Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-18

NEWSPAPER EXPERIENCE On
THE PHILADELPHIA PRESS
AND NEW YORK TRIBUNE.
MADE THE TRIP AROUND THE
WORLD WITH GEN.~GRANT.
A MAN OF FINE PARTS AND
BRILLIANT ATTAINMENTS.
Washington, d. c., January 17.7JOhn
Russell Young, Librarian of the Con-
g%ressional Library, died at his resi-
dence here at S:45 this morning, after
an illness of several weeks.
John Russell Young has had a To-
table career as journalist, ~diplomatist,
public official and the intimate asso-
ciate of distinguished public men. He
was born in bennington, Chester
county, Pa, November 20, 1S41. The
family moved to Philadelphia, and he
was educated in the public schools of
| leans, where an uncle lived, and con-
| tinued his school work in the New Or
leans high school. Returning to Phil
adelphia he secured a place on the Phil
adelphia Press in 1857, as copy boy,
and from this dated his newspaper
work. When John w. Forney came to
tary of the Senate, he brought along
Young, who, by that time, had become
a fluent writer. While acting as Col.
Forney's private secretary, Mr.. Young
continued his writings to the Philadel-
phia Press, and it was by his descrip-
ton of the first battle of Bull Run
pendent. He followed the army of
the Potomas to the end of the Chicka-
hominy campaign. In 1864 he accom-
panied Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks, on
the Red river expedition. On return
ing he became managing editor of the
Philadelphia Press, which he resigned
in 1865 to start the Morning Post
which, however, was lot a success.
He had contributed to the New York
Tribune and his pleasing style attract
ed the attention of Horace Greedy, with
the result that in 1866 Young became
Managing Editor of the paper with
which Horace Greedy had been so long
5aff99ezia5t3yat GEARS t DID, hal nj" ie eisHG22gg n Time was i4s
devoted to the study of the law, and in
1867 was admitted to the bar in New
York City. In 1870 he again tried the
establishment 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 cabi-
net induced Young to go abroad to look
into financial affairs. While abroad on
this mission the awful days of the Paris
commune occurred and Mr.. Young's
account of the rise and fall of the COM
mune, and of the stirring days through
which the French capital passed is re-
garded as one of the best examples of
English descriptive 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. In 1877 Gen.
Grant started upon his memorable trip
around the world, and on his invitation
Mr.. Young Joined the party. This made
him for two years almost a member of
the family of that great General, and
a warm friendship sprang up between
them. After the return Mr.. Young
wrote around the World with Gen.
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
remained in China until the opening
! of the first Cleveland administration.
when he returned to this country, and
engaged in literary and business pur-
suits.
When the new library of Congress
was completed attention was directed
to the choice of a Librarian embodying
literary ability and executive manage
ment. and President Mckinley named
Mr.. Young on July 1, 1897. He entered
upon his duties while the library was
still in it's eramped quarters at the
Capitol, and saw it expand into the
classic temple of the arts and litera-
ture which it now occupies. The tran
sition involved not only a removal OF
vast stores of precious volumes, but
the complete reorganization of the
library staff. Mr.. Young directed all
of this, bringing about the change
from the old to the new with smooth
ness and success. It is said that his
time has been spent in part on a con-
tribution TO literature which he had
hoped to complete, as the chief literary
achievement of his life.