Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-11-18
JIM BAk ER,s cAsIN.
Colorado Would Preserve Home OF
Famous Old Hunter and Trspper.

| gives the Government supervision ana
control of historic places of interest
Jim Bakers cabin was built in the
. early '04s by this intrepid trapp"r
, scout and pathfinder. who ranks with
! Jim Rridger and Kit Carson among the
great characters Of the early West
| Here Baker penetrated long before any
! other white man thought of settling in
| such a wild country. says the Denver
| Republican, and here he lived with the
friendly Indians and fought the I'M
| friendly tribes. every day being spIccd
| with some thrilling adventure.
! Bakers unique cabin, which is built
! with a lookout" on top where tho
| trapper used to watch for unfriendly
| Indians. is located in il romantic Sp,,
1t is in this valley of the Little Snake
River which winds along the Colorado
! Wyoming State line. 1t is in the foot
: hills of the Sierra Madre Mountains
and near il is the celebrated Ha'tic
Mountain whcr" Baker ANA som"
trappers and squaws successfully stood
off ii large attacking party OF Indians
He moved into the Little Snake country
early in the 40c. il is said. because
some one had moved into the same
county with him in the eastern part of
Colorado a year or two before, ana ne
considered the country WAS gctrng
too dtrned crowded."
Jim Bakers experience in the Wild
West, particularly Wyoming, is only
uarallelcd by Jim Rrdgcr. Baker was
horn in 1918 at BelIcVille. Ill. In 1893
he joined Il company of recruits at ST.
Louis in the service of the American
Fur Company, and made the long
tourney up the Missouri and across the
plains into Wyoming. 1t is Il notable
fact that this first expedition was IN
charge of Jim Bridgcr, and il was only
through the tact and resources Of this
notable plainsman that the entire
party was MOI lost. Many times the
party was stopped by savagcs. and the
warriors held council to determine
whether to kill the white men or let
them go on. But always, according to
Baker Jim Bridgers quckncss OF WIT
and hi; ex craordinary knowledge of
the Indian character saved the soaps
of the entire outfit. In all the years
of his frontier experience Baker de-
clared he was never nearer death than
on his first trip. which ended at the
mouth of PopO Agile. on Wind River.
Baker engaged as a trapper. and his
first trip was up Big Wind River to It's
source, and across the range in"
Jackson's Hole. During the next nine
wears Baker followed this most
adventurous and dangerous of callinss
and was in the brigades of such
famous trappers as Frapp, Nasques,
Bridger and Fitzpatrick. In those
DAYS the trappcr faced countless
dangers He must be on the alert at
every moment as the fur companies
operated in the very heart of the
hostile Indian country. Only the
Crows. among all the Western tribes.
could be depended upon as friendly.
War parties and hunting parties Of
Blackfeet. Cheyennes, Sioux. Arap1-
hoes and Shnshones We're met with
constantly, and the mental and physi-
cal resources of the successful trapp"r
may be imagined.
Jim Baker forged rapidly to the
front in his hazardous profession and
soon he was ranged With Jim BridSer
and Kit Carson. He wandered eli
over the Rocky Mountain country.
sometimes in company with parties of
trappers and sometimes alone. The
wilderness held no terrOrs for him
and he was able to match his cunning
against that of the Indians. In Au-
gust. 1871, Jim Rridger became
alarmed for the safety of his partner,
t'rapp, who was trapping on the Little
Snake. and sent Baker To warn him
that the Sioux and Cheyennes wer" ON
the warpath. Baker penetrated the
Little Snake country. where he FOUND
F'rapp and delivered his warming just
in time soon the party, thirty-thr"e
in number. was attacked by a lars,e
force of Indians. Ten men who ilad
been sent out to kill buffalo, Baker be-
ing among them. were driven in ny the
Indians. and the entire party was
besieged in a temporary fort that had
been erected. Several Of the trapperS.
including Frapp, were killed. but the
Indians finally withdrew after losing
about sixty Of their number. as they
afterward told Baker
Bakers cabin was the scene of many
an exciting skirmish. and the foresight
Of the old trapper in building the queer
lookout" on his house was more than
once rewarded when he headed OFT
Indians who sought to surprise him.
In 1855 Baker entered the service of
the Government as scout and FOR
several years he was looked upon as
one of the greatest scouts and guides
in the service of the army. The Pix
Peak excitement drew him to Denver
and in 1889 he built n home on Clear
Creek. not far from the present
capital of Colorado. Here he remained
until 1879, when he went back I" his
first lovc-the Little Snake N:cr
Valley.
Baker. like the other old trapperS of
his day. had several Indians wives
Many of his children now live in
Colorado and Wyoming. and they are
justly proud ~ their intrepid ancestor
His grave is near the ancient cabin he
built SO many years ago and which the
people of Cnlordo wish to preserve as
Il monument 10 this unique genius of
the frontier.
At the last general election in New
Zealand there were 263.59' men and 2l2.-
So women on the roll There actually
voted eli men and 1926 women. In
IA contests the women voters Outnum-
l..ts. $50 A.