I find that Mr. B is given to make disparaging remarks not really necessary to the truth of history, of some of the most prominent men of early times, such as Pratt and Lane. Wherever he alters anything I have written it is usually to put in a paragraph of that kind. He made particular war on Pratt, using such words as "infamous" and "disgusting", and where I had given Pratt some just praise, cut it out entirely. It is a piece of personal malice because Pratt would contribute nothing to the history. On the other hand he was well pleased with Thornton.... I happened to know Thornton well enough to weigh his evidence carefully, or whatever he said about being author of the land law, and other misstatements would have gone in more as he desired. What I am getting at is to put you on your watch for these passages, and that you may criticize them when the proofs go to you. Mr. B. will regard your remarks ... I should have said further about the Pratt business that I used your name to get him to take out some of the most obnoxious expressions. He calls Lane an "Indian butcher" and the like, which is not, as I tell him, historically true, but Lane is dead, and will never buy a set of the histories.[1]
Though completed years before, the first volume of Oregon was not published until October 1886 in its projected place in the sequence of the histories. It was almost not published even then, for both the plates and the manuscript of Oregon I were lost in the disastrous Bancroft Company fire of April 30, 1886.[2] By good fortune two of the first copies of the book to come from the press had been taken to the library building on Valencia Street. In answer to a note from Judge Deady congratulating her on Oregon I after its publication, Mrs. Victor made some further comments on Bancroft's editorial methods:
As far as I could, I made note of each immigration as it came, giving names. I had done this down to 1852, but after '48 they were cut out for want of room-and then Mr. Bancroft decided to add at the end of each vol. in the manner you complain of, everybody who subscribes! It is poor taste, but he thinks it necessary to financial success. The plan I followed was to include everybody in the immigrations and whoever made himself notable afterwards was duly mentioned in the place where he did something to signalize himself....
I labored under the disadvantage of having my ms reduced by another—Mr. B. performing this editorial work. As he did not always take in the value of certain matters, and as my ms overrun terribly, he slashed in the wrong places often, and I knew nothing
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