The Tragedy of Robert Young
On January 25th, 1958, Robert R. Young violently committed suicide in one of his mansions. The suicide was simultaneously predictable and shocking - while it was known that Young had been dealing with depression for some time, the man seemed to have everything in his life. One of the greatest men in the rail industry, often known as the "Populist of the Railroads" or as "Railroad Young", Young's death seemed to come without reason for many close to him.
Young was well known in his day as an innovator and as a supporter of any cause that would be best for the passengers. Railroads at the time were not truly transcontinental, due to splits between companies and the resulting need to change trains along the way. Young frequently pointed out that, while a hog could cross the country without changing trains on the way, a passenger could not. He also introduced other innovations like 'computerized' methods of tracking trains and high-speed diesel-powered passenger trains. Overall his goals were to unify the rail system, remove the control of the banks over the railways, and improve convenience and comfort for passengers.
Sadly, many of his dreams were frustrated. Despite acquiring control of the railroads he needed to build a truly transcontinental system for passengers, he failed to manage to create the system. The western railroad companies refused to merge with the nearly-bankrupt New York Central line when he gained control of it, and antitrust suits against him only furthered his problems. Similarly, many of his other desires for development and innovation were similarly thwarted, and many of his innovations would not go into popular use until after his death. This frustration came together with depression, which is thought to have plagued him for years.
Finally, in 1958, things apparently came to a head for him. Despite plans to meet friends later in the day and despite seeming fine by all reports, on January 25th Robert Young took his own life with a shotgun. The scene was apparently violent and grisly, and his family and friends were horrified and saddened by the act. He left behind his wife and one daughter.
Robert R. Young was a genius and innovator who sought to create a railway system that served passengers, not banks. His innovations and his ideas would revolutionize the way rail travel worked for years to come, with many of his ideas still in use today. Sadly, the frustration of his goals and the natural depression that haunted him finally caused him to come to an early and tragic end, depriving the world of a great man.