(David Grayson.)
Ray Stannard Baker was born in 1870 at Lansing, Michigan, and
came to St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, with his parents at the
age of five. Here he spent his boyhood and youth. He returned
to the Agricultural College of his native state for study,
and received his degree from that institution, afterwards
attending the University for a short time. He then went into
business with his father at St. Croix Falls, but the desire
to write was strong upon him, and he began his career of
authorship. During recent years his residence has been in
Amherst, Massachusetts, but he visits Wisconsin every summer.
He is one of the state's most voluminous writers. He has the
habit of keen and sympathetic observation, and this quality,
when combined, as it has been in his case, with extensive and
judicious travel and reading, usually results in a
considerable literary output. Those of us who have read Mr.
Baker's magazine articles and books feel that the writer has
seen a great many things,--that he has seen them with his own
eyes, and that he has seen them intelligently. Aside from the
fact that nearly all of his works grow rather from
observation of men and things than from a study of philosophy
or metaphysics, Mr. Baker's range of interest has been
exceedingly wide. Perhaps he is best known as a writer on
social, political, and economic subjects, but the selections
given here from "The Boys' Book of Inventions," (I and II),
indicate a field of interest that is entirely apart from
politics.
The editors feel bound, in justice to Mr. Baker, to say that
he feared that our readers would think that we had erred in
choosing the accounts of inventions which have progressed so
immeasurably since his articles were written. The editors, on
the other hand, desired to do precisely the thing that Mr.
Baker feared to have them do. They desire to show what a
keen, well-trained observer saw in these inventions, which
now play so vital a part in our lives, when the inventions
were new. Further, it is our desire that the name of
Professor Langley, of Washington, D. C., should be properly
honored in connection with the advance of the science of
aviation. Indeed, but recently, when tried by an experienced
aviator, his machine flew successfully. Professor Langley
died as an indirect result of his untiring, unselfish, and
heroic efforts in this then new cause. In spite of ridicule
and contempt, in spite of lack of support, he went
courageously ahead; and it is right that the boys of
Wisconsin should know that a young man of their state has
given due credit in his book to this heroic soul.
[Illustration: RAY STANNARD BAKER]