San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-01-04
John o. Bakers Great Speech.

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would have discovered that every
miner had his weakness. In some il
was whisky; in others, old sledg; in
others, lying and Boosting, and SO on
clear around. A few We're lazy, a few
were too fond of argument, and the
weakness of Elder Watkins, in par
ticular, was reading the Testament too
much. .r.'. '
Which is to remark that one may
be too good in this world.
Among the other weaknesses which
cropped out in our camp on GRIZZLY
Greek that winter was the weakness
of John @. Baker.
Mr.. Baker had spent years in in
venting great speech. He had
brought the pieces together at differ
ent times, as if they had been parts of
moving machine, and the work of
setting up, Tightening the bolts, greas-
ing the bearings and hitching on the
horses was all done that winter.
1t was great speech.
1t began with the landing of the
Pilgrims, and didn't end at any par
ticular epoch.
1t was religious, political, social,
statistical, philosophical, valuable and
interesting, and every respectable
family ought to have had copy.
When the speech was finished and
polished and ready for delivery its in
ventor suggested that we take hol-
day and hear it. The suggestion was
not seconded. We were working hard
to make an average of ninety cents
per day, and no one felt like losing
time to hear speech.
Then John @. took his speech
under his arm and walked over to
Turkey Bend to find an audience, but
the Mayor in the camp gave him FIVE
minutes in which to get out of shoot
ing range. He then tried the camp
up the Little Trail, and there he was
actually shot at. He returned to
camp somewhat discouraged.
A man who has speech to deliver
and is checked off must feel ratherun-
comfortable. Indeed, it is not serv-
ing him just right, and no one can
blame him for asserting that the spirit
of the country was degenerating.
When John.Q. discovered that the
fruits of his toll were not appreciated
hesswent about like man who had
taken a solemn vow to bide his time
and get even in the end. That was
where his head was level. Had he
raised any row over our want of APP
probation he would have been tossed
into the creek. Followed by his great
American speech and other personal
traps.
One day the boys over in the Bend
had hanging bee and invited us to
come down and see a chap swing for
his crimes. The invitation was &C
copied by all but two of our crowd.
Elder Watkins was sick and couldn t
60, and John Q. Baker was mad and
didn't want to. 1t was therefore ar
ranged that he should remain to care
for the Elder, proceeding to which
he agreed with wonderful cheerful
ness.
Little did we suspect the selfish
purposes of his heart.
We left camp at noon, reached the
Bend an hour later, and as the man
who was to hang hada long confession
to make, and did not have good COM
mand of language, we did not return
until about 5.
Had anything happened? You can
bet your bottom dollar there had.
Nearly a mile away we heard the
voice of John @. Baker pitched at it's
highest key, and occasionally caught
up such words as Washington,
Independence" Magma Charta"
and glorious country"
AS we drew near we discovered him
on a rock beside Elder Watkins
shanty, that great speech in his left
hand and his right slashing through
the air. He had been speaking for
four hours, and he had only como
down to the war of 1912.
We made a rush for him, and at
the same moment made the discovery
that Elder Watkins was stone dead III
his bed. Beside him lay a piece of
paper and pencil, and in a trembling
hand had written:
John Q. Baker has killed me with
his great speech. He has been going
for three hours now, and l feel that
another ten minutes will finish me.
Please hang OF drown him in revenge
fn, die cold hlnndnd ,nnrdnr