Sunday Bee
PART III.
HULF-TOIIE SECTION
PACE3 1 TO 4.
Largest Circulation
THE OMAHA DEE.
Best IT. West
VOL. XXXVII NO. 44.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 19, 1908.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
JOHN N. BALDWIN SUCCESSFUL ATTORNEY AND ORATOR
Son of Council Bluffs Who Rose td National Fame Through Nativfc Ability and Who Achieved Great Success in His Chosen Field of Corporation Law and State Politics '
Omaha
JOHN N. BALDWIN was not spoiled by having well-to-do parents,
but In spite of what la general!? recognized as a handicap to
rising young men, he has succeeded In forging to the front
rank la hla profession, and today s recognized as one of the
most able men of the American bar. .As bead of the legal de
partment of the Union Pacific railroad, having been appointed" as
general solicitor of that road in January, 1906, when W. R. Kelly
resigned, Mr. Baldwin has txen a most busy man during the last few
years. Legislatures in the various states through which
the Union Faclflc railroad passes enacted numerous laws for the reg
ulation of the railroads which affected every department of a rail
road, and the head of every department had to work under new con
ditions. These men have not made a new move for two years with
out first asking the advice of the legal'departments of the road, so it
can easily be seen what a busy life the general solicitor of theUnlon
Pacific led since the last legislatures were In session.
John N. Baldwin Is a most interesting and agreeable personality.
Nature endowed him with qualifications ior mingling with hla follow
men. He is a big, wholesouled, jolly fellow, a finished scholar, an
eloquent lawyer and a polished gentleman. Fifty years ago he was
born In Council Blnffs, la. His father was Caleb Baldwin, one of the
ablest lawyers in Iowa and a man of national reputation. John N.
entered the law department of the State university of Iowa when quite
young and graduated with high honors before he had attained his
majority. Aa soon as the required number of years had rolled
around he was admitted to the bar and Immediately began the prac
tice of his profession in Council Bluffs.
Not long afterward he was one of the leading lawyers of the city
and was attorney for the leading corporations located or doing busi
ness there. By his extensive reading and continuous study, as well
as by his natural endowment, he cam to be recognized as one of the
best speakers of he bar. tAs such he was called upon to nominate
Senator Allison as a candidate for the presidency in 1896, and did so
In a memorable speech. He has also been called upon to speak on
various other important occasions.
Chosen for His Eloquence
Four years ago. when E. H. Harrlman wanted an eloquent man
to deliver an address on behalf of the Union Pacific system at the
f&eeting of the International Railway congress held in Washington
D. C, he choae John N. Baldwin. Leaders of the operating and con
struction department from aU parts of the globe were present on
this occasion. x (
Until two years ago, when he moved with his. family to Omaha to
occupy the beautiful home of the late J. M. Wool worth. Mr. Baldwin
had always lived ia Council Bluff. He ws married in 1878 to Miss
Lily O. Helcomb of Cedar Rapids. They have two children, a daugh
ter. Miss Genevieve Baldwin, a graduate of Vassar, who is now en
gaged la artistic Wok binding, and a son, John N. Baldwin, Jr., a
gradute of St Paul's school at Concord, N. H., and who- la now at
tending Harstrom's school at Norwalk, Conn.
Although he never held public ofllco and never aspired in that di
rection, Mr. Baldwin found time to take an active interest in politics,
both national and state. Ho was always a strong republican and
was always Identified with what was known as the Gear taction
In Iowa politics, baring taken an active part both times when Sena
tor Gear was elected. Incidentally, Mr. BaJdwin Is what is termed
almost exclusively a corporation lawyer. The . firm of Wright A
Baldwin was tho attorneys In Council Blnffs for the Chicago, Milwau
kee St St Paul railroad aad also tho Burlington, as well as for tho
franchise public utility corporations. Including the gas and electrio
light company, tho water company and tho street railway company.
Twenty-nine years age Mr. Baldwin entered the esaploy of the
Union Paeifie as Its local attorney at Qsuncll Bluffs aad remained
with that company conttsumtary ever since. His territory and Juris
diction gradually expanded until In 111 8 he was made general attor
ney of that read tor Nebraska and Iowa and In conjuncton with
Judge W. R. Kelly, then general solicitor, had Joint supervision of dty In 1907.
i I W I
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rendered Impossible to General Dodge by reason of lack of funds."
Mr. Baldwin then paid this tribute to General Dodge: "To Gen
eral Dodge these were years tensp with stress and strain, heavy with
unremitting toil, thrilling in danger, but still he pushed ever forward
and onward with the confidence of a conqueror. He was a man of
Judgment and common sense, who spared nothing and wanted every
thing; a man who believed In action and knew the value of every
moment of time. And above all, my friends, actuated by the Im
pulse to better his country, himself and his descendants, he tolled
with tho.e who overcame this wilderness and converted this 'Great
American Desert' into a 'Garden of Benefits,' "
His address ended with this beautiful s?ntlment: ''And to you,
remaining members of the Army of tho Tennessee, now In the twi
light of life. I offer tho sontiment whl'-h pervaded the soul of the
Cumaean Sibyl when she presented her books to Tarqulnlus Prlscus,
'As you grow fewer In numbers you bocc me dearer to our hearts.' "
Tribute to the West
in his speech on "West of tho Missouri River," delivered before
the international Railway congress, Mr. Baldwin paid this tribute to
the railroads and the men who built them in the west: "The great
est single factor or agency In the development of this country and
the accomplishment of thofce rorults was the construction and opera
tion of railwaya.' The builders of these railways were men who em
ployed their genius to find reason and glory in matter. Through
these years, tense with their stress and stra'n, heavy with their unre
mitting toll, thrilling in their danger, they pushed forward and per
mitted nothing to check them until they touchea tho shores of tho
Pacific. They were ruen who believed in an age of utility and uten
sil and who could not only construct railways, but build cities, disem
bowel mountains, yoke electricity and frteam and direct them both as
tireless and obedient servants." In closing he eaid: "Let us search
unwearledly for the truth and in so dolns we should be willing, If
necessary, to walk alone tho stone-strewn path of right, rather than
march with triumphant hosts alcng the bread highway of error."
Friends of Mr. Baldwin like to tell of his most notable caso which
was tried many years ago. An Iowa firm vvas suing the Milwaukee
railroad, whVih Mr. Baldwin represented, for 195,000 for a Are lots
from a spark from a locomotive. The case wore on until tfco final
issue seemed to be a question of veracity between Mr. Baldwin's chief
witness, who was an engineer, and several witnesses for the other
side, some of whom wore O. A. R. buttons. The case wasl ready for
the arguments and. the plaintiff's attorney, Colonel Charles B. Clark,
a noted Iowa lawyer, who also wore an army badge, worked on tho
sympathies of the Jurors, many of whom also wore the army emblem.
When he had finished telling the story of the battle of Antletam most
of the Jurors were in tears and Mr. Baldwin said himself he cou'd ee
the finish of the case. ' Night came and the court adjourned until
morrlrg, v. hen Mr. Baldwin would close the case.
Gloom Vanishes in Victory
JOHN rj. BALDWIN. i
admirable one that It was ordered reread at the reunldn of that so- which move the commerce of the world. He had no maps or charts
to afford him Information of the topography of tho country. The ter-
the work of the legal department for tho entire system, covering Some of tho passages of that tribute to General Dodge are beau- rltory traversed was designated in text books as a wilderness dedi
cated by nature to be the eternal habitation of the savage and the
buffalo.
seres states.
As an orator Mr. Baldwin has achieved a national reputation. Ho
first attracted outside attention through his speech as temporary
chairman of the Iowa state republican convention tnlS94. In 1896
he presented tho came of Senator Allison at the republican national
convention at St. Lous and In 1900 he was nominated as elector-at-large
ea the Xbws ticket and stumped Iowa and other western states
for MoXQ&leyi and 1M0.
ZIotaHo Oratorical Success
ytvw years ego, in February Mr. Baldwin won two notable ora
torios oooesaos which added to his national reputation. At the In
vitation of the Iowa State Bar association and tho State university he
delivered tho Marshall day address on the It 0th anniversary of tho
Installation of John Marshall as chief Justice of the United States su
preme court Judge John J Dillon, who also delivered a similar ad
dress Wore tho New York State Bar association at Albany, .pro
nounced Mr. Baldwin's address as one of tho ablest of tho sixty de
livered on that day in the United States.
.s On the ltth day of the same month he was the principal speaker
at the annual banquet of tho Republican club of tho Borough of Man
hattan, held at the WaldorfnAstorla. Speaking of that occasion, the
New York Press said: "Mr. Baldwin differs from the conventional
post-prandlal speakers in his defiance of set rules" and creation of
new art His vocabulary is litUo less than amaslng In Its diversity
and originality. He employs no tricks of gesticulation. Virility Is
In his every period, and while the beginning of his speech did not in
dicate the strength that was to become manifest as he went on, his
peroration was so perfect that the women in the boxes who had
come to listen with languid interest were aroused to extraordinary
enthusiasm as the 'Roscoe Conkling of the West bowed and sat
down."
It was In a crowd at Washington on the following day that Sena
tor Dol liver took this little shot at the orator of the evening: "John,
you got away with us fellows from Iowa In your little speech last
night In three particulars. First, you were complimented by the
New Tork Sun: second. Senator Depew also spoke highly of it, snd
third. It was printed la full on the front page of the New York
Tribune. This seems so strange, because that space has hitherto
been devoted to valuable matter." So great a hit did Mr. Baldwin
mako on that memorable occasion that demands were made for his
services from all over the country. The New York papers printed
his speech in full, with his photograph, while simply giving passing
notice to Senator Depew and other notables on the program.
Mr. Baldwin was the leading attorney for the plaintiff In the fa
mous suit of James Doyle against James F. Burns, the trial of which
consumed more than a month In the federal court at Council Bluffs,
and succeeded In securing a verdict of $450,000, which is said to be
the largest verdict ever returned In a damage suit in the United
States. Mining property in Colorado of the value of over $1,000,000
was Involved, and It was a historic case. Counsel on the other side
were Senator Patterson. ex-Governor Thomas and Congressman
Smith.
John N. Baldwin is a big man. not so tall, but big In other ways.
His face ia massive, alert and clean-shaven and surmounted by a
mass of wavy, brown hair, which sets off bis high forehead. He has
l powerful, deep and splendid voice, thoroughly modulated and en
tirely under control. While not necessarily a believer that clothes
go to make up the man. nevertheless he believes that good clothes
help a man many times and that they are made to be worn, so he is
always well dressed.
On the 9th of November, 1906, he was the principal speaker at
the thirty-sixth reunion of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee,
held at Council Bluffs, his subject being, "General Crenvllle M.
Dodge. JLU address made such an Impression aad was such, aa
tirul word pictures. Here is one: "In this time of great national
eminence, with happiness regnant in 20,000,000 American homes,
with our astral emblem honored and respected throughout the world,
with the seat of peace of both hemispheres by the Potomac, with a
nation distinguished for ito commerce, its wealth and Its enlighten
ment it is meet that we should pause in our onward flight to ac-
I
General Dodge's Achievement
"To'emphaslze the achievement of General Dodge In building tho
knowledge with full hearts our love, our reverence, our boundless Union Pacific, I speak authoritatively, officially and with a full knowl-
gratltude and obligation to and for our preserver and benefactor edge of the facts, when I say that the present management of the
the union soldier." 1 Union Pacific, for the express purpose of shortening the line between
In speaking of General Dodge's work In the construction of the Omaha and Ogden and bettering it, if It. were potnible, bad surveys
Unloa Pacific railroad, he said: "President Lincoln, fully apprecla- and revisions made and expended millions of dollars in eliminating
ting the genius and indomitable will of General Dodge, Immediately gradients, curvatures and tunneling mountains, with no limit as to
after the war called him to the task of construction of the Union Pa- time or means, with .full knowledge of the topography of the country,
clflo railroad.' He turned his face, recently bathed in the smoke of with all modern appliances, with the services of a corps of the ablest
musketry, toward the wilderness, the Rockies and the great Amer- engineers, yet It only succeeded In reducing the distance less than
lean desert, and he surveyed and supervlned the construction of that forty miles. And this reduction in mileage was due laigely. In fact,
road, then a military necessity, now one of the great railway systems almost entirely to changes in gradients and curvatures which were
As Mr. Baldwin was sitting, enshrouded In gloom, arounl tho
hotel that evening, all hope gone, the engineer came alens and aacd
Mr. Baldwin what he thought of the chances. Mr, Baldwin replied
that he thought all those soldier buttons would be too much for his
case and that he had about given up hope. The engineer casually
remarked that he was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic,
but never wore his button. Mr. Baldwin began to question the engi
neer, and he told this story: Many years before he had come to this
country, a lad of 16, carrying a Bible, his mother had given Mm. Not
finding work, he enlisted In the union army, and at the battle of An
tletam was wounded. A rebel soldier was also wounded and the two
lay together. Thinking the Yankee was dead, the southerner took
the Bible from the knapsack of the northerner and left the flleld.
Years afterward the southerner ran across that Bible and he thought
that the relatives of the supposedly dead soldier might be alive and
that they would like the keepsake. He'advertlsed in several papers
for the relatives of the man whose name he found in the flyleaf. The"
engineer saw that advertisement and answered it, getting back his
Bible,
"Why did you not tell me this before?" cried Mr. Baldwin, all
enthusiasm, for he now saw an opening and the light ahead. He
Instructed the engineer to be sure to be on hand at the trial In the
morning and to wear his G. A. R. emblem. He left the engineer and
started to retire, when he met his associate counsel, who asked him
where he was going. When told he was about to 'retire the other
asked him why h.e did not sit up and study out some answer to make
to the noted lawyer's argument As" hs lay In bed that night Mr.
Baldwin thought out what he would say to the Jury on the morn.
Those who have heard John N. Baldwin well know how he could
tell the story of that engineer to the Jury. He In turn brought tears
to the eyes of the Jurors, aad when the verdict was returned for tho
railroad company those present well knew that It was the oratorical
powers of Mr. Baldwin In telling that story of the engineer to tho
Jury which had won tho caso. He had told another story of tho bat
tie of Antletam.
"Trade Excursions" Among Omaha's Big Factories
OMMERCIAL TRAVELOGUES"
are to bu a new feature of the
bimlneu and Industrial Ufa of
Omaha wlch promise to culti
vate peraonal acquaintance of
bualneaa men ai well aa more
than a superficial knowledge of the "other
fellew'a buainsaa."
To know how Omaha waa able to report
that the manufactured products of the city
were valued at 1220.000.000 and the wholesaling-
bualneaa amounted to t8S,048,OX) dur
ing the year of 1907 the Commercial club
haa devised a novel means in the local
"trade excursions." the flrat of which waa
given during the last week.
The figure look "awful" big when they
are reported by the newspapers and spread
over .the advertising matter of the Com
mercial club and other or?
ganlxations each year. They
are almost too big to be
lieve, but inquiry aa to th"
output of aotue of the fac
tories and the business of
aome of the , wholesale
houses verifies them an
nually In a general way.
The first vielt of 100 bual
neaa -men t one of the lurge
dry gooda houses, a clothing'-"
factory and a plumbing sup
ply house was a strong ar
gument In fsvor of the fig
urea presented January 1,
when It. was reported that
the wholesair dry goods
houses of the city sold $3,575,- .
000 worth of goods; the
clothing factories made
$300.0(0 worth of "ready to
wear" goods and the whole
sale plumbing biulneaa of
the city amounted to more'
thaa ' t.BoOOOO during th
year of 17.
Now th Commercial club
propose to show a many
of It members aa will go
on the excursion where -every
dollar's worth ot bual
neaa U don without looking
at th private preflt aheet
aad cVUl)e4 atatuQaata fur
nished the directors and heads of the many
wholesale Rouses and factoriea.
"Am I my brother's keeper," haa been
answered In the affirmative by E. A. Hln
richa, chairman of the entertainment com
mittee of th club, who will' have the ex
cursions In charge. The business men pro
pose to familiarise themselves with their
"brother's" business to the extent that they
will aee and know what other business men
are doing In the city of Omaha.
The Idea of the local trade excursion did
not originate with the Omaha Commercial
club aa did the first trade exourslon Into
the territory surrounding the great grain
market. For a number of years the busi
ness men of Buffalo have been visiting the
factoriea and warehouses In the city, and
taking special train and running out to
the busy suburbs and manufacturing towns
hear tho city and from which flie mercan
tile houses of Buffalo draw a largo part
of their supplies. The Buffalo Idea spread.
It did not need to meet with the favor
of other cities before the Omahans tried it,
and vabout as soon as an Omaha business
man brought the news of the novel excur
sions of the city on the lakes, Commis
sioner Guild of the Omaha club Interested
the entertainment committee and Mr. Iiin
rlchs knew a good thing when he heard
about It.
The plan Is to take an excursion every
two weeks or at least once each month, and
see every industry In Omaha and South
Omaha, and hope to ae an industry or two
at "Ralston" before the trips are concluded.
Then It la hoped other will eom 'fast
enough to keep the club busy going over
the new Industries.
As soon aa the Intention of the Commer
cial club was announced a score of invita
tions poured In to the commissioner. Her
are some ot the invitations already extended
end which Will be accepted In the moat
convenient form necessary for the excur
sionist to reach the places of business:
Northwestern frelKht depot and terminals.
Fairmont Creamery company plamt, ice
cream factory and buttermilk cellars.
Plant of the American Smelting and Re
fining company, which refined $47,100,000
worth of metals in Omaha laat year.
Union Pacific Railroad company's shop,
where CuuO.OGO was expended laat year In
labor and materials tor cars and locomo
tive. Breweries (to be accepted In July and
August).
Bom of th other industries whtab ta
- . .... .. . . t
.astfc f V , -
f , A - .... ' r 1 .
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t t
TKADB fcXCt'KSiUtiiJiia AZ.-S1UB UNU'iOJ 8IAIM 8fi-i'iY. CuMANVS iiUlLUiWU
business man will investigate consist In
a factory where $150,000 worth of whips
are mad each yar; where mission and
antlqu furnitur oemes from; th bag
factory which Makes $1,400,000 worth of
sacks and hra blankets, which are dis
tributed almost from Greenland's Icy
mountains t laala's coral strands; the
human horse oellars, which an so goo4 ,
that th government I buying them for
th mule on Irrigation work; th candy
shops, which make $1,200,000. worth ot
confectionery annually and ar alleged to
make $$,000,000 worth of work for the
dentists; th planing mill and fixture!
house, which make $500,000 worth, ot'
window sash and office furnitur an
nually, and the new flouring mills, which
produce the material lor . Omaha-mad
momma bread.
Besides th factories, the wholesale
house will be Invaded. They Inciud
very possible Una, froiS groceries to
billiard table and from agricultural Im
plement to Merry Widow millinery. ,
It I; a 'good-natured but studious crowd
of business men which makes the excur
sions, and th largeat warehouse and
factories ar Inspected thoroughly la
from one to two hours, though tho aver
age time required will probably be lea
than one hour. Th first excursion,
which looked over two large establish
ment, left th Commercial club roofns
at 1:$0 o'clock and waa ready to return,
to th desks and offices In Just two
hours. By showing 100 visitors through
an establishment at one those who ar
honored with th visit sav much time,
as th large number goes through every
thing In less tlm than would b required
to show on Ion Individual the In and
out of th business house or factory.
Employe ar disturbed but one for th
entire party, and usually not disturbed at
all.
Besides th advantage gained by whole
sale groceries, seeing how calico is stored
and shipped, manufacturers of glass win
dows, learning how structural Iron 1
mad and handled and consumer learning
omethlng about where butter com
from, th plan will doubtlea oreate e
closer ' co-operation of th business men
Of Omaha, who ar last approaching the
(Continued on Pag Four J
