Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-22


49, succeed J. p. DoIliver, the great
progressive, in the United States senate.
As lecturer, orator. editor and politician,
Lafe Young has won a national reputa-
ton. His greatness was not thrust upon
him He achieved it. He started without
money or education and climbed up by his
own efforts. At the age OF "a he began
work in a print shop and mastered every
detail of the business. When he was q
he founded the Weekly Telegraph in the
infant town of Atlantic Ia. and grew up
with the town. 1t was along about this
time that Cyrus w. Field succeeded in his
attempts to lay the ocean cable and es-
tablish telegraphic communications across
the Atlantic Hence the significance Of the
name Atlantic Telegraph" Young began
on small capital and worked hard. He was
both editor and typesetter lie was poor
and unknown TO fame.
But long years afterward when he had
won both fame and gold and his renown
extended from ocean to ocean, he told an
old Atlantic friend that the happiest days
Of his life were those early days Of struggle
and hope, when he went to his modest
home in the evening after a hard day $
work and his wife had got together what
she could in the way of supper. When
LATE is orator of the day at Old Settlers
reunions in Atlantic he says: There are
no days like the old days; there are no
times like the old times: there are no
| friends like the old friendsl" with the ac-
cent on the old.
! Senator Young did not acquire his educa-
ton from books or colleges, but in the
school of life. He is a man of affairs
| rather than a book-worm. He is not a nat
ural orator, but by determined and per-
sistent effort has won distinction in this
line. lie is witty, entertaining, and well
versed in political lore. He is blessed with
strong, rugged physique and Injured to
hard steady work. He has always, with
the zeal of religious devotee, adhered to
and advocated the ultra orthodox teachings
Of the republican party. In the old days
of stalwart and half-breed he was a stall.
wart of the stalwarts In these days OF
standpatter and progressive he is an UNI
compromising standpatter.
Personally he is a warm-hearted, syrapa.
thetic and likable; kind to his employees and
popular with them He has gone through
all the experiences and tribulations com.
mon to publishers of county papers-de
linquent subscribers, irate citizens swear.
ing they have been slandered, squabblel
| over the county printing, etc.
In the late seventies LATE Young used
to travel from Atlantic down to Reno, or
the banks OF the storied Nodaway, and
make political speeches in the schoolhoust
which stood on the edge of the trackes'
wood one day many years after in the
editorial sanctum of the Daily Capital ii
Des Moines, Young said to a farmer res
Isident of Reno: "Tll never forget you Reno
people. 1 used TO practice on you" Reno
was in the enemys country and "th,
enemy" used TO poster him with embarrass
ing and disconcerting questions. Little di
the enemy think in their impudence that h
would one day make a speech in a repub
lican national convention Philadelphia
placing in nomination a Teddy Roosevelt
and get his picture in the patent inside
Of all newspapers having patent insides-
a sort Of journalistic hall OF fame.
On one historical occasion when Lafe wa
"practlcing' on the Reno fellows, durin
the bloody shirt period following tn
civil war, the orator had just got to tn
place where Tom Hendricks was shippin
revolvers i'm carload lots into Indiana {
the Knights OF the Golden Circle, whe
old Farmer Cleghorn, a native Of the Hoo
sier state, sitting on a front seat, brok