The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-17

public official and the intimate asso-
ciate of distinguished public men. He
was born in Downingtown, Chester
county Pennsylvania, November 20,
1871. The family moved to Philadel-
phia and he was educated in the public
schools of that city. Later he went to
New Orleans, where an uncle lived.
and continued his school work in the
New Orleans high school Returning
to Philadelphia, he secured place on
the Philadelphia Press, in 1857. as copy
boy, and from this dates his newspaper
work.
When John w Forney came to Wash
ington in 1861 to become secretary of
the senate he brought along Young,
who by that time had become a fluent
writer. While acting as Colonel For
ney's private secretary, Mr.. Young
continued his writings to the Philadel-
phia Press, and it was by his descrip-
tion of the battle of Bull Run that he
won his spurs as a graphic war cores
pondent. He followed the Army of the
Potomac to the end of the Chickahom-
my campaign. In 1864 he accompanies
General Nathaniel p. Banks on the Red
river expedition. On returning he be-
came managing editor of the Philadel-
phia Press, which place he resigned in
1865 to start the Morning Post, which,
however, was not a success.
WORKED FOR GREELEY.
He had contributed to the New York
Tribune and his pleasing style attract
ed the attention of Horace Greeley, with
the result that in 1866 Young became
managing editor of the paper with
which Greeley had so long been asso-
ciated. At that time Young was only
25 years old. His leisure he devoted to
the study of law and in 1867 he was
admitted to the bar in New York city
In 1870 he again tried the establish
ment of a newspaper of his own, this
time the Standard. About this time,
however, Secretary Boutwell,, who was
at the head of the treasury department.
in President Grants cabinet, induced
Young to go abroad to look into hnan-
cial affairs. While abroad on this mis-
sion the awful days of the Paris COM
mune occurred and Young's account of
the rise and fail of the commune and
of the stirring days through which the
French capital passed. is regarded as
one of the best examples of English de-
Scriptive writing.
In 1872 he became the European rep
resentative of the New York Herald
and spent two years In London and
Paris and another year in work and
travel on the continent.
THE FRIEND OF GRANT
In 1877 General Grant started upon his
memorable trip around the world, and
on his invitation Mr.. Young Joined the
party. This made him for two years
great general, and a warm friendship
sprang up between them. After the re-
turn, Mr.. Young wrote Around the
World with General Grant
During this trip Mr.. Young was
specially interested in China, to which
country President Arthur sent him in
1882 as United States minister. He re-
manned in China until the opening of
the first Cleveland administration when
he returned to this country and enga aged
in literary and business pursuits. When
the new library of congress was com
pIeted attention was directed to the
choice of a librarian embodying literary
ability and executive management, and
President Mckinley named Mr.. Young
on July ], 1897. He entered upon his
duties while the library was still in its
cramped quarters at the capitol and
saw it expand into the classic temple
of the arts and literature which it now
occupies The transition involved not
only the removal of vast stores Of
precious volumes, but the complete re-
organization of the library staff Mr..
Young directed all of this, bringing
about the change from the old to the
new with smoothness and success. 1t
is said his time has been spent in part
to a contribution on literature which
he had hoped to complete as the chief
literary achievement of his life.