committees of 1851 and 1856, whose identity long re- mained concealed under the dread signature, "33 secretary," were acquired in the face of great opposition. The anxiety of many actors in these periods of strangulation and forced expatriation to remain unknown hampered the historian's effort to procure the secret records of the popular uprisings against the lawless element. Better judgment, however, prevailed in the end, and thus Mr. Bancroft was enabled to obtain the full history of the commit- tees, which he has told in the two important volumes entitled "Popular Tri- bunals."
After all the aid that private collections could give, there still remained
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the vast tangle of California archives preserved in the different offices of na- tion, state and county, at San Francisco, Sacramento, San José, Los Angeles and other towns, constituting more than 500 bulky tomes, besides loose pa- pers, in all not less than 300,000 documents. They are the official records of the successive rule of Spain, Mexico and the United States from 1768 to 1850, and California history could not be written without them. By em- ploying a large auxiliary force. Mr. Bancroft substantially transferred their contents to his library. Every paper of the 300,000 was carefully deciphered; noteworthy documents were copied in full; the less important were stripped of their Spanish verbiage and abridged. The same process gave the library the data contained in the mission archives, mostly in the possession of the Archbishop of San Francisco, who cordially placed these treasures at the disposal of the historian.
To complete this wonderful store of information on the making of California were gathered all important newspapers and the personal narra- tives of every man still living who had taken a prominent part at the time of the American occupation and settlement. Some of these memoirs cover only a few pages, others fill volumes. Indeed, whole histories were some- times written in this way, where the man and his information were deemed of sufficient importance. Thus General Vallejo, already mentioned, and Juan B. Alvarado, last Mexican governor of Alta California, each wrote in Spanish, at the hand of an amanuensis furnished by Mr. Bancroft, an inde- pendent and noteworthy "Historia de California," the two works filling six folio manuscript volumes, which occupied several years in preparation.
This rapid summary of Mr. Bancroft's Californiana will elucidate his assertion that in no other country or period have historical materials been gathered so abundant and so valuable as those that readily rewarded his ef- forts in California during the fortunate decades of the sixties and seventies. His success will doubtless never be paralleled on this continent.
The same thorough methods that made the Bancroft Library a com- plete magazine of Hispano-American history were applied with success, if with less voluminous results, to the states and countries of the northern coast. In Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska, every public or pri- vate collection yielded its data, either in originals or in copies and every pioneer who could tell a story worth recording was visited and his narra-
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tive written out. Among the important accessions were the collection of Ell- wood Cooper, lawyer of Olympia and author of an unpublished "History of Oregon," which came with his library; the records of several Hudson's Bay Company posts from the Columbia river to Alaska; the library of Sir James Douglas, the Hudson's Bay Company's governor of British Columbia, con- taining among many other unpublished MSS. the adventures of Simon Fraser in his exploration of the Fraser river; and Russian materials from Innokentie metropolitan of Moscow; Iohan Veniaminof, missionary to the Aleuts; Admiral Lütke, and Etholine, formerly governor of the Russian possessions in America. One of Mr. Bancroft's secretaries, Ivan Petroff, the well known authority on Alaska, made two trips through that country on behalf of the library, and subsequently spent two years at Washington in copying important unpublished documents in the office of the secretary of state, where had been deposited all the records in the hands of the Russian authorities in Alaska at the time of the transfer of sovereignty.
Thus it is seen that the Bancroft Library is a collection of libraries- the work not of one man but of many men, laboring independently to gather and preserve the history of an area equal to one-twelfth of the earth's sur- face, whereon is planted a civilization that is becoming every year more im- portant in the affairs of the world. This does not detract from the magni- tude and value of Mr. Bancroft's achievement in assembling the results of these many labors under one roof, in systematizing the whole and making it available for use in historical writing. of which his own admirable volumes are only the first fruits.
It is estimated that the Bancroft collection has cost its owner upwards of $500,000, to which must be added half as much more, spent in preparing indexes and digests and otherwise making it ready to the hand of the in- vestigator. Having served Mr. Bancroft's purpose for his historical series, it is to be hoped that the library may never be broken up, a catastrophe that would destroy its value as a unit and waste its costly apparatus of aids to the student. Rather, if none of California's millionaires is wise enough to provide for its preservation here, let it go intact to the Library of Con- gress or to the New York Public Library, which, through its Astor and Lenox collections, is already rich in Americana relating to the eastern half of the continent. Thus, in connection with eastern collections, it may event-
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ually become the basis of an Institute of American History, of which the nation would be, to all time, the grateful beneficiary. Such use would best commemorate its founder's zeal for truth and his singleness of purpose.
One of the old and famous libraries of San Francisco is the Mercantile, which has for many years been popular, though its membership is not so large as some others. So long ago as 1876 this library had 41,563 volumes. It was established in 1852, and has 80,000 volumes now. Three thousand were added during the year 1904.
For more than half a century the Mechanics' Institute Library, of San Francisco, has been popular and prosperous. Its funds come from income of property, from dues and rents. It has 116,000 volumes.
The San Francisco Public Library was incorporated in 1850 by an act of the Legislature and was opened to the public in June, 1879. By 1884 the library was so well patronized that 325,828 books were issued. In 1888 new quarters were provided in the city hall and branches were estab- lished throughout the city. So rapid has been the growth of the institution that in 1902-3 the total use of the books (library and home) exceeded one million calls.
There are now six branches throughout the city, and all are prosperous. From 20,000 volumes in 1880 the list has grown to a total of 152,881, of which 122,579 are in the main library.
One of the greatest libraries in the country is the California State Library located at Sacramento. It was created by an act of the legislature in 1850. The necessary funds for the maintenance of the library were acquired by requiring every state officer, civil and military, to pay five dollars on receipt of his commission. In addition to the funds thus col- lected there was reserved five dollars from the pay of each member of the legislature for each session, and by a supplemental act approved May II, 1853, all fees of whatsoever character collected in the office of the secretary of state were reserved for the use of the library.
The State Library occupies quarters on the east side of the Capitol building. This entire section of the building is occupied by the library, the law department being on the first floor, and above it the general collection.
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The rooms are all heated by steam and lighted by electricity, thus protecting the books from any injurious effects of gas. A system of telephonic com- munication between the departments adds to the efficiency of the service and saves much time and labor. Owing to the circular construction of the building. there is ample light at all times.
The library contains a greater number of volumes than any other state library in this country excepting the New York state library. The collection now contains 125,000 volumes and many pamphlets, and the library is in need of more room for further extension. The map collection contains about 375 maps, special attention being paid to securing the latest official county maps of the state. The library also receives copies of all the maps issued by the United States government.
The original design in creating the library was merely to meet the needs and requirements of the state government and of the legislature dur- ing its sessions ; and while it is intended for reference purposes only, with the exception of certain works from the law department, its use is not restricted to members of the state government, but is extended to the general public, and every one has the opportunity and privilege of using it as a reference library. The entire collection is open to the public, both on the main floor and in the adjacent rooms and galleries. Many of the cases are kept locked, however, and are opened only upon application to an attendant. Small tables are placed under the windows in the alcoves for the use of readers, affording opportunity for quiet study.
The library is now supported by fees received by the secretary of state for filing articles of incorporation and other documents. The money so received is paid into the state treasury each month, and a certain fixed amount of that sum is credited to the State Library and constitutes the state library fund. Out of this fund all the running expenses of the library are paid except the salaries of the librarian and two deputies, who are paid by an appropriation made by the legislature.
The law department, which is one of the greatest in the country, con- tains 28,000 volumes and includes reports from the highest courts of every state in the Union, the session laws of every state from its organization to date, and the compiled laws and codes of all the states. The collection of text-books is very complete, and all new publications of this nature which
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are of real value are secured as soon as possible. All the important legal periodicals, both American and foreign, are received, and in many cases the library has a complete file. The California Supreme Court Records consist of 3,331 volumes, which contain the complete record of every case on appeal in the Supreme Court of California. These volumes are fully indexed, so that any case can be referred to without delay, and are accessible within six weeks after a decision is rendered. The department of foreign law contains the early statutes of England in folio volumes which were published in the sixteenth century. These volumes are quaint in appearance, and are valu- able on account of their antiquity, there being very few copies in existence. The reports of all English courts from a very early period may be found, many of them containing opinions rendered by the noted law-givers Coke, Blackstone, and others. The several dependencies of Great Britain, Scot- land, Ireland, India, Canada, and Australia, furnish almost complete sets of statutes and reports. The collection contains many works that are valuable on account of their age and rarity, one of the most curious of these being the Connecticut laws from 1615 to 1750, commonly known as the Con- necticut Blue Laws, which are noted for their severity and stringency.
The department is used a great deal by the legal profession of the city and of the state, for provision is made whereby judges of the superior courts may grant requisitions on the law department for a period of two weeks to attorneys requiring books that can not be obtained elsewhere; the judge assuming the responsibility for their safe return, and the attorney paying transportation charges both ways. By this arrangement the books are made available to the legal profession throughout the state.
The California department contains all of the works in the library that refer to California and all books by Californian authors. In addition to in- numerable works pertaining to the state there are nearly 3,000 bound volumes of California newspapers.
James L. Gillis, the librarian, has recently issued a historical sketch of the library, together with a description of the various departments. Re- ferring to the newspaper index, one of the great features of the collection, he says :
" In making an index of a file of California newspapers from the earliest date at which a paper was published in the state down to the present day, the
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library is undertaking a task which is not carried on to so great an extent by any other institution in this country, so far as known. The earliest paper indexed was the Californian, first published in Monterey, August 15, 1846. This was the first newspaper published in the state. It was printed with Spanish type on paper that came wrapped around cigars. Following it in the order of indexing came the California Star, and then the Alta Cali- fornia. The latter is now indexed up to July 1, 1879, and at the same time the current files of the San Francisco Chronicle are being indexed. There are still about twenty-two years, from July 1, 1879, to August 31, 1902, to be done; but the most valuable part of the file, so far as early California history is concerned, has already been completed. There is very little record of conditions and events in California in the early days except what is con- tained in the newspapers, and to students of early history this index is invalu- able. Its usefulness has already been proved on many occasions, and will increase as time goes on. Aside from being an index to a particular file of papers, it is in a way an index to all papers of the same period for the sub- jects indexed, for having found a reference in the indexed file, and so having ascertained the date, it is comparatively easy to consult other papers for additional information. Everything relating to California is indexed, whether it be historical, personal, political, or whatever relation it may bear to the state. The fund of information in regard to persons and events which could not be found elsewhere is prodigious, and is available to any one upon appli- cation. So far the index comprises about 65,000 typewritten cards of stand- ard size (7.5 by 12.5 centimeters). These cards are grouped under appro- priate headings and subheadings for convenient reference.
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