BANCROFT LIBRARY THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IJbrary W. B. Bancroft & Co's Print, 41) First St., S. F. 3 I BANCROFT HISTORICAL LIBRARY The Bancroft Historical Library consists of some 43,000 volumes, including printed books, manuscripts, volumes and original documents, relating to the history of the westerly portion of North America. Consisting largely of original z 3 documents and manuscript volumes, it is incap able of being duplicated. There is a complete catalogue of this library on exhibition in the |a State Librarian's office, for the use of members of the Legislature. No such complete collection of historical data and materials has ever been collected, with refer ence to one country, in the history of the world. It is widely known and appreciated by men of letters both in America and Europe. The subject of the purchase of this library by the State has excited the liveliest interest amongst all classes of our population. As evi dence of this, we submit the following petitions FIB and memorials, the originals of which are now on file in the State Senate of California, express ing to the State Legislature the views of many of our most eminent citizens amongst the capital ists, merchants, manufacturers, professional and business men and literati not alone of this State. The State should, own its history. Other states and nations have galleries of art, historical museums, zoological gardens and libraries of history. The State of California has begun a period of splendid growth. She may reasonably hope in the future to rank among the first of States. Why should she not do herself this honor ? The intense struggle for wealth in California needs the ameliorating influences of literature and art. They will relieve the pressure upon our prisons and asylums. This library is marketable abroad, to go into some great university or national library. But local state pride and self-respect demand that it remain here in the centre of the territory of which it is so magnificent a history. That the price asked the State is a reasonable price is clearly shown by the appended appraise ments and valuations. It cannot be hoped that any merely literary proposition will be understood by, or meet with the approval of all. But the library is open to and invites scrutiny, and is first offered to the State. If the State does not choose to buy it, we shall at least have done our patriotic duty in offering the opportunity. THE HISTORY COMPANY, N. J. STONE, Manager. 44 To the Legislature of California : 14 In view of the proposed sale of the collection 41 of some forty thousand Pacific Coast Books, 44 manuscripts, maps, pamphlets, and periodicals, 44 known as the Bancroft Library, gathered dur- u ing a period of thirty years at an expense of 44 over a quarter of a million of dollars, and con- " tained in the building on Valencia Street, San u Francisco, erected for that purpose, we, the 44 undersigned, recommend the purchase of the 44 same by the State, and for the following reasons: '' ( i ) It is the largest and most complete col- 44 lection of California historical data in existence. " (2) It is the largest and most complete col- 44 lection of historical and judicial data relative 44 to the western half of North America, includ- 44 ing all of Mexico and Central America. 44 (3) It is the largest and most complete col- " lection of original historical data extant, " concerning any state or nation in the world. i ' c (4) This invaluable material never can be " purchased elsewhere ; the collection never can " be duplicated, a large portion of it having no " existence elsewhere. " (5) It is offered at a fair price. " (6) The necessity having arisen which com- " pels its sale, the collection will have to be sent " away to New York or London and there dis- " posed of if the State does not purchase it. a (7) That such a vast store of knowledge, " such a treasure-house of our country's accu- " mulated experiences and development, such a " treasure-house of history appertaining to this " whole Coast from Alaska to Panama, cohering " an area of one-twelfth of the earth's inhabited " surface, and the last that can be occupied by " civilized man ; that this should be allowed to " go abroad, become scattered, and pass beyond " the reach of California forever, would be a " public calamity, a loss felt through all time, u and regretted in ever increasing degree as time " rolls by. It would be a lasting discredit to u California, that having the control of what all " the world might justly envy, and what no other 44 nation of the earth could ever hope to attain; 44 that having this priceless knowledge gathered u for her from the four quarters of the globe and u laid at her feet, a large portion of it having u been actually rescued from oblivion, she should 44 fail to secure and preserve it for the present 44 and future generations. 4< And your petitioners will ever pray." Leading Bankers. F. F. Low, Manager Anglo California Bank R. C. Woolworth, of Crocker, Woolworth & Co. Lloyd Tevis, President Wells, Fargo & Co's Bank Tallant & Co., Bankers W. Powell, Manager Bank of British Columbia D. Callaghan, Pres't First National Bank, of S. F. C. H. Ramsden, The California National Bank Eugene Meyer, London, Paris and American Bank J. A. Donohoe, Bankers Sather & Co., Bankers Wm. Lawson, Agent Bank of British North America Chas. Sutro, Sutro & Co. L. Gottig, The German Savings and Loan Society Adolph C. Weber, Pres't Humboldt Savings and Loan Society Ernest Brand, Sec'y Humboldt Savings and Loan Society Robert J. Tobin, Hibernia Savings and Loan Society D. C. McRuer, Real Estate, 23^ Post Street Belloc & Cie., Bankers, 'per H. Barroilhet S. H. Bigelow, Bay City Iron Works P. Husson, French Savings Bank Jas. H. Goodman, of J. H. Goodman & Co., Napa, Cal. James G. Fair, Security Savings Co. Geo. T. Mayre, Jr. Capitalist, 234 Montgomery Street Judge John Currey, Capitalist, 32 Merchants' Ex., Palace Hotel H. J. Baldwin, Capitalist R. F. Bunker, Capitalist Daniel Meyer, Capitalist R. R. Thompson, Banker and Capitalist Edward Barrow, Capitalist Jas. Freeborn, Capitalist J. D. Fry, Capitalist W. H. Dimond, Ag't P. M. S. S. Co. Alfred H. Cohen, Capitalist Leading Merchants and Capi talists: \Ym. T. Coleman & Co. Wm. N. Dunphy Baker & Hamilton Henry Vrooman F. Barnard J. D. S. La Montanya Balfour, Guthrie & Co., Union Iron Works, By H. T. Scott Sam'l Blair Miller & Lux B. Dreyfus & Co. Navarro Mill Co., By Robert G. Bryderf Jas. W. Phelan J. W. Grace & Co. Parrott & Co. G. T. Lawton Jas. M. Donahue Moore & Smith Renton, Holmes & Co. J. C. Wilmerding C. Deweese, Jr. Russ, Sanders & Co. Kittle & Co. Hansen & Co. W. J. Adams, By E. P. Blake John Dolbeer For Starr & Co. H. M. A. Miller, Sec'y Albert Dibblee S. L- Jones John W. Allyne McCarthy Bros. & Co. E. A. Fargo & Co. Nicholas Luning E. & S. Heller Thomas Bell & Co. Judson & Shepard Macondray & Co. A. J. Ralston Reiss Bros. & Co. Preston & McKinnon Hinkley, Spiers & Hayes Phoenix Iron Works Scholler Bros. Charles Webb Howard H Schussler James R. Bolton Wm. Nuns Sisson, Crocker & Co. Meyerstein & Lowenberg L. W. Rosenstock & Co. Mintz Nickelsberry Charles Oppenheimer & Co. Banner Bros. Stein, Simon & Co. Risdon Iron Works Rankin, Brayton & Co. Marshutz & Cantrell H. P. Gregory Joshua Hendy Machine Works W. W. Montague Livingston & Co. Wm. Dunphy Parke & Lacy Pacific Saw Manufacturing Co. Hecht Bros. & Co. H. L. Dodge Whittier, Fuller & Co. Siegfried & Brandenstein , H. Levi & Co. Coghill Simon California Hosiery Co. Kohler & Frohling Louis Sloss & Co. Bauer Bros. & Co. Goodall, Perkins & Co. Greenebaum & Co. A. S. Hallidie Arpad Haraszthy Geo. T. Hawley W. R. S. Toye Truman, Ishman & Hooker Adam Grant Greenbaum, Weil & Michels H. M. Newhall&'Co. Neuburger, Reiss & Co. Held Bros & Co. Falkner, Bell & Co. Buchanan Bros. Albert Man & Co. Geo. W. Meade & Co. And. Carrigan B. F. Dunham Wellman, Peck & Co. Edward Kruse II G. M. Josselyn W. P Jones Charles Holbrook S. Lachman & Co. Langley & Michaels Levi Strauss James O. Rountree & Sons Lilienthal & Co. Lachman & Jacob! Tatum & Bowen A. B. Elfelt & Co. Lovell White A. M. Simpson & Bros. Root & Sanderson, At what it is undoubtedly worth C. E. Whitney & Co. Yates & Co. J. C. Merrill & Co. Merry. Faull & Co. E. L. G. Steele & Co. W. B. Wilshire & Co. Walter S. Newhall Bothin Dallemand & Co. Naane Mathers J. N. Knowles Ackerman, Block & Co. John Taylor & Co. Neustadter Bros. Cahn, Nichelsberg & Co. Brown Bros. & Co. J. S. Bowman & Co. F. Fillmann James R. Kelly & Co. William Wolff Co. Brigham, Hoppe & Co. Harmon & Dickson L. & E. Wertheimer Gage, Shattuck & Co. Platshek & Harris Nolan Bros. Redington & Co. Kohler & Van Bergen Bujer & Reiche H. T. Holmes Kline & Cope B. Blumenthal & Co. W. Cohen & Co. Martin Sachs & Co. D. N. & E. Walter & Co. Robert Haight & Co. American Salt Co. E. Guittard & Co. Hammer, Leist & Co. Davis Howell E. R. Stevens Geo. R. Starr & Co. Code, Elfelt & Co. Pacific Fruit Co. Neville & Co. John Cutting & Co. S. G. Gump Leading Manufacturers and Capitalists : W. T. Garratt D. Henshaw Ward Carolan, Cory Co. The John T. Cutting Co. Coit & Folsom Allen Higgins Lumber Co. Per F. H. Allen, Pres't. Louis Braverman D. E. Cotton, C? Nutting & Son, Thos. H. Selby & Co. H. H. Bros. American Oil Co. Per Josiah O. Low, Sec'y. Frank Brothers, Arnold Hardware Co. Per N. S. Arnold, President Sperry & Co. Deming Palmer Milling Co. D. H. Vail, Sec'y Siebe, Camp Co. Sinsheimer Bros. . '4 Samuel Moore & Co. E. B. Pond, Mayor of San Francisco William Cluff & Co. Hooper & Jennings Real Estate Owners, Dealers and Capitalists : Bovee, Toy & Co. Hurd, Umbsen & Co. Madison & Burke McAlester & Jones McAffee Brothers S. P. Middleton Stauder & Shattuck Chas. C. Fisher Lowe & Kenny J. B. Lewis & Son Albert E. Crane B. P. Oliver C. H. Reynolds 0. D. Baldwin John T. Little S. Oesterreicher Handley & Jones 1. Strassburger David Stern & Son Geo. W. Chapiii J. C. Green Insurance Companies, Manag ers and Capitalists : D. J. Staples, President of Fireman's Fund Ins. Co. Win. Greer Harrison, Manager of Thames and Mersey Marine Ins. Co. Limited Gnstave Touchard * Chas. A. Laton J. F. Hough ton L,. L. Bromwell Hutchinson & Mann Georg C. Boardmaii Hugh Craig Conrad & Maxwell Jones Eastman Brown, Craig & Co. J. B. Davis & Son The California Ins. Co. The Union Fire & Marine Ins. Co. of New Zealand A \\ estchester Ins. Co., A. C. Donnell, General Agent Jabez Howes. Manager of Union Mutual Life Ins. Co. The New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Agency Co. L'd., Walter La wry, Manager Herbert Folger i6 Jones & Person Edward L. Wood Wm. D. Garland, Manager of Equitable Life Assurance Society F. R. Noyes, Agent Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co. John H. Stevens, Manager ^Etna Life Insurance Co. W. W. Haskell, Gen'l Agent Traveler's Life Ins. Co. of Hartford, Conn. Butler & Haldan Brooks & Baldwin ^ A. J. Bryant Manheim, Staples & Co., G. A. C. F. Mullens W. J. Callingham Thos. C. Grant Alexander Badlam Wallace Everson Chas. D. Haven J. A. Patton, Sec'y of The Pacitic Mutual Life Ins. Co. of Cal. [no. R. Hillman Harry W. Syz J. W. Mailliard Geo. D. Dornin Hurschfield & Jacob Smith & Moody Henry K. Belden N. W. Winton M. J. Quirk A. B. Forbes Jas. R. Garniss C. P. Farnfield R. N. Dickson Coffin & Sanderson Page Brothers Alex. G. Hawes Snow & Pettis Officers, Regents and Profes sors of the State University. Edward S. H olden President California State University Bernard Moses Professor of History and Political Economy John LeConte Professor of Physics, University of California Joseph LeConte Professor of Geology and Natural History Wm. Carey Jones Professor of Roman and Constitutional I^aw George H. Howison Mills' Professor of Intellectual and Moral Philos ophy and Civil Polity John F. Swift Wm. T. Wallace J. West Martin At a fair price I am strongly in favor of the purchase of the Library by the State C. B. Bradley Assistant Professor of the English Language and Literature F. H. Stoddard Instructor of the English Language and Literature Irving Stringham . Professor of Mathematics, University of Cal. John B. Mhooii Attorney for Board of Regents George C. Edwards Assistant Professor of Mathematics J. C. Rowell Librarian W. B. Rising Professor of Chemistry and State Analyst Bug. W. Hilgard Professor of Agriculture Chas. A. Ramm Recorder F. W. Morse Assistant in Agricultural Laborator} r J. J. Rivers Curator of Museum M. E. Jaffa First Assistant, Viticultural Laboratory rg J. E. Colby Second Assistant, Viticultural Laboratory Albert S. Cook Professor of English Language and Literature J. G. Heise Professor of Mechanical Engineering Eminent Clergymen Horatio Stebbins J. H. Prendergast Virur General of California C. D. Barrows Wm. Ingraham Kip Bishop of California N. L- Rowell J. Movell Robert Mackenzie F. D. Bovard Frank F. Jewell John Q. Adams S. P. Sprecher William S. Neales T. K. Noble W. S. Urmy Wm. C. Pond G. L- Spining C. V. Anthony A. B. Mildrom Geo. Burrows Jas. Matthews P. J. Grey J. C. Eastman A. L. Stone Wm. W. Davis M. M. Gibson P. W. Riordan Archbishop of San Francisco Eminent Educators James K. Wilson John Swett James Denman Ira G. Hoitt State Sup't of Public Instruction A. Herbst E. Knowlton J. W. Anderson City Supt. Schools A. L. Mann Reginald H. Webster W. N. Birsh Frank Morton A. E. Kellogg A. T. Winn Albert Lyser Silas A. White, Principal Valencia School Elisha Brooks J. O. Connor Dept. Supt. Commercial Schools D. C. Stone Ex. Dept. Supt. Schools Andrew J. Moulder Ex-Superintendent of Schools Professor Georee Davidson Judges and Attorneys Lorenzo Sawyer Judge U. S. Circuit Court Jno. A. Stanly M. H. Myrick Justice Supreme Court Ogden Hoffman Judge U. S. District Court G. Frank Smith J. R. Sharpstein Justice Supreme Court Milton Andros Hall McAllister Jos. W. Winans T. I. Bergin W. C. Burnett Jas. McM. Shafter J. N. E. Wilson State Senator J. P. Hoge f . Carroll Cooke 22 John H. Boalt Jas. Thos. Boyd Henry C. Dibble John R. Jarboe At its actual value A. P. Van Duzer A. A. Sargent Ralph C. Harrison E. B. Mastick W. W. Cope W. C. Belcher Joseph D. Redding At a fair valuation I think the State should purchase this most valuable collection of books and manuscripts. R. A. Thompson E. W. McKinstry I am not fully advised as to the price proposed, but think the State should be the purchaser if possible. John T. Doyle I agree with Mr. Doyle D. M. Delmas Arthur Rodgers Oliver P. Evins John H. Dickinson David McClure Edward J. Pringle Richard Tobin Warren Olney Sidney V. Smith F. G. Newlands I do not know at what price the offer of sale is made nor can I say what a fair price would be, but at a fair price the State should purchase the collection. George R. B. Hayes I think the library should be purchased by the State and heartily recommend purchase. Selden S. Wright I think the purchase should be made at a fair price. It is very important that the State should own this collection. S. G. Hilbron Chas. N. Fox Jas. G. Maguire At a fair price I think the purchase very desirable. E. C. Marshall H. D. Sawyer I concur in what is above stated by Mr. Marshall James D. Thornton I agree with Mr. Marshall Thomas B. Bishop George Flournoy, Jr. George E. Bates W. F. Goad Wm. H. Sharp 24 At a fair price I think the purchase advisable. J. J. Scrivner George Hearst, U. S. Senator W. H. Creed Wigginton, Creed & Hawes Frank M. Stone Patrick Reddy S. B. McKee, Jr. At a fair price I recommend the purchase. A. Comte, Jr. Win. H. Sears E. T. Preston Yes, at a fair price. M. M. Estee Geo. A. Knight Wm. W. Morrow H. J. Tilden I sincerely trust that this purchase may be made at what the property is reasonably worth. T. K. Wilson John F. Finn The following is a Memorial signed by Prominent Officials, etc., of States and Territories adjacent to California. To the Legislature of California : Being informed that the Bancroft Library of Pacific Coast historical material is to be offered for sale to the State of California, we beg leave respectfully to express our high opinion regarding the importance and value of the collection to the entire country and to indulge in the hope that the same will be preserved as a whole to the people of this section for the purpose of permanent and general reference. We regard the collection of special value to Montana, as containing much historic material relating to our Territory, nowhere else in existence. Helena, Montana. Decius S. Wade, Chief Justice of Montana. Alex. C. Botkin Samuel A. Balliet R. Lockey E. W. McNeal W. E. Frederick Massena Bullard. 26 Colorado. Wilbur F. Stone Ex-Justice Supreme Court R. W. Woodbury Pres. of Union Bank and Chamber of Commerce Benjamin H. Eaton Governor of Colorado D. N. Moffat Pres. of First National Bank of Denver, Col. \Vm. B. Beck Chief Justice of Supreme Court S. H. Elbert Justice of Supreme Court James A,. Miller Clerk of Supreme Court, Colorado Jos. T. Boyd Perrote Secretary L. S. Cornell Supt. Public Instruction George C. Munson Assayer in Charge, U. S. Mint Jos. C. Helm Justice Supreme Court Theodore H. Thomas Attorney General James A. Dawson U. S. Surveyor General Melvin Edwards Secretary of State Hiram A. Spruaiice Auditor of State George R. Swallow State Treasurer 27 Nevada. J. W. Adams Governor of Nevada O. R. Leonard Justice of Supreme Court Jno. P. Jones U. S. Senator Idaho. Edward A. Stevenson Governor of Idaho E. J. Curtis Secretary of Idaho Silas W. Moody, Controller, Idaho Ty. Dr. J. L. Stevens Jos. Perrault Territorial Treasurer Alfred Eoff Cashier, National Bank of Boise City E. B. Tage, Courty Treasurer, Ada Co. Milton Kelly, Idaho Statesman B. S. Prickett Probate Judge elect T. J. Curtis Probate Judge Ada County C. S McConnell Auditor and Recorder, Ada County Malachi Krebs Editor of Idaho Statesman Dr. Ephriam Smith Wm. H. Nye D. P. B. Pride Attorney-General of Idaho A. G. Red way Assistant Cashier First National Bank Jas. A. Pinney Ex- May or Boise City Wm. B. Chandle..- Ex-Surveyor General, Idaho Utah. Caleb W. West Governor of Utah Arthur L. Thomas Secretary of State Frank H. Dyer C. C. Goodwin William Nelson Charles S. Zane Thomas Marshall E. A. Wall R. C. Chambers George R. Maxwell C. W. Bennett Eli H. Murray, Ex Governor John R. McBride B. G. Raybould Two other Memorials will be of especial interest in this connection, and we append them as follows: Memorial of Eminent Scientists in the employ of the U. S. Government at Washington, con cerning the purchase of the Bancroft Historical Library by the State of California. - To the Legislature of California : , Understanding that the collection of books f pamphlets, periodicals, manuscripts, and maps, comprising the library of Mr. Hubert Howe Bancroft, of San Francisco, is to be disposed of by sale, the undersigned, impressed with the im portance to Historical Science, of preserving the collection intact, would most respectfully recom mend the purchase of the same by the State of California. This unprecedentedly exhaustive collection of original material relating to the history, not only of the State of California, but of the Pacific Coast generally, including Mexico and Central America in their entirety, has been accumulated by indefatigable research, extending over a third of a century, and at a large expenditure of money; 30 and it can never be duplicated in whole or in great part. It is believed that it can be pur chased at a fair price; and it would seem that the State of California cannot afford to see these treasures, now at her capital city, pass from her to be dispersed and lost forever. Let her secure for her. archives these urlique and inestimable sources of the history of her own rise and pro gress, and of the rise and progress of the States and countries about her, "and she will have done a service to herself, to history, and to all mankind; and your petitioners will ever pray. J. W. Powell, Director of the U. S. Geological Survey, Washing ton, D. C. Prof. O. C. Marsh, Yale College. Prof. Theo. Gill, Columbian University. Prof. G. K. Gilbert, U. S. Geological Survey. H. W. Henshaw. In charge of Linguistic Division, Bureau of Ethnol ogy, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. Prof. O. Mason, Curator Department Ethnology, U. S. N. M., formerly of the Columbia University. Prof. Lester F. Ward, Geologist U. S. G. S. Prof. F. \Y. Clarke, Chief Chemist U. S. Geological Survey. Prof. Wm. Harkness. Professor Mathematics, U. S. Navy. \V. B. Powell, Superintendent of Public Schools for the District of Columbia. Prof. C. V. Riley, Chief Entomologist Department of Agriculture, formerly Chief U. S. Entomological Commis sion, Entomologist, U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C. Wm. J. Rhees, Chief Clerk Smithsonian Institution. W. H. Holmes, Geologist etc., U. S. Geol. Survey. Edward D. Cope, A. M. Ph. D., Member U. S. National Academy. tNCfWl J. Belknap Marcon, uiAiwr Dis. Geologist, U. S. G. S. James Stevenson, Executive Office, U. S. Geological Survey. Memorial of the Historical Society of Mon tana, in favor of the pitrchase by the State of California, ,pf the Bancroft Historical Library. The Historical Society of Montana, incorpo rated by the Legislative Assembly, February 2nd, 1865. ' President Wilbur F. Sanders, Helena. Vice- President Gran ville Stuart, Fort Maginnis. Corresponding Secretary William E. Cullen, Helena. Recording Secretary Cornelius Hedges, Helena. Treasurer Samuel L. Hauser, Helena. Librarian William F. Wheeler, Helena. Helena, Montana, Dec. 3, 1886. To the Legislature of the State of California : Gentlemen: The Historical Society of Montana, organized by virtue of an Act of the Legislative Assembly of this Territory, is engaged in collecting and col lating historical data pertaining to the western regions of the United States. 33 Its members have been deeply impressed with the value of that collection of books and manu scripts gathered by Mr. Hubert Howe Bancroft, one of your own citizens, and are unitedly of the opinion that no such collection can be found else where. While Mr. Bancroft, with a generosity which could not be demanded, has placed the use of this collection in the hands of any society interested in historical inquiry, it can neither be expected nor hoped that such a collection should be proffered by a private citizen ; and they are of the opinion that some organization or municipality should own it which will manage, preserve and protect it for public uses. The region of country to which our attention has been more particularly directed has not received that attention which its consequence demands ; and this Society has been long engaged in gathering from remote regions whatever per tained to the early history of our northern posses sions on either side of the Rocky Mountains. "We have been able to secure some data to St. Louis and other regions, but the industry and advantages of Mr. Bancroft have enabled him to obtain information, documents and manuscripts pertaining to this portion of our common country, in an abundance which far transcends our own. This society feels deeply interested, therefore, that the manuscript and documents of Mr. 34 Bancroft's collection may find a permanent place in the public archives of your State, and we respectfully petition your Honorable bodies, if you deem it consistent with the public welfare, to procure this vast collection and to care for it for the use of all" citizens of the United . States who shall, in the years to come, desire to find something illustrative of the early history and settlement of the interior and western portions of our common country. In thus addressing you, from a region some what remote from your own State, our apology and excuse must be that we have found in this collection much material which will enable us to trace the early enterprise of the pioneers of the west, who at one time or another experienced strange vicissitudes within the limits of what is now the Territory of Montana. In behalf of the Historical Society of Mon tana, we have the honor to be, Very respectfully, Your obedient servants, W. F. SANDERS, President. W. E. CULLEN, Corresponding Secretary. CORNELIUS HEDGES, Recording Secretary. 35 The value of the Library is shown by the fol lowing certificates of appraisement, made by the best authorities accessible on this Coast. Appraisement and certificate of value of the Bancroft Historical Library by the Librarians of the public libraries of California and others. We, the undersigned, are of the opinion that the library of Pacific Coast books, maps, manu scripts, and files of periodicals in the possession of Hubert H. Bancroft, and contained in the building erected by him for the purpose, on Valencia Street, San Francisco, is worth the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and would be a fair and proper purchase on the part of the State of California at that price. / Jos. W. Winans. Jno. S. Hager, Collector of Port. F. B. Perkins, Librarian Public Library. Alfred E. Whitaker, Librarian Mercantile Library. F. P. Deering, Librarian Law Library. George A. Carnes, Librarian Odd Fellows' Library Horace Wilson, Librarian Mechanics' Library. Horace H. Moore, Ex. Librarian Mercantile Library. T..H. Wallis, State Librarian J. C. Rowell, Librarian State University. E. S. Lippitt, Sec. Trustees Petaluma Library. I have very frequently consulted the Library in my studies and investigations. Prof. George Davidson Wm. Ashburner Horatio Stebbins Lorenzo Sawyer (Judge U. S. Circuit Court.) Ogden Hoffman (Judge U . S. District Court.) Jno. R. Jarboe Ralph C. Harrison 37 As a sample of the practical utility of the original documents contained in this collection, we append a memorial of the U. S. District Attorney of California, concerning the use of original documents from the Bancroft Historical Library, in the trial of the recent case to deter mine the title to Mare Island. SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 4, 1886. To the Governor and Legislature of California: I can not too strongly urge upon the State the purchase of the Bancroft collection of Pacific Coast books and manuscripts. Aside from its wealth of historic material, which is of the live liest interest to all Californians, the value and utility of the mass of original documents therein stored, has lately passed under my notice in a practical way. In a suit recently tried in our United States Circuit Court, involving the title of the United States to the tract of land upon which our Navy Yard is located, and upon which the Government has expended millions of dollars, it was important 38 to have the signature of a certain Spanish document only to be found in Mr. Bancroft's collection. This he courteously placed at my disposal The desirability of having this collection kept in the State where reference can be had to it, is beyond question and I earnestly trust the pur chase will be made. Very respectfully, S. G. HILBORN, United States Attorney.