The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-01-15
HOW MIR. DEPEw IMPROVES EACH
SHINING HOUR

Mr.. Depew can devote sufficient time to
his duties as railway president, while
filling so many social engagements, and
making so many speeches. Mr.. Depew
is man of infinite wisdom and resource
In reply to his critics he explains how it
is possible for him to accomplish so
much and retain his health:
81 have closed my twenty-fifth year
with the Central railroad, and in that
quarter of century l have been in touch
with every part of its business and every
condition of its development. Though
blessed with physique and health and
capacity for work accorded to but very
few men, l early made up my mind from
observing the men who have broken
down around me and gone to pieces, that
the only safety was in variety of Occupa-
ton; that unless man could relieve the
strain by excursions into other fields,
and especially such things as would
keep up his cneerfulntss and hopeful
ness, he was gone.
"My business day begins at s o'clock
in the morning and continues without
cessation until o'clock in the evening.
"a distinguished banker once said to
me, not so many years ago, i cannot I'M
derstand how it is possible for you to at
tend to your business properly and meet
the requirements of your place, and
make these dinner speeches in the even
ing and these other efforts upon the
| platform in which you are constantly in
dulging.' / said to him, What time do
you get to your Office in the morning ?
He said, Never before TO-
"'DO you permit people to call on you
at your house on business before that q
| No, under no circumstances. what
time do you leave your Office in the
afternoon 2 AT 3. What do you do
them? We'll, if it is clear day take
a ride in the Park. If it is not a clear
day go to the club and play cards
What then q well, if am N It going
out to dinner-I go out to dinner often
dine at home, and in the evening have
quiet game of whist with my friends.
"'Wel,' said to him, my business
day begins at my home at s, is continued
from about $50 at my Office or down
town until or 6, and then, to get relief,
| either attend a dinner and make a
speech, which is prepared mainly on the
way to the dinner or after | get there.
and get up in the morning refreshed by
change of occupation and switching off
the current of thought and anxiety
Not long since we had at my office a
conference of railway Presidents from
all over the United States. There were
many questions of difference, and some
of them resulted in extreme antagOn-
isms which threatened serious distur-
Dances, which meant financial troubles
affecting every business. The company
Sc arated between 6 and 7 o'clock. The
next morning several of tn papers had
two-thOusand word speech which
had delivered the night before One of
these Presidents said: 'Depew. | don't
see how it is possible for you to attend
to business and get up sucn speeches as
are in the papers this morning. l said
to him: You and were together here
all day yesterday and separated pretty
well all used up. What did you do q
He said: Il was so completely exhausted
that instead of going to my hotel | went
to Delmonico's and dined with friend.
After dinner he told me that he would
send for few friends and have little
game of poker. We played until about
o'clock, | regret to say, rs feel this
morning, with some cocktails and
several cigars, and confess feel pretty
well used up. What did you do p
II answered: L walked home, went to
my bedroom, threw off my clothes and
| jumped between the sheets as If going to
rest for the night. | fell asleep at once
and woke up in ten minutes refreshed,
jumped into dress suit, and during the
process commenced preparing my
speech; walked to DelmOnico's, reach
| ing there at o'clock with the effort
thoroughly planned
by the time it was necessary to de-
| liver it it was prepared, and you read it
in the morning papers. | ate light
dinner, drank very little wine, and was
at home and in bed at y o'clock, and
feel this morning as fresh as lark
1.-The only difference between my
banker and railroad friends and myself
was in the different methods 10y which
they got relief from the strains of bust
Hess. With them. as with nine-tenths
of the hald-worked and over worked
men of the country, it is cards and social
entertainments, which never get into the
newspapers. With such men the pre-
paratiOn of speech would be the work
of days or weeks of incessant labor, and
it would be very unsatisfactory to them
after it was prepared.
81 care nothing for cards, take no in
terest i'll games of chance, aud ut first
used to spend my evenings till late in the
night in continuing the business OF the
day. OF course chat produced sleepless.
ness, and IN Il short time led to IN over
rim III dire ton of the same BRAIN
iiUres, winch destroyed their elasticity
and resulted in bad judgment and poor
work.
1T is for this reason that the eX-
tremely busy mdn con do better the next
day if after his business hours he can
switch his mental machinery of to some
channel which gives rest and recreation.
Happily for my critics, and equally
fortunate for my health, my recreation
is mental labor in other channels than
business, which are public and widely
advertised, while the railroad President
or banker who passes his evening ut his
club or with the card party in his house
is free from criticism because the public
are wholly unaware, and therefore they
don't care how he passes his evenings.
There is another misappreheDsion in
the public mind, and that is that the
value of a mans services to the business
which he manages is measured by the
hours which he gives to 1t. know
plenty of business managers who, If
they were not ably assisted. would ruin
the properties which they control, even
ii they gave eighteen out Of twenty-four
hours to the service.
II know Others of such comprehensive
and executive genius, with three hours
N 4