The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-01-11

Own signature:
1t is calumnv on Christian Science
to say that man is aroused to thought
or action only by ease, pleasure, or
recompense. Something higher,
nobler, more imperative, impels the
impulses of Soul.
1t becomes my duty to be just
to the departed and to tread not
ruthlessly on their ashes. The at
tack on me and my late father and
his family in McClnre's Magazine,
January, 1907, compels me as a duti-
full ~child.and the Leader of Christian
Science to speak.
McClure's Magazine refers to my
fathers s'tall, gaunt frame" and
pictures ''the..o.d man tramping dog
gedly along the high way regularly
beating the ground with a huge
walking stick"
My fathers person vas erect and
robust. He never used a walking
stick. To illustrate: One time when
my father was visiting with Gov
-ernor Pierce, President Franklin
Pierce's father, the Governor handed
my father a goldheaded walking
stick us they were about to start
for church. My father thanked the
Governor, but declined to accept the
stick, saying. 81 never use a cane"
Although McClure's Magazine at
tributes to my father language
unseemly, his household law, con-
,stantly enforced, was no profanity
and no slang phrases. McClure's
Magazine also declares that:the Bible
was the only book in his house. On
the contrary, my father was a great
reader.
The .uan whom McClure's Maya
zine characterizes as Ignorant,
dominating, passionate, fearless"
was uniformly dienifed-a well-in-
formed, intellectual man, cultivated
in mind and manners. He was called
upon to dc much business for his
town, making ..out deeds. settling
luarrels, and even acting as counsel
in a lawsuit involving a question
Of %pauperism beween the towns OF
Loudon and bow, n. H. Franklin
Pierce, afterwards president Of the
United States, was the Counsel for
Loudon and Mark Baker for Bow.
Both entered their pleas. and my
father won the suit. After it was
decided, Mr.. Pierce bowed to my
father and congratulated him. For
several years, father was chaplain of
the New Hampshire State Militia,
and as I%..recollect it, he Was Justice
of the Peace at n time. My father
was a strong believer in States
R ghts, but slavery he regarded as a
great sin.
Mark Baker was the Youngest of
his fathers faulty, and Inherited
his fathers real estate. an extensive
farm situated in Bow and Concord.
N. ii. 1t is on record that Mark
Bakel $ father paid the largest tax
in the colony. McCllre's Magazine
SAYS, describing tue Baker home
stead at Bow: "The house itself
was a small. square box structure of
rudliDentary arcnite ture." My
fathers house mad a sloping roof
after the prevailing style of architec-
ture at that date.
McClure's Magazine S ates: .'Alone
of the Bakers, l.e (AItert) rec, lived a
liberal education. X x y Mary Baker
passed her 6rst fifteen years at the
ancestral home at Bow. 1t was !,
lonely and discriminating existence.
The church supplied the only social
diversion, the district school prac-
tlcally all the intellectual life :"
Let us see what we're the fruits of
this "lonely and unstimulatine ex-
%istence." All my fathers daughters
were given an academic education,
sufficiently advanced SO that they all
taught school acceptably at various
times and places.
My brother Albert was a distin.
guished lawyer. In addition to nv
academic training, l was privately
tutored by him. He was a member
of the New Hampshire Legislature.
and was nominated fer Congress but
died before the election.
McClure's Magazine calls my young
est brother, George Sullivan Baker. a
workman in a Tilton wooden mill. s.
As a matter Of fact, he was Joint
partner with Alexander Tilton, and
together they owned a large manu-
featuring establishment in Hilton,
~. n. His military title of Colonel
came from appointment on the staff
Of the Governor Of New Hampshire.
Ny Oldest brother, Samuel d.
Baker, carried on a large business
in Boston, Mass.
- Dn~o.li. a.. ~