The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-01
FUNERAL OF MR.. RoMULUs YOUNG.
A Large Concourse of People Attended the
Funeral Yesterday.

L
The funeral of Mr. Romulus Young.
who died IN the Government Hospital
at San Francisco of illness contracted
in the Philippine service, was helo
yesterday at : o'clock at the nome OF
his father. Mr.. Y. f. Young, in ran
Their Branch township, this county. a
large concourse of friends and neigh
| bors, with others from Raleigh ana
| other communities, We're present.
| The young soldier had spent TWEEN
| ty-one wears in the home of his birth
| and was universally esteemed by the
| friends of his boyhood lie was an
| exemplary young man-upright, nom
| est. Industrious, and was the PRIDE
of his township. The eX-Confederate
soldiers, the boys with whom he play
ed, and the older people of the com
munity unite in speaking of his high
character and upright department.
The young soldier, who gave his
| life in the service of his country, was
laid to rest in the family burying
ground The funeral services. We're
conducted by the venerable Mr.. Crow
| der, whose brief eulogy of the brave
| lad, was eloquent and touching. He
read the burial service in the Metho-
/ dist discipline, offered fervent prayer
which touched all hearts, and then
| loving hands performed the last sad
! office for the dead. The grave was
| literally covered with beautiful flow
ers in rare and appropriate designs.
The handsomest floral decoration was
sent by surviving members of Com
pany K. First North Carolina, Regi-
| ment." of which Mr.. Young was
member when he first volunteered in
| the Spanish-American army and with
| whom he served in Cuba. Among
those of his old command who were
present were MeSsrs. Bunch, Fowler,
| Straughan and Smith.
| Romulus Young was % years old on
| the 23rd day of October, 1900. He en-
| listed for the Cuban war on the 9th
day of April, 1898. He returned home
when peace was restored. in May 1899.
! He enlisted for service in the Philip
pines June 22nd, 1899, sailed for Ma
Mia on the 18th of August, 1899. He
served as a brave and gallant soldier
in important encounters there, always
showing courage of the highest order,
until he became i'll with chronic dysin-
terry. The disease failed to yield to
treatment at Manila, and the young
man was brought to San Francisco,
reaching the Government Hospital
there on the Goth day of September.
1900. He seemed to rally and improve
for time. but his illness was fatal,
and he died on the 18th of November.
On the 30th of November, his body
| was inferred in the burying ground,
near that of an uncle, who won death
less glory as one of the men of the
Twenty-sixth North Carolina regi-
ment that made history at Gettysburg.
On November 18th, Mr.. Young wrote
cheerful letter to his father, saying:
swell. Pap, | have taken turn for
the better and | am getting on fine
as any one could wish for now. The
doctor has still got me in bed and
won't let me get up yet, but ! guess
it is best for me, for ! am awful weak
vet. They brought a pair OF scales IN
the ward today and weighed most OF
the patients and they weighed me,
weighed just eight-four pounds. SO
YOU see ! have got lot to gain but
not much more to lose. My doctor
tells me, though, that he is going to
have me home by Christmas. he IS
going back to Kentucky to spend
Christmas and he is going to take me
when he goes along that far He came
5000 in gold and told me he was saw
ing that for us to have good time on
going back. | think I'll be able to
spend Christmas with you and Aunt
Sock one more time, and | want some
of Aunt Socks good fried chicken and
good biscuits and butter once more. |
think 7 can fatten up some. ! expect
YOU all will think | am going TO eat
YOU out of house and home when L
get there, as l. haven't had anything TO
eat now IN six months and am
''kinder' empty | will write to YOU
all beforehand about the exact day
TT get to Raleigh. If you will meet
me there or get Wayland to- don't
suppose he would mind-if you are
busy at that time. ] am very anxious
to get back there with you all" He
closed that letter 'Your loving SON."
That was the last letter received
from the young man. In previous
letter. written on November list, quite
as cheerful, he said to his father: Il
wish YOU would put off killing hogs
this year until / can get home to help
YOU. for | want to be there then so
bad and to be at one more hog-killin9
so / can fatten up some. :.
thought if you want in any hurry you
would not mind waiting"
There is a world of the love of home
and longing for the homely joys. His
fond father and devoted step-mother
wrote that thev would wait till he
could come home before the hog-llill-
ing.
And they did wait But alas, his
homecoming was after the life had
left his body, and the homely pleas
ures of farm life could have no more
meaning for him. He sleeps by the
side of his soldier uncle, and when
the last trumpet shall sound the vet
eran of 81 and the veteran of 1900 will