ANTIQUE 1899 Thrilling Stories Of The War By Returned Heroes First Edition For Sale

Book Details
Thrilling Stories Of The War By Returned Heroes by Hon. James Rankin Young (1847-1924) in collaboration with J. Hampton Moore (1864-1950) was published by The Minter Company in 1899. Antique First Pictorial Edition sold by subscription only.Author Background
James Rankin Young was born in Philadelphia into a family already connected to journalism and public life and his path into history began early during the Civil War. In 1863 when he was only sixteen years-old, he left high school to enlist in the Union Army and served as a private in the Thirty-second Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry until the war ended. After returning home, he stepped directly into the bustling world of newspapers and public affairs. In 1866 he became a founding partner of the Philadelphia Evening Star, an opportunity that opened the door to a long career in both journalism and government. James soon moved into national reporting as the Washington bureau chief for the New York Tribune, placing him in the center of the political conversations shaping the country after the war. His professional life remained closely tied to public service for decades. He served twice as chief executive clerk of the United States Senate and also held the position of Chief Clerk of the Department of Justice. In 1896 the voters of Pennsylvania sent him to Congress, where he served three terms in the United States House of Representatives and chaired the Committee on Expenditures in the War Department during the years surrounding the Spanish-American War. Later in life he continued his federal service as superintendent of the Dead Letter Office for the Post Office Department and later as superintendent of the postal savings depository in Philadelphia.Story Outside the Story
Young\'s life was shaped by the defining national crisis of his generation. His formative years of service as a teenager in the Union Army while the Civil War was still raging across the country, influenced the direction his work would take in the decades that followed. At home he shared his life with his wife, Mary Barclay and their four children. Long after the Civil War ended, James remained closely connected to the nation’s political life, attending every Republican National Convention from 1864 through 1908, a remarkable forty-four year span that stretched from the final years of the Civil War into the early twentieth century. Through journalism, public service, and historical writing James remained deeply committed to preserving the memory of the men who served in America’s nineteenth century conflicts so their experiences would not fade as the country moved forward.Contributor Background
Joseph Hampton Moore began his working life at an unusually young age in the busy professional world of Philadelphia. At just thirteen he worked in a law office, where he absorbed the language and rhythm of legal work while studying the law through observation rather than formal schooling. His path soon turned toward journalism, and in 1881 a major opportunity arrived when George Childs, the influential publisher of the Philadelphia Public Ledger hired him as a reporter. Joseph quickly proved himself in the demanding newsroom environment and rose through the ranks to become both a court reporter and the paper’s real estate editor. His experience in reporting and public affairs gradually carried him beyond the newspaper office and into national politics. Moore was elected to the United States House of Representatives, where he served seven terms between 1906 and 1920. He later returned to public life in Philadelphia, serving two separate terms as the city’s mayor from 1920 to 1924 and again from 1932 to 1936.Story Outside the Story
Joseph’s life was shaped by the great events and challenges of his era. As a young reporter he rushed to Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1889 to cover the catastrophic flood that destroyed the town and shocked the nation. He was among the first correspondents from Philadelphia to arrive, and the experience forged lasting friendships with fellow journalists who were covering one of the most tragic disasters of the nineteenth century. Years later, the Spanish American War created another turning point in his life and brought him into collaboration with James Rankin Young on the war chronicle that became this book. At home Joseph shared his life with his wife Adelaide Stone, and together they raised eight children. His life also carried its share of hardship. Two of his sons, Mark and Richard died before him, a private sorrow he carried through his lifetime. Even in the face of those personal sorrows he continued his public work, guiding Philadelphia through the political and economic pressures of the early twentieth century and later confronting corruption and civic challenges during the difficult years of the Great Depression while serving his second term as mayor.Collectible Notes
The Minter Company of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania built its business around large illustrated historical works sold directly to readers through door-to-door subscription sales rather than traditional bookstores. Books like this were presented by traveling agents who demonstrated the volume in person, often using sample pages and illustrations to secure advance orders from families across the country. The 1899 antique edition with its decorative olive green pictorial cloth binding, engraved illustrations, and the distinctive red and cream marbled page edges were part of the premium presentation offered to subscribers available as an upgrade over the standard cloth version. The substantial two inch thickness of the book confirms that this copy is the complete archival edition rather than the shortened salesman sample often used by subscription agents. During the years surrounding the Spanish American War, Minter’s military histories such as this one formed a major part of the company’s publishing output, capturing firsthand stories and patriotic imagery for readers eager to understand the conflict. Minter also gained national recognition for publishing one of the widely circulated books on the 1912 Titanic disaster.Condition
Good antique edition. Olive green cloth hardcover boards have a white discoloration in the middle and a few water stains at the bottom on the front cover. Back cover is clean. Book edges are rubbed and spine ends have small tears at the top and bottom. Red and cream marbled book sides remain colorful. Gold gilt for the lettering design on the front still gleams in the light with mild fading on S in the word Heroes. Gold gilt lettering on the spine has faded but is still legible. The designs on the front and spine have retained the vibrant colors. Decorative endpapers are clean with foxing on the back. Sewn binding is slightly cracked in the seam of the back endpaper but remains fully intact throughout the book. 711 satin-finish pages are age-toned with heavy foxing from the frontispiece to the copyright page and milder foxing in the margins. All pages are clean from markups and creases. Title page is missing a piece on the upper left side near the seam with small tears at the top and bottom of the title, copyright and dedication pages likely caused by the acid pulp paper used. Book includes colored and black and white illustrations, facsimile autographs of distinguished Americans, Poetry and Songs of the War and a foldout map of Santiago De Cuba and vicinity.Carefully packaged and shipped with care from our smoke-free home. Now available to readers and collectors around the world through International Shipping. Measures 9.5\" long, 7\" wide and 2\" deep. Weighs 3 lbs. 3.5 ounces.