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Hall Jackson Kelley 193

although not to be compared with Hall Jackson Kelly, who never stops short of superlatives, if we may judge by his pub- lications/**

Commenting upon this attack, Reuben Gold Thwaites said "Subsequent information^ has justified most of Kelley's state- ments, here derided by Wyeth";'' and Mrs. Victor declared "So completely was he sustained in his general views that we feel surprised at this day to notice how closely they agree with what is now known of this region,"* and again "Regarding settlement his writings contain some practical suggestions; indeed, without clear discrimination between design and neces- sity, and read by the light of subsequent events, some of them might be pronotmced prophetic."* Equally favorable was the opinion of S. A. Qarke, who said "Whatever were the sources of Kelley's facts they were wonderfully correct. His critics concede that he was a terse and vigorous writer who did much to make Oregon known ; that his ideas were broad and for the nation's best interests."*^ The judgment of Major Hiram H. Chittenden, however, is not without an element of truth: "He read everything that he could find relating to Oregon, believed it all, however extravagant, and retailed it to the public with whatever addition his own over-wrought imagination might suggest .... What he wrote was for the most part grossly inaccurate; but with a public quite as ignorant as. he, this was no drawback, but rather a positive advantage. Everything came from his pen clothed with the beauty of a western sun- set.""

It will be observed that no one has questioned Kelley's sin- cerity in the presentation of information. It should be borne in mind, also, that he belonged to a generation which was ac- customed to rely upon hearsay and secondary authorities to a

6 Ibid.» 5a-3,_S7-8, 60. "~ • Ea ' "'

_ -UW ^- —

Soriety. 0«kiftrr/y, n. z^,

9 Bancroft, Hist, of _ _. ^ .. .- __

Charict F. Lummis has aptly characterized as '*that gigantic historical haystack, the Bancroft histories^'* see Morris. The origin and authorship of the Bancroft Pacific states publications, Or^on Historical Society^ Quarterly, IV, 287-364.

J Thwaites, £ar(v Western Travels, AAl, 79n. Victor, Hall J. Kelley, one of the fathers of Oregon, Oregon Historical ^, Quarterly. Il, 398. 9 Bancroft, Hist, of Oregon, I, 68. As to the authorship of what Mr.

10 Clarke,' ^•^w'" Days of Oregon History. I, lio.

1 1 Chittenden, The American Fur Trade of the Far West, I. 435-