Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-15
An Interesting Personality.

r r. Baumgardt. VINO has so raploiy
laid claim to interest in washington pE
his course of lectures. is an example OF
a man attaining his life's ideal after a
struggle through many tfials that I'M
expectedIy proved the most valuable
factors in his success.
Porn in Liverpool OF Swedish
father who had long lived in England to
pursue his literary life, and OF an Eng
lish mother, Mr. Baumgardt Inherited
international tendencies that have AIDED
him materially in his preparation of
ta,..l iectures AS is so often the case
in a literary family, the. desire TO DO
and TO see were far beyond the posi-
biities of available income, IN oraet
that he might see the world, young
Baumgardt shipped before the mast
a common sailor on a Norwegian sal-
ing vessel, and in such way started
his life wanderings 1t must nave peefi
a terrible price t. pay, TOT Will nis A. ny
education and enlightened home NE tne
trials of sailor must nave broken ~
soul had he not been determined 70
lear,. and to see He even now 1ells OF
long watches on deck when II seemed
impossible to keep awake, and he recalls
days ashore when the harder slae OF
life was more readily seen. ana the
glory of cities was not allowed to hide
the soualor. These days inbred spirit
of true Judgment that has ever been the
KEYNOTE of Mr.. Baumgardts later life.
admirably reflected in his lectures.
Into the far east the vessel sailed. 10
the antipodes and then up to the land
Of golden opportunities America Near
the present site Of Vance yer, d. =,
Mr. Baumgardt left his ship and PENN
less and without prop clothes: began
q weary walk overland to clVinzatlon.
In pangs of hunger he even approached
eft n
no money, they refused him. ana SO
faintins with his long fast, he wandered
into Bellingham. Wash, to sink into d
days sleep at the very door OF rehei.
But the relief came, anu from one %.
of work to another he made his way
south to Portland. Ore. where he
took advantage of western opportunities
and before many years passed was sue
cessfully established as printer
Climatic conditions tempted him soutf
to Los Angeles, and there he built W
anew one of the Pacific coasts creates
publishing houses. still bearing his
name. -
Annually, after prosperity came, Mr.
Baungardt returned to Europe to traVe
in and study the countries he loved
These visits flied his library with rare
collections of books and PICTURES, pu!
more than all else, they filled ms m1ne
and a great idea to weave them into
lecture that would be more than any
lecture ever known.
A lover Of art rather than an artist
student of history rather than
historian. an astrophile rather than ar
astronomer, he began to feel the one
thing he could do of himself was
to create new art in the lecture, ane
so convert his many loves into raorlt
he could call his own.
Not exactly young man, he gave VI
his business and began his new pro
fession, the supreme test of his earnest
ness. Success did not come with work
for II was all new, this idea of puttint
thoughts into words of both instructor
and entertainment
For many years he was president o
the Southern California Academy o
Sciences, and recently he was eiecee'