OPOTIKI:THE LATE CAPTAIN BAKER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6636, 23 February 1883, Page 6

OPOTIKI:THE LATE CAPTAIN BAKER.

Tuk one all-absorbing theme of interest in Op tiki at present is the sad and untimely death of Captain Charles of all men in his public capacity the most deeply to be regretted, a> master <f various sailing vessels extending over a r.eriod of twelve, years, and latterly as master of our steam trader the s.s. Staffa." Ch rley Baker has endeared himsi If to us as the kindest-hearted and most painstaking captain both as regards the comfort of his passengers and the management, and navigation of his vessels. What we, the Opotiki settlers, owe to Captain Baker we aie only now fully realising. Hii unvarying kindness and unremitting attention to the comfort of our wives and little ones, when circumstances necessitated their being com-

mitted to his care during the voyage t< Tauranga, or Auckland, are beyond al praise ; to helpless women and little ehildrei he was the very essence of kindness ar.c ;omfort. As a seaman he was almost with jut his equal. He ran tl.e Stalla-ana . ipeak 011 ihe very best authority here—a lilies and under circumstances when fev itlier men living would have done so lavlight or dark, Whakatane's ugly rocks, o: )potiki's treacherous sandbanks, ho brough us ship in and out safely in almost al leathers. Of his private character as ai lonourable man, a kind, loving father, and i taunch friend, I need not speak, for, as i vas appropriately rematked at the recen mblie meeting. Captain Baker's characte iecds no word-painting. It speaks fo tself to the heart of every one who knev lim. Un February 3, the body was dis overed in deep water, a few hundred yard; ,o the westward of the bar, by Constabli ■Vashey, and very great praise and credit is [tie to Sergt.-Major Th s. Dalzell and thi nembers of the A.O. Force stationed here, .lso to Constable VV. Gordon of the towi )olice, for their uutiring search day anc light lor the body, which lias resulttd iu th< liscovery being made some six days before t might have been expected. The inquest Vjs convened on February 9, and wai idjourned for one week on the application o e Gordon, so as to admit of the ircsence of the two principal witnesse o , tlu nen who were with Captain Baker in tin )oat when it capsized, viz., Charles Arghest i Swede, and Hone Mete (John Smith), i lalf-easte Maori, who are at present ot joard the Statin. in Tauranga. The ftinera ,ook place oil the a'ternoon of the 9th inst. ,he attendance was unusually great, number: )f Maoris attending to testify their respee or the deceased, as well as the greate: lortiou of the European residents. Such : iniversal expression of deep and heartfel sympathy has never yet met its equal ii Jpotiki. On February 10, a crowded meet ug was held in the Town Hall in responsi ;o a iAiblic announcement to the etl'ect tha mmcdiate steps should be taken to raise ; und for the immediate assistance for tin ,vidow and nine little children wlion j.iptain Baker's untimely death had lef ;otally unprovided for. Mr. R. S. Bush Resident Magistrate, was elected to tin iliair, and in explaining the objects of tin neeting spoke earnestly and feelingly on t.n uibject before them, expressing the liighes ipinion of Captain Baker's character, botl jublic and private. The- following resolu ions were then passed, both mover ant econder in each case speaking in the highesi erms of eulogy of Captain Baker's conduc ind career, and of deep regret, both publiclj mil privately, for his loss, which is felt fai Liid wide Mr. C. IX Litchfield proposed ind Mr. T. 11. Wyatt seconded, "That : t-tter of condolence be written to Mrs xiker, expressing the heartfelt sympathy o his meeting on the occasion of lier sat jereavement thiougli the accidental death In Irowniug of her busband, while in the dis charge n't his duty at the Opotiki 13.ir, on tin >ih iust." Carried unanimously. Dr. Reid r.P., proposed, and Mr. C. F. BockelJ, J.P. ccoude'l, " Thata substantial fund be raisei >y public subscription to make some pro •ision for the widow and children of the lati }ap'.ain Baker, and a-i a mark of the higl iSteem in which he was held by all who knev lim." Mr. R. Ring, J.P., proposed, anc Jr. S. Bates seconded, " That a committee o ive be appointed for the purpose of carryim mt the resolutions of ihis meeting, and shal ie empowered to convene a meeting of tin iubscribers to this fund, to be held on th irst Saturday iu May, for the purpose o aying before them a report of their proceed ng-<, and that the following gentlemen b equested to act : The Rev. A. C. Soutar S. Bush, R.M., Dr. Reid, J.P., R Aright, Ksq., and the mover." Carriei inanimously. Mr. J. F. Connelly proposed .nd Mr. H. G. Walmsley seconded, " lha he committee be instructed to request tin :o-op! ration of the settlers in the Bay of Plenty ind also that of the masters and oflicers o he steamers of the Northern Steamship Co. mil others trading out of Auckland, t( urther the object of this meeting by con ributing themselves, and soliciting subscrip ions from others." Carried unanimously, ['he Rev. A.C. Soutar proposed, and Mr. E ?. Dumarque seconded, "That the coinnittee be empowered to advance out of the unds now to be collected a sum of £1 pel veek for the immediate assistance of Mrs. laker aud her family, uutil such time as ;rusteea are appointed for the final disposal )f the money subscribed." The Rev. John jOiv proposed, and Mr. E. P. Dumerque econded, "That this meeting pledge itself 0 devote the funds subscribed to secure, if lossible, a moderate income for Mrs. Baker .nd her nine young children for the next few •ears, they having beeu left totally unirovided for." Carried unanimously. Pro>osed by Mr. Wiremu Kingi. a native .ssessor. und a well-known aud respected hief, seconded by Mr. Martin Turauga, a ay reader of the Roman Catholic Mission, * That a subscription list be opened on a mall sca'e in addition to the larger one, hat the special object of the smaller letition be for the erection of a monument or oinbstonc to the memory of Captain Baker ; hat the amount of each subscription be innted to 2s 6d, so that the the poor Maoris night have an equal ehauce with the rich lakehas aud give their modest offering as an ixpression of their feelings towards Captain iaker." His speech, which included the varinest expressions of esteem aud friendship or Captain Baker, was met with hearty pproval, and was at once embodied with he resolutions of the meeting. Subscripion lists were then drawn out and a sum of .'l5O was subscribed in the room. With his encouraging starr, the committee lvope o raise a really substantial sum which will >e duly vested in trustees for the benefit of lie w r ife aud family of the deceased, —[Own February 11.J