Oak family register, 1906

PDF page 84, printed page 76

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76
HENRY LEBBEUS OAK
detail
of
the arrangement, management
of
the
library,
the
su-
perintendence
of
the
writing, and arrangement
of
the
publica-
tion to Mr. Oak,
The other men
all took their instructions and
reported their work and delivered their manuscript to Mr. Oak,
and Mr. Bancroft might as well have been away entirely, as he
was
in
fact, very much of the time.
And not only did Mr. Oak
act as
librarian and superintendent during
all the
critical years
of the enterprise, but in addition he turned out more manuscript
in neater shape than any other of the
writers.
Mr. Bancroft was away much of the time looking up authori-
ties
on
special
points,
making
friends
with
prominent
people
and writing current history with a local flavor.
In addition to the quotations from Mr. Bancroft's printed testi-
mony, my brother left quite a collection of Mr. Bancroft's letters,
from which
I
quote
to show
his
continued
confidence
in my
brother, and also
to show
to what extent Mr. Bancroft
left the
work
in his hands.
He writes
in one
letter:
"Do
as you have done
heretofore,
and possibly a little more so.
You may prepare and publish and
take the pay
for, in the Overland or Eastern magazines, just as
many articles as you please, using
all you
like of the cuts.".
"As I said before, the whole force on that volume at the outside
will
turn out
three
or
four
galleys
a week, while you
single-
handed, with all your proof-reading, will do six."
In another
letter:
"See
that every man about the premises
does good work, and you may discharge on the spot.
You and
I can
finish the work (Native Races)
if we don't have a single
other man."
Again:
"I have
just made
a new
lease with Heney.
This
will add $450 a month
to our income—so that everything looks
lovely."
"I am fully determined
if I live and am prospered, to take you
and Kate
(his daughter) and go to Europe and stay there until
we get
tired of
it.
By
the time we are ready to go, our work
will be so well known that we ought to be able to derive enjoy-
ment from
it.
"Now, without unforeseen misfortune
(after a favorable report
from A.
L. Bancroft on the condition of the business) we can
consummate our plans in splendid shape.
There are three things
to do:

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