The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-08-03
ELOQUENT BAKER.
AN ENGLISH BORN WESTERNER
WHOSE SPEECH WAS A SPELL.

the Pacific Coast and His Death.
Only once have listened to speaker
who could make newspaper reporter
forget his occupation, and that man
was Colonel Edward D. Baker Of Cali
fornia, Oregon and the nation.
Colonel Baker was born in England
and was brought to America while o
child by his parents. His father was a
weaver and obtained work in Phila-
delphia mill. Young Baker also worked
in the mill when he got old enough.
Weaving was not to his taste, and as
soon as he could be went to illinois and
without the aid of much schooling edu-
Gated himself, got admitted to the bar
and began the practice Of the law in
middle Illinois, riding In the circuit
with Lincoln and winning fame as an
orator. He went to Mexico as colonel Of
an Illinois regiment and won fame at
Cerro Gordo. Being attracted to Cali
fornia at an early day, he settled in
San Francisco and speedily became ia
nous as a jury lawyer, particularly in
criminal cases So great was his repu-
tation as an orator that the miners
would leave their claims and 60 miles
over the mountain trails to hear him
speak.
Early in 1860 Colonel Baker deter
mined to try to be elected United
States senator from Oregon. 1t was q
most audacious scheme for resident
of one state to attempt to become SEN
ator from an adjoining state, where he
had not even attempted to gain resi-
dence. 1t would require a little more
cheek for New York man to try to be-
come senator from Connecticut than It
did for Colonel Baker to undertake tc
become senator from Oregon. The very
audacity of the scheme commended it
to Colonel Baker, and he entered upon
the work with great energy. He stump
ed Oregon before the June election and
boldly proclaimed himself candidate
for the senate as Republican against
the celebrated General Joe Lane. The
legislature met in the fall, and after o
hot fight Colonel Baker was elected sen
ator, with a noted wit, James W. Mes
mith, as his colleague
The news of the election Of Senator
Baker preceded his return by only 9
few days, causing great JOY to his
friends in California, who decided tc
give him a public reception, function
which in those days meant the assem-
bling Of friends to listen to speech by
the honored man. The American thea
ter On Sansome street, with seating
capacity of 5000 when the stage wal
arranged for auditors, was engaged fol
the occasion. On the appointed evening
every available seat and bit Of standing
room was occupied, while hundreds
were turned away. Seats at tables wer'
arranged on the stage for half dozel
reporters. among them being a tall
thin, oonsumptive looking man abou
A5 years old, named Hart, who hat
been reporting for newspapers so lonl
that he was supposed to be proc
against the wiles of man or woman.
1t was stated at the time that a
Colonel Baker rode down to the meet
Ing with the committee he remarked:
II ought to make the speech Of M
life tonight, but feel as if ! will max
failure, Z"
After the meeting had been formal
opened a man about feet inches 1
height, athletic and erect in build, wit
a magnificent head scantily oovere
with gray hair, a smoothly shaven face
aquiline nose, blazing dark eyes, larg
neck enoircled with a wide Byron CO.
lar and wearing dark clothing, was il
troduced as Colonel Baker, our sent
tor from Oregon"
AS had never heard Colonel Bake
speak, but had had my head filled wit
stories of his oratorical powers, I s,
among the reporters, prejudiced again
him by the perversity Of my nature, an
studied him. For the first 10 minute
I compared him with the noted orato
j. ! had heard in the east, my early Col
g olusion being: "If this is the greI
orator of the Pacific and the gray Gag
IN of California, he is much overrated.
re have heard score Of men who excellt
10 him." Then became interested in tl
er matter and the manner Of the orato
y. His voice rivaled In tone and oompa
ID the notes produced by silver bug
s, when played by master, his gestur
Of seemed more appropriate and graoef
as than those of any speaker l had ev
ed heard and his utterances were so 9
tn trancing that all idea of the fight
time was lost as the ears drank in b
a words and the eyes watched his graC
as full movements.
nd To give you an idea of the power
Vi Colonel Bakers oratory it is enough
IA relate that Mr.. Hart, the case harden
Or reporter | have mentioned, became
ed absorbed in the matter and 81 fascinat
by the manner of the orator that he fl
No. got his duty to his newspaper, forgot
RS, take notes, forgot his surroundings a
ess at one climax in the speech jump
he from his seat, ran out on the stat
set grabbed Colonel Baker round the ne
Nv and, amid the tremendous cheering
led the great audience yelled:
ihe "B By God, sir, you are right"
to The instant Hart spoke he woke
It's. and, realizing the spectacle he b
of made of himself, rushed from the Sta
rs, amid the wild and long continued che
rm ing of the vast audience
md None Of the reporters on that stl
was ever able to write out more IL
: Of an occasional paragraph Of that t
lue hours speech made by Colonel Bak
ala the onlv one / ever heard him ma