The morning call., 1892-08-28

hated her. recall from memory sentences
like this: I'VE are 4 quiet, pastoral peo-
pie; honest, hard-toiling. God-fearing, loyal
10 tnls nation and true 10 glorious destiny"
But the more solid evidence that Baker
loved Oregon is found in the fact that Ore
gon is larger England, and Baker was an
EnglIshman; Portland lesser London. |
sa these things down simply as they fell
from his lips while talking to my father
and brother; for it seemed to me that he
sala things quickly and entirely ana cor
reetiy as no other man said them.
lie was truly seer, prophet, n poet, IL
ever poet was in Oregon. | set this all
down because, as said bsfore, It is due the
great Oregon senator who died in the uni
form OF colonel. lie was made an Oregon
Senator because ho loved Oregon. and that
IS the end of 1t. l say again and again that
TINS much is due his memory aud the
honor of Oregon. Had he been n cold
blooded politician from California or
elsewhere, seeking place in Oregon,
as MS enemies claimed. and as even
his California friends, deriding US in Ore
gon, hastened TO say after bis election, only
he OF course would have been despised. For
Oregon has never been nearly SO short of
Senatorial material as California has been
more than once. Do not forget that Oregon
gave the world Grant and that Grant sent TO
Oregon for Cabinet material: ave- for Chief
Justice
Yes. am quite sure that had Baker sue
ceeded he would have remained in Oregon
10 the end, hOnors or no honors His life
had not been fruitful in California. or else
where, as to that. A term in Congress from
Illinois. an inglOrious part in the miser-
able Mexican war, OratiOns over the dead
heroes; and so, empty-handed, the eloquent
ola Brlton came to us, saw laud that
was so like his own little place in eternal
verdure that be loved it, made it his home,
aud the gray eagle that had blown to and
1To across the continent and had found no
resting place Tor the sole of its foot, as the
dove OF old, found the hand Of Oregon
reached farth TO receive him into the AK
out OF the rain.
But, here, / am offending Oregon again
by the bare mention Of rain. How | have
been banged about the ears with sticks and
sticks OF type for telling the world that we
have rain IN Oregon; aud that il rains and
rains in Portland exactly as it rains and
rains IN London, and that Portland is not
down by the sea, as San Francisco Is, but
away up inland, as London is.
BE patient, Portland. Great cities do not
build by the near sea bank. They never
nave IN all history and they never Will.
New ork began TO build that way, but the
great pig trough" is pointing TO inland
straight as string. So boom along. Port
land; and while | care not peanut for
your praise and even less for your blame,
except IN so Tar as you may depart from
truth. l venture to fOreteIl that with all
your mud and moisture you will In less than
dozen years be ahead OF any city on this
sea bank in all that goes to make q city
great.
And see TO Il that no one shall say that
Baker came 10 you seeking Office. He came
To you seeking rest. He saw you in your
naked purity and splendor and he loved
you evidently. He loved you as a poet
loves, with understanding and with heart
together. And you gave him honor for his
loyalty. and rest for his love. And il is as
lover Of :he grand and good the lover Of
ms childhood love. the earnest eloquent
appreca.iye poet, that | love his memory.
All nave seen from time to time, | reckon,
little fugitive flashes Of real poetry bearing
this modest and sublime old soldiers name;
but not I'LL l met with his daughter few
years back in New York was | SO certain
that lie was rather poet than either a sol
der or orator.
Space fOrblds room for selections; let me
rather tell the one thing that taught me
most OF all that WAS sung of the gods. He
had gone 10 Niagara when in Congress.
nearly quarter Of a century before reach
ing the Senate. and there sat down to write
a poem. lie started IN well, and wrote
this: 20 thou" Then he seems. froI; the
wrinkled and folded and refulded piece Of
paper which is kept and religiously cher
iShed. to have stopped, and scraw ed
and scratched all over the paper To make
short Of 1t. he made not less than four such
starts, but he got no farther That Is all.
1he man who dares not write a poem to
Niagara is more surely a poet than nc Who
daTes' JOAQUIN MILLER.