Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-10-18

George +. Baer is a Pennsylvania
by birth, and he will be 60 years old on
the 26th of this month. He does not
look 1t. There are few gray hairs In
his head, and he Is as erect as n man
of half his years. A dignity which Is
so pronounced that Il lamost seems TO
be deliberate marks his bearing.
For all that he is. so far from being
an aristocrat, self-made man. Al the
aye Of thirteen he entered the office Of
the Somerset Democrat, in Somerset
Pa, his birthplace and studied the
trade at the case FOR two years.
In 1861 he and his brother Henry
bought the Democrat, which was only
Il country weekly, and when the broth
er went 10 the war George edited and
printed the paper by day and studied
law by night
Eventually he. too. decided to see ser
vice. aud IN 1862 he gave up the paper
and raised company Of volunteers, OF
which he was made captain. He serv-
ed in the Army of the Potomac and be-
came adjutant general of the Second
brigade. Then, when his term Of SER
vice had expired he went back TO Som
erset and resumed the study Of law.
He was admitted to the bar in 1864
and went 10 Reading four years later
II was in those early days that he won
a victory in a damage suit against the
Reading, proving the possession Of such
ability that those In control OF the rail-
road said This man is too dangerous
as an enemy We must have him on
our side"
He was employed as counsel for the
company and IN that way became
corporation man. His talents as a law
yer proved quite as valuable as had
been anticipated and Il was largely as
a result Of his skill in steering the
Reading over many difficult shoals that
he was at last elevated 10 the presi-
dency.
George L. Baer IS. "A many sided man
and his friends believe that he would
have been as successful In politics as he
has turned out To be as a business man.
He,was often mentioned for Congress
In the Berks district In years gone by,
but his invarable answer was 81 am
too busy I can't afford IT,
n may surprise many persons 10
know that for years Mr.. Baer was q
Democrat Of the most vigorous sort.
Several times he was mentioned for
governor on that ticket hut he would
never accent Then ne allied himself
with the gold men and took up the Cud-
gels against Bryan,
Since becoming prominent IN the rail
road world he has utterly tahoed poll
tics IN Reading he still occupies a
prominent position Less than two
years ago 200 Of the lendirg business
men rendered him bopQuet as "Read-
ugs most eminent citizen" The title
applies today.
While practising law Mr. Raer was
the leader Of the bar. He always spoke
to crowded court houses. Then he drift
ed into business and became president
and director Of many manufacturing
enterrrises His law firm Is stu main
tanned in Reading
Before he became president Of the
Reading he was at the head Of corror-
ations which employed thousands %
men. For many years he has been one
NJ J. Pierpont Morgan's legal advisers
long. indeed. before the outside world
ever heard Of him.
In his taste Mr. Baer IS domestic His
home. Hawthorne IN the suburbs OF
Reading. Is beautiful. lie also has n
large town house ON Spruce streetphll-
adclphia. which he occupies during per-
iois Of the winter.
He Is a deep student and has a COM
prehensive library. The family consists
Of himself. his wife and FIVE daughters
two Of whom are married
Mr.. Baer Is regarded as a sincerely
religious man. No matter what bust
ness NAV be occunying him he never
misses church on SUNDAYS. He attends
the Second Reformed church. Of which
Rev. DR. $, r. Bridenbaugh II pastor,
and he contributes largely 10 congre-
ga'ional purposes.
He Is president Of the city Park
hoard Of Reading, and was virtually |
The creator OF the park system In that
city. There Is no secret IN the fact |