Oak family register, 1906

PDF page 85, printed page 77

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LITERARY WORK
77
I.
Go
to" Mexico.
II.
Finish our work.
III.
Go to Europe.
Yes, and one more, not to plan any more books."
It may be noted that while Mr. Bancroft went to Mexico, to
Europe and all over the United States, enjoying constant change
and recreation, Mr. Oak remained at his desk, working from four-
teen to sixteen hours
a
day, attending to
the
details
of proof-
reading and the work of the others by day and writing his own
portion of the manuscript at night, until overcome by insomnia,
dyspepsia and nervous
prostration, he was
forced
to leave
the
library, as soon as he had
finished the History of California to
1849.
This in a letter of May,
'85, when the work was being printed,
indicates whether Mr. Oak was a writer or only a "swamper."
"I would
like for you to finish up the whole
five volumes on
California as soon as possible.
You may command
all the print-
ers and
all the type.
Mr. Stone (manager of publishing depart-
ment)
will see that nothing interferes with the prompt execution
of your work.
You may omit any work on them which stands in
the way of their quick completion."
"You can go on and close up the whole
five volumes just as
soon
as you
can, using your own judgment about
everything.
I am
perfectly willing to omit the chapter you propose
if you
think best."
"You can go on and close up the volumes on California with-
out sending me proof."
What stronger evidence could be had as to who wrote the His-
tory of California?
"Mrs. Jackson (Helen Hunt) says,
if you will
let her see your
manuscript on
California, she would submit
to you any thing
or idea she gets from
it.
I told her I would
let her look
it over
if you had no objections."
Not so bad, that, as evidence as to who wrote the manuscript.
Mr. Bancroft writes in 1876:
"Your biography will not be out of place.
You say you are
not known
in the world
of
letters.
I say you should
be, and
that
is just what I propose to do.
You have done the work, and
it is no more than right the world should know
it.
I don't mean
to say exactly what and everything you have written.
The fact

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