"The Kansas City Times" (Missouri) Wednesday, March 19, 1913 A FRIEND OF YOUTH AT 93. When the carrier threw "The Star" a week ago Sunday upon the porch of 310 East Sixteenth Street, the sections became separated and one slid on across to the feet of the gray haired subscriber as he sat in a chair. In the center of the page which faced the man was a cut of a large building. It took no explaining line to tell him what the picture was, although it was a building in a foreign country and one which he had not seen for sixty-five years. Dr. John McKAY, 93 years old, was looking at a picture of the main building of the Sorbonne, from which he was graduated in medicine at the age of 28 years. Until two years ago, Doctor McKAY was a wealthy physician of Minneapolis, Minn. A trade for some worthless land left him almost without funds and his son, Frank, was compelled to leave school to drive a motor car for his and his father's living. He has been in Kansas City a year. IF MOTHER WENT ALONG. "If you must write something," he said to a reporter yesterday, "write something that will do the young people good. I love young people. "If parents gave as much attention as they should to their children fewer would grow up to be bad. A boy or girl cannot be told where to go for good and where not to go because of bad. The parents must accompany them and show them what is best for them. A boy would not drink if his father went into the saloon with him. A girl would not go into bad company if she thought of her mother being in the same place." PRAISE FOR FRIENDSHIP MEETINGS. Doctor McKAY still puts into practice these theories. His son is twenty years old. When the son said he was going to a friendship meeting at the Swope Settlement some time ago, the father knew nothing of the nature of the place of the meeting. But he did not oppose the son. Instead, he went with him to see for himself. Since that time he has not missed one of the meetings. BECKWITH WAS HIM MOTHER. "If we had a few more such things there would be no need of your vice commissions," he said. "There would be nothing for them to do." Doctor McKAY was born in New York. His mother was the woman known in American history as Beckwith, a spy in the War of 1812. Her father was secretary to Napoleon Bonaparte and escaped to American when the great general was sent to St. Helena. His father's father was an admiral of the English navy. Doctor McKAY was graduated from several universities before he went to study at the Sorbonne, but it is the Sorbonne that he likes most to talk about. ====================================================== (I have no connection with this family but I'd appreciate knowing if you found this posting helpful.) johnobrien@kc.rr.com ======================================================