The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-13

Aberdeen people speak of l.. Frank
Baum, who is fast becoming a star in the
literary world, as a. many-sided man.
They knew him in the early nlnet1eS, when
he lived among them for several years and
was a merchant, a travelling salesman, a
printer, an all-around newspaper man,
manager of the champion baseball club
in the state and general promoter or all
high-class sports and amusements. Mr..
Baum went to Dakota, not simply be-
cause Horace Greeley had advised it, but
because he had relatives there who want
ed him to come and thought they saw
chance for him to get on in business
way Then, too, he had lived for years in
and around Fayetteville, N. Y, typlcally
slow town, and was ripe for change to
the hustling west.
But Mr., Baum did not get on in the
west. His many sidedness did not seem
to count. He came, as it were, between
booms, after the first clean-ups mad been
made and goodly part Of those who came
early had moved to greener pastures.
Things had been running at high pres
sure and the slump was bound to come.
MI. Baum's failure was not at all strange.
The lean years. were due and they re-
manned as long as Mr.. Baum did and sew
eral years more. The business man or
farmer who did not ''go bump" in that
section Of Dakota at that time was the
exception. ''
After a time Mr. Baum's store, notions
and novelties, did not pay, and he closed
out the stock to turn printer and pup
Usher. He worked like a Trojan ana
evinced surprising ability, not to say gen
ius, in the feature and social departm ents
of his paper But there was no field, and
the paper, like the store, simply stopped.
The willow champions and the fans had
not even the ghost Of a chance when the
hard times came along, and, like many an
other good man, MI. Baum found ne was
''all in
It is a far cry between his hard knocks
in Dakota and the big strides MIR. Baum
| has taken in the last decade toward the
| top. Aberdeen and Dakota people always
| liked him and they are as proud OF ms
| successes as though he had remained
among them. They will always think. or
him as a Dakotan. And he on his side
| says: IT have never forgotten for a mo-
ment the old Aberdeen friends I often
look back on my Dakota experiences
with mingled signs and smiles Hard
| ships that seemed very real then are hal
| lowed by time and I am glad now to nave
had that phas eof life.' 49,
MIR. Baum always had happy faculty
| for getting on with children. Not the
least attraction to them by any means In
his store was the tall, slim, patient anc
tactful man behind the counter. When
they had a penny to spare they went tc
"Baum's.'' If there had been more chill
! dren and more pennies in the land,- the
author of Father Goose" and the "Wizart
Of Or might still be selling balls and bats
and baubles and geWgaWs to Young Amer
lea. There were a whole lot Of little
Baums at this time and: their father was
their play-fellow and companion. A mar
among grownups, Mr.. Baum knew how
to win and retain the interest and affec
ton of the children. Every one Of them
for miles around helped to advertise
''Baum's'' and was the friend of thu
versatile proprietor:
After he left Dakota Mr.. Baum becam,
travelling salesman, and a good one
too, out Of Chicago. He had always beer
handy with the pen and from trade, a.
part CT the process Of evolution, he drifte
into trade journalism and made the pac
for time in the WINDY City" Hi
"Show Window was work of art. Al
ways artistic, he now gave evidence o
the quality which began to count. H
struck his first real 'pay dirt" however
when he turned off Father Goose wIic
met with instantaneous success. Ever
year he has had a fresh holiday book TO
the children. AS he is in the prime Q
, life, the children shoHld have these book
to look forward to for a long time t
come unless, perchance, his versatilit
, impels him into some other inviting field
, On June 16 last the musical three-ac
, extravaganza, 1.-THE Wizard of Oz,'' tn
joint production of Mr.. Baum and Pal
Tietjens, was presented by a company
t players in Chicago for the first time. A
Q the close of the second act there we1
3 calls for both the authors. Bows frol
t the prosceniun box would not satisfy. an
y Mr.. Baum, finally going before the curtain
expressed in few phrases his thanks #
d the applause and favor accorded by tt
n audience. Since then 1.-THE WIZARD he
n broken all records in Chicago either fl
a summer or winter runs, and it is e1
pected the fame Of that Accomplishment
will pack the houses for the few weeks
is on the road. When it comes to Mime