The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1911-10-28
THE 1 Il YOUNG 70 \ l { | : 4''
LIBRARY | J ! !
Rare Autograph Library Result
of World Hunt. William
E. Curtis in His
Last Letter.

E. Curtis in His
Last Letter.
To the large number of Dickinson
people who have met Mt. and Mrs.
James Carleton Young Of Minneapolis,
the Chicago Record Herald letter on the
world 'smos uniqueautograph library will
prove very interesting and doubly so be-
cause it was the last letter written by
William E. Curtis before his death
few weeks ago. Mr.. Curtis was perhaps
the most famous writer in the world and
his last work was a series of thirteen
letters on Minneapolis and St. Paul and
Minnesota interests. In commenting
upon the final letter. published in the
Sunday Record Herald, October %, the
paper says: This is the last letter writ
ten by Mr.. Curtis and his subject will
seem to his countless thousands of ad-
mirers most fitting one with which to
close his life work.
The part Of the letter referring to Mr..
Youne's library is as follows:
Minneapolis-James Carleton Young.
enc of the many millionaires of Mime
apolis. has collected unique library on
an entirely new and original plan, and
it numbers many thousand volumes.
Every one Of them bears the autograph
of the author. and most of them char
acteristic inscriptions revealing the
motive or the purpose which actuated
him, and other interesting disclosures,
adding to the interest and value of the
books. ..... ..-..
The works of contemporary authors
have been obtained directly from them
by a patient and ingenious method de-
vised by Mr.. Young. He watches the
catalogues of publishers as. a Wall
street broker watches the tape. and
when a volume 81 value is announced
he buys a copy and sends 1t to the wri-
ter. with request for an autograph in.
scripton and an explanation of his
wishes. The book is enclosed in 8
double cover. the inner one being ad.
dressed to Mr.. Young. and the necess-
ary amount of postage stamps of the
country from which it is to be mailed
attached. The mailing covers are Of
themselves objects of interest invented
by Mr.. Young.
He has been doing this so long that
his personality and his library are well
known to all living authors of promi
nen,e throughout the entire world.
Many of them have acquired the habi,
Of forwarding copies of their works i'm
mediateIy upon publication. without
waiting to hear from Mr.. Young. ant
they often sent their photographs ant
biographical sketches also.
Through his agents in several cities
Of Europe Mr.. Young maintains 9
vigilant watch over all secondhand
booksellers throughout the world for the
works of dead authers which contain
autograph inscriptions. and he is in
formed when copy appears on the mar
ket. 1t is a regular business with him.
covering all civilized countries, ever
Iceland, Persia, India, Australia ant
South Africa. When book auction il
announced his agent in that particular
country examines the catalogues ant
bids in volumes that are not already il
the collection. Naturally this requires
a great deal of time and attention ant
a correspondence which involves NOR,
than S, 600 letters annually.
In this way Mr.. Young has come int,
personal contact with nearly ever.
famous living author and his cores
pondence with them is of itself of ex
ceeding value. All their letters are pre-
served and carefully bound. and in
many instances are more interesting
than the books themselves. The work ii
carried on under Mr.. Youna's personal
supervision bya librarian and eight as
sistants, as we'll as sgenls In nearly al
the large cities Of. tie world. : Fl
The collection is being catalosued
which is serious and laborious task
and we shall soon know how many vol
umes have 7accuinulated. i include
every book Of Importance that has beer
published during the past sixteen years
s~l ,p.oS.o h0,, a. snon~ ,rxoro ..,o.IH .lS,<
ing all the way from the invention o
printine.
When Ut Aound wkat he in
( tsnds sfhis monamsntai q
!: bsary he said: ]:
lts future 10 not yet determined. z
number Of important institutions Q
learnipa have asked for it and I have ne
ceived intimations from authorities lcal