was accredited with the authorship of several of the volumes. Bancroft wrote a letter of denial, the substance of which she summarized in her reply, printed on July 8, 1900, preliminary to telling the public all about it:[1]
Portland, July 6.—(To the Editor.)—About two weeks ago there appeared in your paper a letter from H. H. Bancroft, saying that, "You are greatly in error when you state that Mrs. Victor wrote several volumes of my history. Mrs. Victor never wrote any finished work for me, but furnished me with much valuable raw material in a crude form, which I put into suitable condition for publication, according to my general plan."
At the first glance, although surprised that Mr. Bancroft should make such a statement, I did not think of replying, as I believed the people of Oregon knew me well enough through my other writings not to be affected by it. On reflection, however, I am rather pleased to have it thus suggested to me to explain some things in connection with my history of Oregon, which I have long wished to have understood.
Anyone who writes from notes, as a historian must, knows that his first draft is never perfect as to style, although it is quite correct as to facts. While writing from others' books, or material of any sort, you unavoidably fall into the style of the writings before you to some extent. Aware of this difficulty, and desirous of avoiding as much as possible its effect on my work, I made an effort to write in a sustained style throughout, although not in what I would have named a polished one. That I could not do, because, by Mr. Bancroft's plan, I was not given an opportunity to polish. The first writing had to go. Mr. Bancroft became my editor. Those who have read my original works, and the volumes of history which were edited by him, must judge for them selves of their comparative merits. If Mr. Bancroft desires to claim whatever of literary merit there is in these volumes, I have no particular objection.
- ↑ The Oregonian editors briefly responded to Victor the following day. (Wikisource contributor note)
