Evening star., 1925-02-16
NOTED JOURNALIST,
M.H.DE YOUNG, DIES
San Francisco Leader Won
National Recognition in
Many Fields.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calf, February
l6.--M. H. de Young, one of the last
survivors Of the dwindling school of
personal journalists in the United
States, who built great newspaper
from theatrical handbill he started
on borrowed $50 goldpiece in 1865,
died here last night. He was rs
years old.
His death was as sudden as many
of the events in his spectacular
career which made him a national
figure. Early last night he under
went an operation for intestinal
trouble. Two hours later he was
dead.
Mr.. de Young was a director of
the Associated Press for 25 years.
He was the leading figue in the
Midwinter exposition in San Fran
cisco in the nineties. He built the
first steel frame building in the
West, the old Chronicle. He rebuilt
1t after the San Francisco fire. only
to abandon it for what William Ran
dolph Hearst was recently pleased to
term the most modern newspaper
plant in the United States
Career Linked With City.
NJ. III. de Young and his career
were perhaps as closely identified
with the progress of the city Of San
francisco as those of any man, al
though his activities, political and
social. were Nation wide in scope and
recognition. The years which saw
san francisco grow from a cluster
or houses to a great seaport and COM
mercial center were the years Of Mr..
Dc Young's life, and the two Were
ihseparably interviewer. Born in ST.
Louis October l, 1849. he was a San
Franciscan from the time he was five
years old. and from his boyhood a
business man.
When 16 years old he was a pub
Usher, having established with his
brother Charles the Dramatic Chron-
1cle. In those days much of the city's
life centered about the theaters.
where companies and individual
stars coming from New York by way
of Panama formed the attractions,
and the de Young boys appreciated
this opportunity for reaching the
public Their venture, described as
gram, soon began to carry news
real newspa per eagerly scanned by
theatergoers. The latest bits Of live
news We're to be found in its col
umns, and long before it. became a
full l-fedged morning paper opinions
upon matters touching the public in
terest were printed on the editorial
page. Nor was it uncommon to find
Il contribution signed with name
already we'll known in the literary
world.
Paper Became Daily.
The Dramatic Chronicle presently
became the San Francisco Chronicle,
a morning daily paper, the transition
involving scarcely more than a
change of name. The paper, like the
city, had grown beyond the theater.
and the de Youngs quickly appreei-
ated the situation. The validity of
their Judgment in making the change
was demonstrated by a. rapid growth
In circulation and popularity. The
paper was active in pointing out
those abuses which identify them
selves with rapidly growing bodies
polite. In 1877 an exposure Of con-
ditions in the conduct of the Fed eral
governments business here Was cred-
tied with causing the retirement of
number of politicians. 1t afSo
caused a succession OF libel suits
from which the Chronicle emerged
triumphantly. In 1879 the Chronicle
fought sturdily and successfully for
new state constitution, the one
adopted being still noted for its ad-
vances over other similar documents.
In 1880, on the death Of his, brother
Charles, Mr.. de Young became sole
proprietor of the Chronicle. The In
creasing prosperity and influence of
the paper gave him greater opportu-
nifty for participation in public affairs.
into which, from the start Of his
career, his bent and sense of re-
sponsibility carried him. Continual
ly he reached ahead of his cotem-
poraries in his vision and in public
and commercial life.
Before he entered his fortieth year
Mr. de Young was numbered among
the men of the Pacific Slope called
upon to represent their fellow citi-
zens in national and international
affairs, and from that time on his
record was one of succeeding public
responsibilities.
Mr.. de Young's political activities
ran PARALLEL with his public services
in other lines. Personally and
through his paper he contended for
the advancement of the Republican
party, through which he considered