The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-10
sTO aIEs BY MR. pEPEW
Who Is the Most Entertaining After
Dinner Speaker in America.

Who Is the Most Entertaining After.
Dinner Speaker in America.
From the Neo York Tribune.
Chauucey NJ. Depew ia undoubtedly the
most popular after-dinner speaker in
America. Many persons who aspire to CO.
lebrity in that sort of oratory, and who
sometimes succeed, wear themselves out
after few years. Mr.. Depsw ia never
worn or weary. He is ever new How
comes this widespread and evergrowing
success of the genial president of the New
York Central as popular oratorl He is
credited with having upon one occasion de-
fined fame as "the result of being civil to
newspaper men,
E. j. Phelps, the former minister of the
United Estates to the court of st. James.
left London In blaze of glory, because he
uttered an epigram which the famous New
Yorker had already given to the world in
an after-dinner speech at Delmonico's.
The London Times forgot It's solemn and
tedious monotony, which has made many
travelling Americans nod and not infre-
Quently snore, when in bright and even
lively editorial article it praised Mr.. Phelps
for particularly brilliant saying, which
formed part Of a speech at a dinner in the
English metropolis. The gentleman from
Vermont was drawing fine illustration of
the achievements of some prominent man.
He said it was true that this man had made
mistakes; "but," Continued the minister,
"a man who does not make mistakes seldom
makes anything" The authorship Of that
siugularly neat remark belongs rightfully
to Chaupcey NJ. Deyew. Yet, when Mr..
Phelps said it, nobody in England thought
for a moment that il had been said by any
body else.
HOW MR.. DEPEW TELLS A STORY.
Did you ever notice how placid is Mr..
Depew's face when he says a good things
He never laughs. You know, however,
when he is coming to the sentence or story
which you will want to repeat the next day.
In not laughing at his own jokes he shows
his appreciation of ShakeSpeare'S maxim:
"a jest's prosperity lies in the ear of him
who hears it never in the tongue Of him
who makes tn
Although he doesn't laugh himself, he en-
joys seeing other people laugh. He has just
said something, which only a few bright
persons in the audience caught and laughed
at. The laughter is by no means general
Mr.. Depew pauses. His lips part gradually
and broad smile plays all over his face.
His look is that OF mingled disappointment
and expectation; and although he says
nothing, this is what is passing 10 his mind,
and You know it: "Whatl Is it possible
YOU didn't see that pointp The rebuke, ad-
minstered in this kindly way, is neverthe-
less q rebuke, and the audience is beginning
to feel ashamed. The applause of the
brighter few who saw 1t is dying away,
when "ail Hill Hill" comes from all parts Of
the house, and Ia a moment loud and pro-
longed cheering" or Immense laughter"
as reporters say, is heard, and is again aud
again renewed" Then the orator, looking
more satisfied, says IN his own mind: "Ye s,
that's better, ;" and resumes the thread Of
his discourse.
STORIES DRAWN FROM THE IRISH QUESTION.
After MIR. Depew had spoken his fine
eulogy on Parnell In the Academy OF Music,
he went to the Union Square hotel Ia COM
pany with the members OK the committee,
to eat a sandwich and to drink glass OF
champagne. While there be told many
good stories of incidents drawn from the
Irish question.
81 was dining in London not long ago."
said MIR. Depew, "with the family OF an
earl who had large landed estates In lre'
land.
"'How is it, Mr.. Depew,' said Lady -,
the wife of my host, that you are such
persistent enemy of our houseF
"'W-h-a-tp said I. An enemy Of your
housed
"'Yes, an enemy of our house, said she.
"'Wil your ladyShip please explainF l
ventured to ask, now thoroughly aseounueu;
"'Why.' said she, don't you know what
meang You are supporting those horrid
home rulers every chance you get over
there in America, and these land league
acitators. who are more horrid still. Before
ali this trouble about land and the reduction
of rent bagan-and I am sure never knew
what it meant before-we owned, not
rented. a much larger and more spacious
town house than this one in Portland square;
we We" I had ada another in Dublin, in Mountjoy
square; we had pleasantly situated and
well appointed villa on the coast: we t naa
an immense grouse preserve, one or Two
deer forests. through which ran purling
streams, fairly alive With trout, and
shooting-box In the Highlands, where we we
invariably spent six weeks or TWO mounts
"'Yesr exclaimed, moregand more as
founded. p..4-,r ,
"'Yes., repeated Lady -. But now,
she continued, 4 assure you, this Is tne nrse
glass OF champagne have had on my own