The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-05-07
SKETCH OF CHARLES D'YoUNG.
A Remarkable Career.


Charles DeYOung, who has just been
murdered by young Kalloch, was in ma
ny respects IA remarkable man. We find
the following sketch of his life i'll an ex-
change:
Charles De6 Dung was born in Louisi-
ana in 1915, and arrived, with his wild
owed mother and younger brother, in
San Francisco in 1854. The boys went
TO the public schools, but their mothers
financial resources becoming limited,
they were compelled to leave school at
an early age and contribute TO the sup
port of the family. Charles found en-
ploymcnt in Il wire factory at 81 week.
Then he went to making cigar boxes,
and jumped from that to an apprentice
ship in "a job printing Office. He learned
type-setting quickly, and was soon fore
man of the Office His first venture was "A
paper that ne called the School Circle. 1t
printed contributions from pupils in the
public schools, and was in a small way
II success. He had an uncongenial part
rcr, however, and was glad TO sell to
him. He again went To work i'll a job
printing Office but was compelled to
leave it because lie was not old enough
10 becomca member of the Topographic
cal Union, and the Office already had its
allotted number of boys. He then at the
age of sixteen, went to Sacramento,
where he started daily theatrical pro-
gramme, which he eventually turned in
to a newspaper, but abandoned the latter
enterprise ut the end of a month. He
then went to Virginia City, Nevada, but
finding nothing to do, moved on to Car
son City, where he set type for a time.
An effort to start 4 paper in Dayton fail
ed because his partner got drunk and
disguised the people of that mining
town.
In 1864 he returned to San Francisco.
where he got credit for the use of room,
type, press, and paper, and started
gratuilous theatrical paper like the one
he had published in Sacramento. In
the day time he solicited advertisements,
and nj night, by the aid of an assistant,
set the type. He worked five days TO
get the first edition ready for the press,
aud in the whole time slept not more
than five hours, and that ON the door of
the Office on papers. He had borrowed
So TO live on during the week and he
bought plenty of strong black coffee and
kept awake by drinking it. The first
number of the paper was a success, and
very soon he was able to employ an edi-
tor, who wrote sharp, spicy, satirical
| paragraphs on the events of the day.
| That caused the Chronicle To be> sought
after, especially as it was given away
| In about year the younger brother en-
| tered the concern, which prOspered so
| that they were soon able to purchase their
own material, and the profits ran up to
| $1,000 "A month. without cent from cir
/ cUlation. On September 1st 1868, the
paper was enlarged and turned into a
| daily Newspaper, since which time ii has
become one of the most profitable con
| Germs on the Pacific coast. Recently the
| brothers purchased site for a new build
/ ing, on which and its appointments they
proposed to spend $250,O00
The enterprise of the Chronicle as a
newspaper has long been proverbial and
! peculiar. Said Charles DeYoung few
years ago: Eve cover everything on the
| Pacific coast. We have had twenty libel
| suits without losing one, our defense in
variably beng the truth and a good mo-
tive. We called a man desperate, and
proved him a robber; we accused
another of fraud, and convicted him of
matchmaking. We have had numerous
personal encounters. 4 bullet from IA
derringer has graZed my scalp. But il
has become known that we can defend
ourselves, and we are now let alone" i
man of Charles DeToung's fearless char
acter and lack of principle was bound to
make enemies, and his encounters with
them have been many. He always
went armed, and the general
| knowledge of this fact probably
saved him from many an assault at the
hands of men whom he had attacked in
his paper Shortly after his trouble with
Naphtaly, in 1874, Judge Delos Lake, oil
San Francisco, whom he had bitterly de
nounced in the Chronicle, met him in
California street, in the busiest part OF
the day, and fired twice at him with his
revolver. De Young returned the fire
bur neither of the men proved good
marksman, and neither was injured.
A prominent Characteristic of Charlie:
De Young was his strong and devoted
love for his mother. The lady is highly
esteemed in San Francisco. and is eighty
years of age. So careful of her feelings
was Charles that, during the NapthaIl
troubles when the Chronicle was foreeC
to print the news of the affair, specia
} edition of the paper. with all relating t,
the trouble eliminated. was published
each morning for his mother, and tn,
; cid lady would probably never hav
: known of the affair but for the difficult,
with Kalloch.