Hearn to Baker, November 21, 1885

This collection consists almost entirely of fifty-nine letters. Most of these are intact, but several are missing one or more pages. In addition, roughly half the letters are either undated or have only approximate dates; it seems likely, however, that with one or two exceptions they were all written between 1884 and 1905.

Of the fifty-nine letters, forty-five were written by Hearn to Page Baker.  Baker was the editor of the Times-Democrat when Hearn worked for that newspaper; he was also a steadfast champion of Hearn's literary ambitions.  Hearn wrote Baker from various places--New Orleans, Grand Isle in Louisiana, New York, the West Indies, and Japan. In these letters, which ranged from one paragraph to ten pages, Hearn touched on many subjects.  Perhaps the most revealing passages concerned his work at the Times-Democrat, his literary efforts, his travels, and in several letters from Grand Isle, his dislike for Jews.  Nine of the remaining letters or telegrams constitute correspondence between Baker and S. S. McClure of McClure's Magazine; written in 1895 and 1896, this correspondence discussed publication and syndication of pieces written by Hearn about Japan. Also of note, there is an apparent draft of a letter in which Baker related to Elizabeth Bisland-Wetmore—an early biographer of Hearn—his thoughts about Hearn.

The final four folders of this collection contain various types of material. One folder contains twenty-five envelopes, most of which were addressed to Baker by Hearn. Another contains a poem written in Hearn's hand.  Another contains a five-page typed reminiscence about Hearn that is undated and unsigned. And the final folder contains two typescript duplicates of Hearn's letters to Baker.