The morning call., 1892-08-28

California before this. for be was Califor-
nian; no. an Ilinoisan; no, Englishman-a
true English gentleman all through.
DelaZOn Smith. of whom we hear nothing
ow, was an author. had been Minister to
Ecuador, United States Senator and was
altogether a great man in those days and
reckon, good man. He was a graduate Of
Oberlin and be frequently preached to the
people IN Oregon. He made us a speech all
about books and our duty TO God, there in
that great big stone house. which never had
any plaster on its ugly walls and nearly
froze US 10 death with lis hard, cold dignity.
Then Baker got up, or l think. rather. he
had not sat down at all; but he stepped
forward with his hat in his hand, black
frock coat. bald head. hooked nose. pale
lace and full. flexible lips-surely he had
not sat down, for | can only see him stand
Ing, straight as Il soldier. tall and strong.
He even seemed to me like large man
massive. But ! bear in mind that | once
heard great admireT Of Douglas speak Of
the Little Glant-a large man. So may
be mistaken about Bakers stature. | know
the marble In the rOtunda of our Capitol at
Washington makes him appear far from
massive in form. But that lions voice.
soldiers form and pale. poets face. and the
things he said 10 us there-these lifted him
high above all men TO me. and | shall never
see him in my mind except as a grand and
stately figure. The classic statue at WASH
ington Is fine; 1t is one OF the very few
=
short Of Bakers heroic figure.
And what did he say to US there in the
big sioue college? An. If | only could but
remember. / can only say that be said such
things as he never said elsewhere. And
this is why / venture TO write of him, TO
say that there was side TO the character Of
Colonel Baker which no one knew who
knew hlm only as soldier, statesman
and orator. 1t would be a sin 10 at
tempt to say what he said to us boys
hTN mt ltvNN
In at the high, unfinished windows, tile
whole place smelt OF mortar and paint. The
college stood on the greenest of green bills
below Us. end toward the river lay little
sea OF eamas blossoms Qhs wild hyaclntb);
beyond and down the valley swept the
swift Willamette through its world of
woods so densely green that it was almost
black; through riffs and roads that pierced
the dense woods TO the waters edge
you could see the river flash and
sweep, as II some mighty sword was being
half drawn and drawn again, and again
driven back to tile hilt in the great black
scaObard. And these things we're his text
the color, the room. the magnitude, the
majesty OF them; and of these he spoke en-
tirely. Not word about books, nor hint
OF politics, nor thought OF himself. His
hashlng eyes met the invading sun,
which fell fun on his pale face, and
he spoke of that little sea Of blue and
purple hyacinth at our feet as "a
from the skies" And then, as said before,
his eye pierced the vast black mounds be-
yOnd, saw the river flashing through the
riffs aGd-such figures Only those who
knew tins great man well, the soul Of him,
the poetic side OF him, can at all guess what
he SAID on that green bill in the heart of a
world so new that it still smelt OF mortar
and paint.
Senator Stewart of Nevada will under
stand something of what he said there. for
ma N jsap nnlt
time back Of his marvellous and match
less capacity for figures and SMILES, as
demonstrated in his first great speech in
Sliverland. But as said before profanity
would be put weak word to apply to any
attempt OF mine 10 report the speech to the
schoolooys at Eugene, where the world was
new and where The air was already dense
with the mutterings OF fratricidal war.
AN, boy he said to my brother as he
passed down the steps, "if but had your
youth and strength; but the sun Of my life
ls setting, setting away toward the great
sea, rs yonder sun is setting"
Ny father called on hiG:, and we got the
great man to 60 TO our house more than
once. lie seemed very tired. Eugene is
far lnland-far, when you reflect that the
roads we're really worse than no roads at
all, and that Oftenilmes you had to get out
OF the stage and help pull IL out Of the
mnd, and so be naturally was glad TO rest
bit with my quiet father.
My people were all of his political faith
too, and my brother was not without in
huenee lie went with Baker to the war.
and never came back TO US any more.
/ can but think Of Colonel Baker there In
that interior little village, rs it was then,
only as a lover of the beautiful and good
and true. He did not seem to like politics
or politicians. / once saw him come in
hastily at one gate and go through the house
aud out The back way to the woods And
he dld not come back till the ''committee'
osr,,t
mp the Struggling street had left the
cottage. But only those OF exalted
character WHO have had to do with
committees can understand this IL
was not eccentricity or contempt for his
supporters or anything Of that sort. He
perhaps simply saw and knew that there
was no gooe in them wearing him out with
their attentions. He needed his strength
for bigger things.
Nor do think he was very confident of
success, though this lack of attention may
have been born of nervousness and over
woTk. But L try in vain to recall anything
like laughter, or even a smile, other than
that OF courtly kindlness, during all these
days. vi course. he was covered all over
with deep concern. And we are permitted
to believe that his anxiety of mind reached
far beyond this coast aud entirely above
himself. His bosom friend, Lincoln, was
hgbtDg his way to the Presidency The
whole nation was being shaken with the
thunder OF new and startling thought SO
you see the man well ght have been full
OF unselfish concern. il he was really great
as most men now believe. And this may
account for the want of color in his tine
face and the absence OF all levity from
MS lips; as well as his fight from the per-
sstent and garrulous committee"
One thing let me say positively: Senator
Baker loved Oregon truly. This is due him.
And hcw do know-I, only a boy, who
knew him hardly at alp Well. in the first
place. you should read what he said in his
great speech here in San Francisco after his
election to the Senate. No man could say
sueh things Of any land without loving il.
Ana here In sunny California we had been
banging and bullying Oregon from the first.
BAKER was speaking 10 city that no: only