Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-09-19
BRIGHAM YOUNG'S SUCCESSOR,
What Manner Of Man John w. Young
Is..-.His Character and His Doc.
trines,

I tefNleW WIN lOl. Lawrence. q traveller
anG journalist who is intimately nc
quainted with John W. Young, the sol
and probable successor of the lately de
ceased head of the Mormon church. The
reporter asked
What manner of man is John w
Young and what do you think may be
expected Of him, if called to that re.
sponsible position ?'
He has all the qualities of ruler
he inherits the strong will and resolute
characteristics Of his father and the
sympathetic tenderness and kindness OF
his venerable mother He is as gentle
as a woman, resolute in purpose, and
firm as a rock in the maintenance of the
right. Using familiar phrase, may
say he is more than the nephew of his
uncle, he is the son of his father.
When first met him in New York
his father had sent him down from the
mountains to look at the outside world,
and took that occasion to show in my
way my appreciation CT the courtesies
extended to me by his father and friends
in his mountain home. had the pleas
ure of introducing him to many of my
own relatives in New York and Long
Island, among all of whom his manners
and conversation produced most ia
vorable impression. Young as he was,
and being for the first time in the world,
he evinced remarkable powers of OBJ
servation Nothing worthy of notice
escaped his attention, and he seemed
constantly looking for the causes of the
varied phases of life that he witnessed.
In his social intercourse he was free
from all embarrassment, and manifested
a degree of self-possession that Is rarely
met with in ripper years.
He became . great favorite with
those who met him then, and in his
subsequent visits to the east his renew
ed acquaintance has always been very
pleasant and agreeable. He passed
many days visiting at the homes of my
sisters, Mrs. A. II. Mickle and Mrs. c.
W. Lawrence, at Bay Side, and as you
may well believe, the presence of a
veritable young Mormon, very much
unmarried and the son of the head Of
the church, was calculated to cause
little interest, and | think | may safely
say it brought out many visitors and
made IL ripple of social sensation. He
became acquainted with many promi-
nent persons, and among those who
took pleasure in showing him marked
attention was Mrs John G. Fremont,
who took the occasion of his visit to the
east to testify her appreciation of the
kindness Of his father and the Mormons
to the General when he and his expedi-
ton were once in furnishing condition
and were relieved by them. In the in
terval of the last fifteen years | have
met him in New York and
San Francisco, and have been on terms
of the closest friendship with him. He
has been my guest and | have been
his. | have been with him by night, as
well rs by day, travelling and at home,
and in mis- character | think he is Il
most remarkable young man, and one
who is destined to carve his name on
the record Of time.
His association with his father, in
portion of the Union Pa
ciiic railroad, gave him taste for rail
and he made that his pro-
fession. AS soon as the great through
line was completed he had the principal
charge of the construction of the Utah
Central railroad, connecting Salt Lake
with the central highway. He afterward
engaged in the building Of the Utah
Western, and is, believe, largely IN
terested in all of these enterprises
While he has been to New York, on
business, | have sometimes ac-
companied him to Wall street, where he
has met with the magnates of the rail
and finance, and | was perfectly as
tonished to see the calm repoSe and
in one so young, that he
manifested. He was always successful,
and left an excellent influence wherever
he went. He was treated by the men
of great wealth with marked considera-
ton, and the name of his father was the
talisman of success in all his financial
operations"
Are you in possession of any definite
information about Mr.. Young succeed
ing his father in the Presidency of the
Mormon church,
Il am not | don't know that he
will succeed him, but am satisfied from
what know of this gentleman that the
Mormons never had soul more de-
voted to their interests than he has
been. In my intercourse with him of
so many years / never saw him move
or heard him speak but that | could see
that the thought prominent in his mind
was the material prosperity of Utah and
the happiness of that people. The ru-
NOR that he was an apostate from the
Mormon faith is entirely without forn-
dation. He came east TO do business.
and never obtruded his thoughts upon
religion on any one. He had the good
sense to leave that for lis proper time