Page:History of the Oregon Country volume 1.djvu/14

Rh years of newspaper service he came in contact with all currents of activity, industrial and political. Being a wide reader and a deep student of universal history and world affairs, he applied to his observations of Pacific Northwest matters a discerning judgment, that gives to his writings authority for future reference. But slight changes in the text of the writings are made. Mr. Scott always worked for accuracy, so that few corrections have been necessary.

The topical arrangement of Mr. Scott's writings in this compilation, obviously, is not the time sequence of his authorship. His treatment of subjects of Pacific Northwest history, in newspaper articles and public addresses, did not pursue a comprehensive theme suitable for this publication. He wrote reviews, as of the steps in the acquisition of the Oregon Country, but, for the most part, he treated distinct phases and episodes of the history. This matter the compiler has classified according to topical treatment of the events, without regard to the sequence in time of Mr. Scott's authorship.

It may be understood that Mr. Scott was under the necessity of writing in this manner; newspaper space required it, and the time allowed for public addresses did likewise, although in the latter he availed himself of the opportunity for longer discourse. The necessities of accuracy impelled him to write his public addresses on these subjects in advance; and his extemporaneous interpolations, which were frequent, he always inserted in writing afterwards, if valuable to the theme. These narratives appeared in The Oregonian, usually next day, and he edited the newspaper proofs with much care and industry, before he would permit the matter to be permanently recorded in print.

The plan of these volumes, following that of a progressive historical narrative, induced the compiler, after long contemplation of the materials, to divide Mr. Scott's longer writings into parts corresponding with the subject classification. This will explain the appearance of those parts in separate divisions of this book. In all such cases, the compiler has preserved the identity with footnote references. Rh