Untitled - citizen hylbom blog

1088 SOUTHEASTEKN MASSACHUSETTS
winter season in the public school. In those
day teachers "boarded round" at the different
pupils' homes. During the season his attention,
was given to navigation, and he became
captain of a coaster, plying between New Bedford
and vicinity and Philadelphia. He was
also engaged in the West Indies trade. Alto-
gether he followed the sea for a period of fortyfive
years. Later he turned his attention to
farming at Bakerville, operating a tract of land
for fifteen years, after which he conducted a
store in his native town. This he con-
grocery
tinued during the remaining years of his active
life. He died Jan. 3, 1888, at the ripe age of
runet\'-one years and was laid to rest in South
Dartmouth cemetery. He was a member of
ihe Baptist Church at Bakerville. Politically
he was a Democrat, and a stanch supporter of
the old "war horses" of that party. On Feb.
7, 1826, he married Jane Eliza Dixon, born
Jan. 2, 1808, in Alexandria, Va., daughter of
Dixon. Their children were:
John and Mary
Eobert, who resides in Omaha, Nebr. ; Mary E.,
who married April 17, 1851, Elihu Briggs and
resides in New Bedford; George Orlando; Sa-
rah, who married Jerome B. Farnham, and resides
in New Bedford; Michael, a whaling mas-
ter, who died in New Bedford; John, a storekeeper
in South Dartmouth, where he died ;
Emily, who is the widow of James H. Sweet,
and resides in New Bedford; and Oscar, who
died in Oakland, Cal. The mother died in
South Dartmouth at the age of ninety-three
years, three months, and was buried in the
South Dartmouth cemetery.
(VIII) Capt. George Orlando Baker attended
the public schools of his native village
tured at Ascension island by the Eebel privateer
"Shenandoah" and was burned, the captain
with his crew being taken prisoners, put
in irons for seventeen days and then put ashore
on the same island, where they were kept prigoners
for six months. They were finally rescued
by a United States boat sent for them by
the United States minister at the Sandwich islands,
chartered for their rescue. After returning
to San Francisco, where he spent a year.
Captain Baker went to Peru and shipped as
third mate on a Chilean schooner the "Portia,"
for three months, later becoming mate. Then
he became master of the vessel, and was captain
of her for three years. He then became master
of the bark "Valparaiso," sailing from Caldera,
Chili, belonging to the Chilean fleet of whalers,
in which he spent two years, when his brother,
Capt. Michael Baker, took charge of the ship
at Panama and Capt. George 0. returned to
Dartmouth. In 1871 he became master of the
"Cape Horn Pigeon," owned by William Potter,
of Dartmouth, Mass., in which he made two
voyages to the Pacific ocean. In April, 1880,
he became master of the bark "Europa," owned
by Swift & Akin, New Bedford, and in this
vessel he made three voyages, eventually returning
to New Bedford. In 1889 he became
master of the ship "Josephine," owned by Swift
& Akin, and in 1890 he retired from the whal-
and was but thirteen years old when he went to
sea, shipping in 1848 as cabin boy on the whaling
bark "George Washington," commander
Capt. Amos Baker, the voyage lasting three
years, and extending to the Indian ocean. His
next voyage was on the whaling ship "Eliza-"
heth," Capt. Michael Baker. He then sailed
with Capt. Obed Pierce, as third mate, and for
T; and A. R. Nye, and was two voyages with
that captain, returning as first mate, the voyages
being to the Pacific ocean as far as the
Ne\v Zealand coast. As first mate he sailed in
the '"Mei-lin," Capt. John DcBlois, owned by
William Watkins, and was gone three years in
the Pacific. Eeturning home he became first
officer of the bark "Coral," Gideon Allen & Son,
agents, in which he spent one season, leaving
the ship at San Francisco. He took command
at San Francisco of the ship "Edward Carey,"
formerly of Nantucket, and while on the ing industry
voyage
in the North Pacific in 1864 his ship was cap-
after forty-two years of seafaring
life, thirty-five as master, being one of the oldest
in point of years in the whaling business,
and one of the most successful of captains.
After retiring from the sea Captain Baker
settled in South Dartmouth, where he took
quite an active part in the affairs of the town.
He became a trustee of the Public Library at
Padanaram, and was register of voters for
twelve years. In 1869-70 he served as a member
of the State Legislature, elected on the
Democratic ticket, the first year being a member
of the committees on Drainage and Elections.
The next year he was a member of the
committee on Prisons. In 1902 Captain Baker
went to The Hague as a witness for the United
States in the arbitration between the United
States and Russia. The dispute between the
two governments was over the seizure of the
"Cape Horn Pigeon," a whaling vessel, J. &
W. R. Wing, of New Bedford, agents. The ship
was whaling in the Okhotsk sea in 1892, and
was seized by an armed vessel of the imperial
Russian government on Sept. 11th of that year,
charged with illegal catching of fur seals, was
taken to Vladivostok, detained there until the
close of the whaling season, and finally returned.
The case was taken to The Hague in