A Fraternal Call ~ Baker and Long ~ Iowa
The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa
Thursday, June 15, 1905
Editor BAKER, of the Russell Union, in company with D.B. LONG, were "doing Chariton," Tuesday evening, and had the pleasure of climbing our mahogany stairway in the glow of the waning sun and rested for a time in this sanctum of serene elevation. As for LONG, he is dismissed as wholly unworthy, the waste of valuable space at this time, being temporarily out of the newspaper business, but MR. BAKER is a live member and most worthy our consideration, and we are glad to form his acquaintance. He recently came from Eagle Grove to Russell but it was like meeting an old friend as he was raised at Red Rock, in Marion County, and knew a "whole lot" of people over there and we spent a pleasant hour talking of the early history of that part of the county, comparing each others' knowledge of the 'murders and novel romances' occuring there when Red Rock was the wild west town on the border of the Indian reservation. Of course neither Editor BAKER nor The Leader editor personally knew anything about the early days but as he was born on the "historic ground" and the writer resided near there for years the thrilling narratives of the older inhabitants "had been written on the tablets of their memories." However, more mild topics were touched upon but is it to be wondered at that when two fighting editors meet they converse on "rip-roaring" themes? This narrative belongs to Marion County rather than to Lucas but history is history and must be written. An uncle of Editor BAKER's was treasurer of Marion County for several terms -- ED. BAKER we believe it was, and his father, who was a blacksmith in Old Red Rock, once was beguiled on to the barren shoals of politics and had his barque wrecked by a democrat. This was for the treasurer's office, but the elder BAKER was spared the shock that later befell his successful competitor when Outlaw WILLIAMS (of Red Rock) blew up the vault and robbed the treasury.
Personally, Editor BAKER is a fine fellow and we kind o' like him and hope that we will never have any occasion to exchange the savage war whoop but as for smoking the perpetual pipe of peace -- we can't do it. Editor BAKER is a Methodist -- and we are a sort of Methodist, too, and never fell into tobacco ways. He is a republican -- we'll stake a guinea pig and a pound of old metal on that -- but as he neither uses tobacco nor swears it is perhaps permissable for a man to have at least one bad habit and we'd rather look an honest republican in the face any day than a doubtful fellow who spits amber on his chin. This is all writen in a fraternal spirit and if Editor BAKER takes exceptions to it and calls for redress -- what may happen Heaven hath not yet revealed.
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August 26, 2004
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