The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-07-31
ELOQUENT BAKER.
AN ENGLISH BORN wEsTERNER
WHOSE SPEECH WAS A SPELL.

GN0Iton 6ORN WESTERNER
WHOSE SPEECH WAS A SPELL.
Ills nIemorablo Effort Which Charmed
the Reporters Beyond tho Power to
record What He Said = His Career on
tho 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
'ofnia' Oregon and the nation.
Coonel Baker was born in England
una was brought to America while q
enid ny his parents. His father was
weaver and obtained work in PhiIa-
uelpnla mill. Young Baker also worked
III 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 tho hid of much schooling edu-
Gated himself, got admitted to the bar
and began the practice of tho law in
middle Illinois, riding in tho circuit
with Lincoln and winning fame as ON
orator. He went to Mexico as colonel of
an illinois regiment and won fame at
Cerro Gordo. Being attracted to Cali
1ornla Mt 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-
tatlon as an orator that the miners
would leave their claims and 20 miles
over tho mountain trails to hear him
speak.
EARLY in 1860 Colonel Baker deter
frV- 70 I1D IL
States senator from Oregon. 1t was q
most audacious scheme for resident
OF ono state to attempt to become a SEN
ator from nm adjoining state, where he
mad not even attempted to gain a resi-
dence. 1t would require little more
check 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 no entered upon
the work with great energy. He stump
ed Oregon before tho June election and
boldly proclaimed himself Il candidate
Tor the senate rs Republican against
the celebrated General Joe Lane. The
legislature met in tho fall, and after a
hot fight Colonel Baker was elected SEN
ator, with IL noted wit, James w. Mes
mith, as his colleague.
Tho news of the election of Senator
Baker preceded his return by only a
few days, causing great Joy to his
friends i'll California, who decided to
give him public reception, q function
which i'll those days meant the assem-
bling of friends to listen to speech by
the honored man. The American thea
ter OH Sansomo street, with II 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 ut tables were
arranged OH the stage for half dozen
reporters, among them being tall,
thin. consumptive looking man about
40 years old. named Hart, who had
been reporting for newspapers SO long
that no was supposed to be proof
against the wiles of man or woman
1t was stated at tho time that as
Colonel Baker rode down to the meet
ing with the committee he remarked:
~ ought to make the speech of nv
life tonight, but feel rs if will make
failure
After tho meeting had been formally
opened man about feet inches in
height. athletic and erect in build, with
magnificent head scantily covered
with gray hair, a smoothly shaven face,
aqulline nose, blazing dark eyes, large
neck cncircled with wide Byron col
lar and wearing dark clothing, was in
troduced as Colonel Baker, our senu-
tor from Oregon
AS had never heard Colonel Baker
speak, but had had my head filled with
stories of his oratorical powers, sat
among tho reporters, prejudiced against
him by the perversity of my nature, and
studied him. For tho first 5 minutes
compared him with the noted orators
L had heard i'll 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.
have heard score of men who excelled
him." Then became interested in the
matter and the manner of the orator.
His voice rivaled in tono and compass
the notes produced by silver bugIe
when played by q master, his gestures
seemed more appropriate and graceful
than those of any speaker had ever
heard, and his utterances were SO en-
trancing that all idea of tho fight of
time was lost us the ears drank in his
words and the eyes watched his grace
full movements.
10 give you an idea of tho power of
Colonel Bakers oratory it is enough to
relate that Mr. Hart the coco Lordouod
reporter l have mentioned, became so
absorbed III the matter and so fascinated
by the manner Of the orator that he for