History of Michigan, / by Charles Moore. [Vol. 3]

1602

HISTORY OF MICHIGAN

have been able to absorb his attention and energies. In April, I9IO, he
responded to a call to resume his former office as superintendent of the
city schools, and his administration still continues. What Manistee as
a community has accomplished in the way of educational development
in the past twenty years is largely to be credited to Mr. Baker's vigorous
leadership and broad qualifications as a teacher and school executive.
Mr. Baker has always been a Republican in politics, is affiliated with
the Knights of Pythias, a charter member of the Modern Romans, and
he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Mr. Baker was married at Corunna, Michigan, to Miss Ellen L. Gillett,
who was born and reared in Michigan, and her father, Jason C. Gillett,
now deceased, was a master mechanic and a soldier in a Michigan regiment during the war. Mrs. Baker, a woman of culture and thorough
education, was a popular teacher for a number of years before her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Baker are the parents of four sons and two
daughters, all of whom have been well educated, and several of whom
have shown talent in different lines. The children are: Ethel, Ray C.
and Lee, both of whom are well qualified artists in the theatrical profession; Ward, a professional violinist, and Eva and Donald.
CLARENCE F. LEIDY. During his active career of nearly twenty
years, the late Clarence F. Leidy was regarded as one of the ablest and
most popular newspaper men in Michigan, and the older members of
that community still have kindly memories of his abilities as a journalist
and especially of his genial wit and humor.- He followed newspaper
work practically all his life, and for some years until his death was
managing editor of the Detroit Journal.
Clarence Fruit Leidy was born at Danville, Pennsylvania, April 2,
I852, and died in Grand Rapids, Michigan, February I I, I893. His
parents were Paul and Jane Fruit (Kitchen) Leidy. The Leidys were
a distinguished family in Pennsylvania, and Hon. Paul Leidy was a
lawyer, newspaper man and represented his district in the United States
Congress, where he gained fame as a splendid debater, and had few
peers in eloquence. He was a cousin of the noted Dr. Joseph Leidy, of
Philadelphia.
Clarence F. Leidy received his education in Pennsylvania schools,
finishing in the Lafayette College at Easton, and then took up the work
which became a life-long profession. At the age of twenty-four he had
become owner and publisher of a newspaper at LeMars, Iowa, and after
selling out seven years later, took a position with one of the leading
Detroit papers.,Mr. Leidy finally became managing editor of the
Detroit Evening Journal, and was just in the full vigor of his successful
career when removed by death. His old friends and associates remember Mr. Leidy as the soul of wit and humor, and the possessor of all the
companionable virtues which made his friendship a prize to all who
knew him. He bore a noted resemblance to the noted Bill Nye, and
the two were intimate friends. It is recalled how Mr. Leidy one time
appeared before a Detroit audience, which had assembled to greet and
be amused by Nye, and with such success impersonated the great humorist that he held the attention of the people fully ten minutes before Nye
himself appeared, and it was only then that the audience realized that
they had been "taken in by Nye's double, C. F. Leidy."
As to his personal stand in politics, the late Mr. Leidy was a Democrat, as his father had been, but always conducted his paper on Republican
lines, and had little individual part in politics. For many years he was
a member of the City and State Press Club, and his church was the
Presbyterian.