The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-18
4 BIG BENEFICENCE
James Carleton Young to Give His
Priceless Autographs Col
lection to the Public.
Fra Elbertus" Hubbard Makes the
Announcement for Jamie,
the Well Beloved


by authors in the world" says conserva-
tive authority, The Philistine, will soon
be presented to this city by James Carle
ton Young, the we'll known Minneapolis
collector. The library will occupy mini
ature Greek temple within Loring park.
These facts have not yet been published
here, Mr. Young having modestly con-
cealed his intended benefaction. But his
confidence has been happily betrayed by
The Phiistine, whose editor, Ebert Hub
bard, is on terms of intimacy so close
with Mr.. Young that the truth Of the an
nouncement cannot be doubted.
In leading up to its agreeable tidings
the Philistine makes simple statement
Of Mr.. Young's achievements that sug-
gests how successfully Mr.. Young has
| cultivated the literary world in the unos-
tentatious disguise of a wealthy ollie
tante.
NO. the great men are not all dead"
says The Philistine, "how about Auto
graph Jamie Of Minneapolis? There's
Young; in literary circles he is James
Carleton Young, and to the Elect Few he
is jamie the Well Beloved.
Jamie has done several things better
than they have ever been done before. He
arranged with his parents so to be- born in
Iowa, in 1856. At that time Iowa was
Way Out West. Prairie land was worth
old he figured out that if land would
produce sod corn enough to pay. for the
breaking, and the next year: grow forty
bushels of wheat to the acre, and one
half the ponds and slough would dis
| appear with cultivation, and most Of the
rest would go by drainage through thing,
then such land was most desirable in
vestment The boy came east and bor
rowed money-it is easy to borrow money
| If you can convince the man that you
| know what you are doing.
The 7eardIess Napoleon. :
LET us cut out the details and simply
say that James G.. Young became the
| largest individual owner, of arabic lands
in America. He knew every mile Of Iowa,
Minnesota, Nebraska and the Dakotas,
| and with a sort Of psychic sense, or
| something, guessed the route of the rail-
| ways.
when Jamie was % he was sent as
United States commissioner to the Paris
exposition. On this trip Jamie had the
misfortune to be presented to Alphonse
Daudet, and the great author gave the lad
| an inscribed copy Of his latest book.
THAT settled 1.-THE bacilli were at
work, and Jamie became an Autograph
Fiend.
"However, If one is to be fiend, he
better be a big one. And so it happens
|
plete, the largest and most valuable COL
lection of books inscribed by authors in
| the world.
For several years Jamie worked at his
collection incidentally, just as other COL
lectors do, but in 1892 he took the matter
up In earnest.
1.-TWO clerks were constantly employed
in securing addresses Of authors, lists Of
their books, by whom published, etc. The
plan has been to- secure the first editions.
or the best editions, privately printed
editions, and then when the list was
complete to open up correspondence with
the author, getting his permission to send
him the books for signature. No book
has ever been sent to an author until he
has given permission.
| 1T is estimated that Jamie has copies
| of four fifths Of all books written by liv-
ing authors of any note in America, Eng
| land, France and all other civilized coun-
| tries.
Diplomacy Par Excellence.
ITO secure the Inscriptions has been the
work of a diplomat. To drop on some
writer's and ask them to inscribe a book,
would be to get flat rebuff-the man has
to be studied and approached rightly. With
Kipling, mutual friend was corralled and
the delicate deed done SO skilfully that
after Kipling had inscribed twenty nine
books he sat down and wrote an auto
| graph letter to jamie congratulating him
on his enterprise, and saying he would
see that he was made Begun Of Swat as
soon as the place became vacant.
when an author has inscribed a book
for jamie that does not end the matter.
Jamie, knowing that authors are human.
| writes the man q gracious note of thanks
| and sends a little souvenir that he thinks
| will be priced In this manner he has
| given away several hundred copies Of
! Roycroft books, many Kelmscotts, and to
foreign authors he has sent things es-
sentially Amer1can-such as Indian bas-
! kets, blankets, etc. ... $50.
$50 it has come about that Jamie is in
correspondence with large number of
authors; and last Christmas he received
. over fifty inscribed books as presents,
among which was the original manuscript
! Of an entire book sent by Carmen Sylvia,
Queen of Roumania. In fact, Jamie's col
4 lection includes original manuscript books
Of dozen or more prominent authors, in
Guiding Rostand, Anotole France. Kipling,
James Whitcomb Riley, Stephen Crane,
Eugene Field and Leslie Stephen. s-.ss
His Foreign Autograph Agencies.
This collection of autographed books
has cost the owner upwards Of a hundred
thousand dollars. With his agents in
England, France and America, and a per-
ststency and enthusiasm unparalleled. this
citizen of Minneapolis has done thing
! better and more completely than It has