Evening star. [volume], April 12, 1937, Page A-11, Image 11

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Guard of Diplomatic Gallery
Of House Marks 95th Birthday
W illiam H. Young’s
Alert Figure Familiar
to Foreign Envoys.
BY H. K. BAUKHAGE.
As the controversy over age and its
Infirmities and talk of new blood for
the body judicial continued in the
Capital, a cheerful little bearded man,
who yesterday celebrated his ninety
fifth birthday, took his post at the
door of the diplomatic gallery of the
House today after having come from
his home under his own power. He
was born April 11, 1842.
William H. Young's alert figure is
familiar to all of Washington's foreign
diplomats, for it has been his job for
the last five years to examine their
credentials, if he didn’t already recog
nize them, and politely open the door
that they might enter and listen to
the debates of the House.
One way to live 95 years and like it,
Young will tell you, is to go to war,
get captured and spend a term in
military prison, as he did in Anderson
ville.
The explanation is simple: At An
dersonville—he spent seven months
there—there was considerable conver
sation on the subject of diet. In fact,
about the only thing that was done
about diet was the talk. The absence
of food didn’t kill Young, and the
plentitude of thought on the subject
has preserved him since, he says. Now j
he doesn’t talk about food any more. ;
But for more than half a century he
has watched his diet pretty carefully—
result, a green old age and no regrets.
Kernses to Talk Politics.
Perhaps it is long association with
the diplomats, or perhaps it is just
natural wisdom on his part, but Young
doesn’t go in for a discussion of poli
tics. He doesn’t even want anything
derogatory said about his old alma
mater of Andersonville. for fear it
might "offend some of the Southern
boys.” And he positively won't say
whether he thinks Supreme Court
justices ought to retire at 70 or sign
up for another 25-year hitch when
they’ve reached that age. as he did.
But there's plenty he can tell, if he
W’ants to. He got his baptism of fire
with the 13th Iowa Infantry along
with a lot of other comhuskers from
Keokuk County and thereabouts at
the battle of Pittsburg Landing
(Shiloh).
Later, at the siege of Atlanta, a
Confederate sortie was attacking. The
13th, on one side of a road, was
holding its own. The 16th. on the
other, wasn't. So a part of the 13th,
Young among them, was sent to help.
The next thing Young knew he heard
his captain’s voice saying, “I’ve sur
rendered.”
Young smashed his rifle on a stump
and the war was over as far as he was
concerned.
But not the suffering.
That night they lay on the ground.
WILLIAM H. YOUNG.
—Star Staff Photo.
Their knapsacks and blankets were
on the wagons behind the lines. It
was bitter cold. Young lay there
shivering as long as he could, watching
the Confederate guard. Finally, he
picked up his courage and spoke.
“What’ll you take,” he asked, "for
that comforter?”
The guard wa* wrapped In a thick
quilt that had never been part of army
equipment.
“Have you got a knife?”
Young had. The deal was made.
He got the comforter and kept it
till he was exchanged. He believes It
saved his life.
But It isn’t such experiences that
remain as the memories of this genial
95-year-young Mr. Young. He can
still thrill at the picture of the boats
in the river at St. Louis -*s he did
when, in the first half of the last
century, as boy of 12, he trekked
westward from his Southern Indiana
birthplace to Iowa.
“There wasn't much Chicago then,”
he remarks casually, with a quick
little gesture that pushes back half a
century and virtually wipes a metrop
olis off the map—Chicago had been
Incorporated by that time, of course,
but It was hardly of Interest to the
west-bound traffic. America’s greatest
railroad center wasn’t to see its first
railroad until six years later.
Made Trip By Boat.
Young's father had made wagons
near Jeffersonville, Lnd.. and he had
seen a lot of his customers drive off
toward the Golden West in them.
Perhaps that's how he got the fever
and perhaps, also, why he went by
boat. Anyhow that’s what he did, via
St. Louis, and then up the Mississippi
to settle on rich acres In what is
now Keokuk County, Iowa.
Here the boy grew up and from
here he went off to the war to return
and became an active member of the
new community. He was merchant
and banker, helped found a town, held
public office—county treasurer. Here
he also became familiar with the
atmosphere of politics which he can
breathe again whenever he wishes to
stick his head In the door he guards,
while Congressmen on the floor below
discuss the state of the Union.
But he has reached the "age of
neutrality” in such matters. Ask him
his views on some controversial polit
ical question and he will reply with an
anecdote of a county attorney of his
earlier career. This official, it seems,
had completely mislaid a case because
of one of those "crowded dockets” of
which we hear so much these days.
He looked in vain for the papers and
then merely noted on his record, “lost
in the fog.”
Such anecdotes Young will recount
when pressed. But he’s just as inter
ested, he says, in what's going on
today, "in this country that Wash
ington founded and Lincoln saved.”
This year’s birthday was Just
another one—there was no special
celebration, as it fell on Sunday.
"But wait till the 100th”l he prom
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“MY DIGESTION
TAKES IT!”
says
crack newsreel cameraman
AL MINGALONE
■ HE GRABS HIS MEALS as he can, but getting the picture
B come* first! "With Camel's help,” A1 says, "my digestion always
™ stands up under the strain. I smoke Camels right around the
J clock—they don't jangle my nerves, irritate my throat, or tire
my taste.” Enjoy mild, fine-tasting Camels throughout the day.
f Smoking Camels at mealtimes and afterwards aids digestion
with an increased flow of digestive fluids—alkaline digestive
|,: fluids. Camels set you right! And they're gentle to the throat.
* CAMELS COSTLIER TOBACCOS
BETTER FOR STEADY SMOKING
ises, "and we’ll have a banquet and
have all you fellowa In.”
Meanwhile, hia only advice for those
who wish to watch the world go by
for ft century, besides watching your
diet, Is simple:
'Keep breathing.” And, with that
advice and a handshake, ha turns
away to bow the French Ambassador
to his seat.
(Copyright, 1937, by th* North American
Newgpaper Alliance. Inc.)
SECURITY AIDE TO SPEAK
Elliott to Address Palmetto State
Voters’ Forum.
Thomas H. Elliott, general counsel
of the Social Security Board, will be
the principal speaker at the monthly
meeting of the Palmetto State Voters’
Porum at the New Colonial Hotel to
morrow at 8:30 p.m. He will outline
application of the Federal aoclal se
curity program to South Carolina.
Members of the forum have com
pleted a study of the poor relief law*
of 8outh Carolina from 1894 down
to 1936, when the State amended its
constitution to provide for participa
tion in the Federal eoclal security
program.
Russia has passed Germany In pro- j
ductlon of Iron and steel casting*.
fou'll keep those kitchen and bath
room walls fresh and bright if you
paint them with Moore's Sani-Flat.
922N.Y. Ave. National 8610
£fenmtyi
for iuirs
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if costs so little—
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for Anniversary!
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