The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-05


Mr. Young was at first averse to receiv-
ing such a charge, but after consider
able correspondence. he agreed to pledge
the faith of his successors to prevent
the box from being opened until the be-
ginning of the twenty first century. Its
contents may be of great interest or
Zone, but presumably Mr.. Young would
not have undertaken to have it guarded
for 100 years and more unless there was
something of great interest in IL 1t is
supposed the papers contained are re-
garded as of value to the people of, the
United States in the twenty-first cen
tury. Under the conditions of the trust
the box is to be opened by the librarian
of congress any time after midnight CT
Dec. 81. A. D. 200.
While the contents of the box can only
be guessed al. sufficient information has
been obtained regarding them to give an
outline of their character and to furnish
insurance that there viii be some inter
csting reading presented when the box
is opened. A visitor in the Congressional
library was once informed OF the exist
ence OF the box. He was by profession
a literary man and by instinct 6 detec-
tive. The thought that he must solve
this mystery to obtain mental relief took
possession of his brain. For three days
he allowed himself to be absorbed IN this
9dca-that he must possess himself of
this knowledge. At the end of that time
he had reached certain conclusions and
went to see a friend. The second man
was an amateur scientist and philoso-
pher. Possessed of an ample fortune, he
devoted himself to the requirement of
knowledge derived from books and ex-
periner.ts. So the imaginative literary
man and the cold-blooded man of sci
ence undertook to solve the problem.
They started q search that lasted over a
year.
The literary partner in the combine re-
gently told this story to a Sun reporter:
TRACING THE BOX.
eve agreed on many points before we
let about the actual work of tracing the
box and &scertaining its contents. First
It must contain something of great i'm
portanee, or Mr.. Young would never have
accepted the trust. Second it must have
been conided to Mr. Young by some
one III whom Mr.. Young had the greatest
confidence, and for whose reasons for
wishing to keep it's contents unknown
for a hundred years, Mr.. Young must
nave had the greatest respect. Third, it
must contain manuscript; for It must be
something of interest to the library or
the donor would have been invited to go
elsewhere; as, for instance, II it had been
money or jewels, it would have been Dlac-
ed in the treasury under similar condi-
tions. If it had been relic or relics,
there would have been no necessity for
keeping it secret. 1t weighed only a few
pounds. Everything went to show that 1t
was manuscript.
at was suggested that 1t might have
been Mark Twain's impressions of Euro
pean monarchs which he has threatened
TO leave for the people OF the twenty
first century. But this was easily reject
IN the ground that the box had been
received before the time he made the
suggestion. The United States secret
Bel vice was appealed to for information
rs to the box, and as to the possibility
that 1t might contain the history of some
nnrevcaled crime. The archives of the
Etate department were consulted; the
library searcheG for any account of q
manuscript answering our ideas, which
might have been known, but never pub
hshed; brides were offered to employees
pf the library for scraps of information
Painting to the box; legislators, statesmen
and warriors were interviewed; but all
vain. We came back always TO the
fact that we must search for a manu-
script whose importance justified Its be-
inS taken in trust by Librarian Young
containing matter of interest to our
Il at-grandchildren. too important, nrob
bly, too dangerous, to be revealed at
present; and donated to the library of
congress by some one whose standing
+ must have Been uaimpeachabIe
ION this foundation we, built If toolr
year OIL work. during which l acted as