Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-31
Authors Glad to Respond.

He has been doing this so long that his
| personality and his library are well
| known to all living authors of prominence
throughout the world. Many of them have
acquired the habit of forwarding copies
OF their work Immediately upon publica-
ton without waiting to hear from Mr..
Young, and they often send their photo
graphs and biographical sketches also.
Through his agents in several cities
liant watch over all secondhand book
sellers throughout the world for the
works Of dead authors which contain
autograph inscriptions. and is instantly
informed when copy appears upon the
market. 1t is regular business with
him. covering all civilized commissioner
Iceland, Persia, India, Australia and
South Africa. When a book auction is
announced his agent in that particular
country examines the catalogue and bids
in volumes that are not already in the
collection. Naturally this requires great
deal of time and attention. and corre-
spondence which involves more than 5000
letters annually.
In this way Mr.. Young has come into
personal contact with nearly every famous
living author, and his correspondence
with them Is of itself of exceeding value
All their letters are preserved and care
1uliy bound. and in many instances are
more interesting than the books them
selves. The work Is carried on under
Mr.. Young's personal supervision by a
librarian and eight assistants, as we'll as
agents In nearly all of the large cities
of the world
The collection is now being catalogued,
which is of itself a serious and laborious
task, and we shall soon know how many
volumes have accumulated. 1t includes
every book of importance that has been
published during the last sixteen years,
and probably as many more works dating
all the way from the invention of print
ing. When I asked Mr.. Young what he
intends to do with this monumental Ii
brary he said:
Its future Is not yet determined A
number of important institutions of
learning have asked for it, and / have
received limitations from authorities l
can rely upon that 1t would be accepted
by two European governments.
Wants It in Washington.
II desire. however. that it shall remain
in my own country and I hope its future
location will be In Washington, which /
consider the center of all artistic and
literary life. I have created a board of
trustees. all prominent citizens of the
United States, to whom l have already
given the library. with authority to dis
pose of it as their Judgment might die
tate. In my opinion the disposition
have health and strength to continue the
work, and then provision should be made
for It's preservation and continuance.
Certainly IL the government of the Unit
ed States could accept it. and it were
located In the Library of Congress at
Washington. there is not an author in
the world who would not be eager to
have his books In it, And there should
be committee of competent critics to
pass upon the books to be admitted"
- N a1
large collection of original manuscripts
In different languages. Many authors
are sending them to him in appreciation
of his efforts to recogpize and perpetuate
the literary work that is being done.
They are beginning to realize that pos
terity may judge them by the inscriptions
they place in their books. and are taking
great interest in submitting evidence, as
II were, for the defense
The French government has taken an
active interest in Mr. Young's works, and
bestowed upon him the Cross of the
Legion of Honor several years ago.
Greatness Of Minnesota.
Minnesota has recently celebrated her
semi-centennial birthday as a state, and
II may be said that no member of this
great Union has made a more trium-
plant record in agriculture. mining. dairy
ing. commerce and education for a cor
responding period of history. Minnesota
has an area of JO.691 800 acres, of which
a little more than one half-to be exact,
ii, $4,000 acreS-are occupied for farm
ing purposes and about 100000 acres
are under the pillow. There are 173, 40
farms in the state. with an average size
OF 1897 acres to the farm; 63.5 per cent
of the population live on farms, and Al
per cent OF the farmers own the land
they till. The majority of the farmers,
probably two-thirds of them, are either
immigrants or the sons of immigrants
| from northern Germany and the Scandi-
navian countries-hardy, industrious,
| thrifty. intelligent races who believe In
| the church and the school and are very
| tenacious of their privileges
| AT the agricultural college the other
| day l asked to what extent that Scandi-
| navian families take advantage of the
/ opportunities offered them by the state
| Tor education. The registrar told me
| that il per cent OF all the students in the
| agricultural schools are born of. immi-
/ grants from Sweden, % per cent
are born of immigrants from Norway
and IL the sons OF American-born parents
OF the Scandinavian races were added
the total would be 30 per cent of the
entire student body.
I was told also that 90 per cent al
/ the students go back to the farms 10
| apply the knowledge and skill they have
| gained to the increase of the wealth OF
/ the state.
| Minnesota ranks first among the states
NJ the Union In the production of wheat
and barley; In the average yield per acre