Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-17

| the railroad offices. but as haven't composed
| the speeches can't. of course, give them to
| them. When they insist, however tell them
to come to the house at O'Clock and 1 will die
| tate the speech to them before going to the
| dinner. As rule. however. don't &c: started
| at my composition until nearly 5 and it is often
before am dressed. IL am not ready for
them when they call they wait and l often
have them jump in the cars with me and die
tate what am going to say - we go along.
The dictation is sometimes concluded in front
of the banquet hall. and, l think, dictated at
least twenty speeches in this way last year. When
the speeches are published the difference be-
tween the dictated speech and that inspired by
the surroundings of the evening is often APP
parent. but | find that the dictation enables
me to make a better speech. 1t clarifies my
thoughts and gives me q better control of my
ideas"
How long. Mr.. Depew. do you think an
after dinner speech should be?''
The platform orator Of today who speaks
more than one hour at q time" replied Mr.
Depew, 'is a fool. and no after-dinner speech
should extend over forty minutes. Twenty
minutes is better than forty, and the speech
should be short and pithy.
CRITICAL NEW YORK.
Mr.. Depew, you have addressed audiences
in every city of any size in the United States
What is the most difficult after-dinner audience
to please?"
a N New Ds1 York dime dinner party BY all means"
such an audience on the face of the United
States. Take one of our big dinners at which
two hundred distinguished men sit down. and
you have as able and critical an audience as
you will find in the world. Some people sheer at
them a collection of do thing millionaires
They do not understand the men they speak Of
Ninety-five per cent of the guests at such a
dinner is composed of self-made men. Ihey
have come to New York from all parts Of the
United States, because they have grown too big
for their surroundings elsewhere and have
needed a larger field. New York city is made
up of that sort of men, and these are the sue
cessful men of New York. Do you know what
that means? Well, out of every one hun
dred business men in New York
ninety-eight fail. New York takes the
cream of the whole country and
these men are the cream of New York. They
| are well-read men and they are men of brains
They are men to whom time is money and who
appreciate it. They feel that they can't afford
to waste minute. and if your speech drifts
into prosiness is loaded with 'chestnuts'
their watches come out and the eyes of every
man call Time They want new ideas. and
unless you can give them they dom want you.
The same speech which will be applauded in a
country town. where the diners come in on the
broad grin and expect to be pleased, will fall
fiat in New York, and most Of our so-called sill
yer-tonged orators fail when they speak
at one Of our big dinners. The
olnner ltse1 10 New York diner-out
amounts to nothing. The men at the table
have not come to eat. They used to good
dinners. and many of them have better dinners
on their own tables than you will get at any
club dinner They have come for the feast OF
reason ''hu tne now OF SOUL anu they are not
-.
..,v.,,
your first after-dinner speech?'
vas o. I",o SoHese, was the reply. my
81 ~. Cuost ia;,en ; aao ueeh initi,
- -. 80 We iouho
80 " ~ eI ~, 'A1' tue f.a'erni'y was
insoisen': naa pesn niaoe up OF set OF
''1 :. ~. ~ , nv ~ 9 diAng anc spree
ls, "i,u :. ~.s .oueu Win aeo. we were TOO
POO. W w .t an! none! IN tnis way and we
ulscusseG .ne SITUATION ana debated whether We
sn1aIu en''"Sv the enaIac'er OF the fraternity
ol we ue:eo - iiaAe TIA good IRA,
nsas VIC " .I ucoalinS society' and
80 $500 NC ehu VI 'u' year We mao made ~
nrs.-olass 9oiese u Aterary association. We
th;s 1--we, n,ada s e.. INNER s., ano al
tiiis thinner I maue NY nrst aIter dinner
peeen- ! u1n !. rehcmoer very much about
~, Ssse Una. ~. lhr9uel WIN !. al right.
nov apou' Tue LnSnsn! Are tney good
~ ., sPeaAcrs'
10; 'ney are NOT rephed M. Depew. The
nnsi.sn lack ina. eiemens OF numor which
inaAes up such an Important part OF the Amer
lean character. and they don't appreciate the
alter-dlnner speech as we do They make
some speeches. at their dinners. but 1t is not
uncommon Tor a speech to be two hours long,
anu tw0-hour speech without the humorous
eemen. mas 10 De extraordinarily good 70 be
GREAT FOREIGNERS As cHAuxcEY SEES THEM
From after-dinner sne.tinv the conver,..;or
ar;,,., % o,ho--.f az
81 -. A'"'.e's' anu ".. Depe" cna'-