The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-28
ELOQUENT BAKER.
AN ENGLISH BORN WESTERNER
WHOSE SPEECH WAS A SPELL.

| Ills Memorable Effort which Charmed
the Reporters Beyond the Power to
Record What He Said - His Career ON
the Pacific Coast and His Death.
Only once have listened to speaker
who could make a newspaper reporter
forget his occupation, and that man
was Colonel Edward D. Baker of Cali
fornla, Oregon and the nation.
Colonel Baker was born in England
and was brought to America while a
child by his parents. His father was a
weaver and obtained work in a 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 he 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 jury lawyer, particularly in
criminal cases. So great was his repu
tation as an orator that the miners
would leave their claims and go 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. It was
most audacious scheme for resident
of one state to attempt to become a SEN
,4<D a&ok4 hfN
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 to
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 hi-uself a candidate
for the senate as a Republican against
the celebrated General Joe Lane. The
legislature met in the fall, and after
hot fight Colonel Baker was elected sem
ator, with a noted wit, James W. Mes
NTH, as his colleague.
The news of the election of Senator
Baker preceded his return by only a
few days, causing great joy to his
friends in California, who decided to
give him a public reception, function
which in those days meant the assem-
bling of friends to listen to a speech by
the honored man. The American thea
ter. on Sansome street, with seating
capacity of 5000 when the stage was
arranged for auditors, was engaged for
the occasion. On the appointed evening
every available seat and bit of standing
room was occupied, while hundreds
were turned away. Seats at tables were
arranged on the stage for half dozen
reporters, among them being a tall,
thin, consumptive looking man about
As years old, named Hart, who had
been reporting for newspapers SO long
that he was supposed to be proof
against the wiles of man or woman.
1t was stated at the time that as
Colonel Baker rode down to the meet
ing with the committee he remarked:
st ought to make the speech of my
life tonight, but feel as if will make
q failure
After the meeting had been formally
opened a man about feet inches in
height, athletic and erect in build, with
a magnificent head scantily covered
with gray hair, smoothly shaven face,
neck encircled with wide Byron col
lar and wearing dark clothing, was in
troduced as Colonel Baker, our sena-
tor from Oregon"
AS I had never heard Colonel Baker
speak, but had had my head filed with
stories of his oratorical powers, sat
among the reporters, prejudiced against
him by the perversity of my nature, and
studied him. For the first minutes
I compared him with the noted orators
/ had heard in the east, my early con-
clusion being: eff this is the great
orator of the Pacific and the gray eagle
of California he is much overrated. I
have heard a score of men who excelled
him.. >" Then I became interested in the
matter and the manner of the orator.
His voice rivaled in tone and compass
the notes produced by silver bugIe
when played by master, his gestures
seemed more appropriate and graceful
than those of any speaker I had ever
heard, and his utterances were SO en-
tranoing that all idea of the flight of
time was lost as the ears drank in his
words and the eyes watched his grace
full movements.
To give you an idea of the power of
Colonel Bakers oratory it is enough to
relate that Mr.. Hart, the case hardened
reporter l have mentioned, became so
absorbed in the matter and so fascinated
by the manner of the orator that he for
got his duty to his newspaper, forgot to
take notes, forgot his surroundings and
at one climax in the speech jumped
from his seat, ran out on the stage,
grabbed Colonel Baker round the neck
and, amid the tremendous cheering of
no eyroat on6iopoo
''By God, sir, you are right!''
The instant Hart spoke he woke up
and, realizing the spectacle he had
made of hirnself rnshad from the stage