Page:In Memory of Albert Hawkins.djvu/2

Rh of historical writings under his authorship which are scattered throughout the files of The Oregonian.

His passion for Oregon history—or, as he would have it, the history of the Oregon country, a term he loved—was reflected in his recreational life. This is by no means a random surmise, although it was never confirmed by his admission. Recreation, aside from social and intellectual contacts, was to him a lonely journeying in the forest or the mountains—and the more difficult and hazardous the undertaking, the better it pleased him. These he called his "walking trips," and toward them he looked with eagerness, planning through the year against the annual vacation. He camped alone and contentedly far from any house, in any weather, and to be lost in the rugged coast country he found enjoyable. To none of his more intimate associates were these solitary adventurings successfully disguised. He was, in effect, living for a period of a few days or weeks the life that the trail-blazers lived, and the mountain men, and the map-makers. But this he would indignantly have denied. It may be added that his favorite hero was the almost unknown, in any popular sense, Jedediah Smith.

His private collection of Oregoniana is exceptionally interesting, complete and valuable, and it was characteristic of him that he should instruct Mrs. Hawkins, in the event of his death, that it was not to be sold, save under necessity, but eventually bestowed as a gift to some small university or college. Such as have the real interest in history will realize how important to him was the discovery or purchase of an old and tattered volume on his favorite theme. He was an indefatigable collector of works which treat of Oregon history, of works and of isolated facts. A tremendous amount of material, of his own preparation, gleaned from thousands of sources, was in process of final arrangement and indexing at the time of his death. It was largely from this, one understands, he had intended to prepare a text book of the Oregon country. And that he was prevented, by the final urgency, from carrying out this work, cannot be too greatly regretted.

The self-effacement of Albert Hawkins undoubtedly was the one factor that denied him widespread recognition during his life. In a sense, it was unfortunate that the very able