Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-01-28

Depsw IL ubiquitous in his travels. He
mas The sense OF humor fully developed.
TITS recent trip 10 Europe, brief "a "A
was, furnished him with 4 fund Of an
ecdotes that he will shape and reshaps.
ADAPT, condense aud expand for MANY
dinner 20 come.
Before going TO dinner. Mr.. Dspev
always tries To devote n short time TO
,ne preparation OF hts speech. While
40 VII, depend upon tho speakers who
proceed him, 10 a large extent for thu
points OF his response 10 the subIeet al.
lotted hlm, he wants TO be fully eouip.
ped. IL Is at this time no turns to Duyai's
scrap book. He knows just where To
look Tor the latest Joke or yarn and I'M.
der what head to sud them. The boox
Is understood to be thoroughly and
lngeniously indexed. Depew turns
TO the page or pages con.
tanning scraps bearing upon the
topic under treatment There may be
ntty stories under that head. Those
that ne has already used, or has heard
some other after dinner talker avail
himself OF, have been checked Oft bv
Mr.. DuvaL The next morning after 4,
dinner, Mr.. Dspew tolls Duyal wha,
stories no told sni what Jokes he nun.
ished the diners with. III tho story Ia
rendered useless by its one narration. "A
Is checked, as mentioned. II IL mIrht
DO adapted In some particular, for soma
future date, a cross opposite Indicate,
that fact In fact. there Is understood
TO be quite n code OF signals In connec.
ton With this very unique collection of
tales.
Gen. Porter gets his stock OF warn,
"a another way. His Office Is down
town In the Mills Building. lie Is Vice
HrRSlnent az tha De- -. -
Ito is brought In daily contact with an
army OF railroad mon. He also meets
scores OF supply agents, purchasing
officials OF roads and tho like. These
men come from all parts of the country
ana they are constantly on the wing.
lhey arc tho greatest story tellers In
tho world. They pick up the latest
stories, polite aud otherwise, from avery
State aud every big town. While MANY
OF thon are provincial, tho narrator
locallZes them. in fact, the vast M.
1orlty OF tho good tales that pa
current can be readily adapted to thu,
tlme ana place. Every one OF these
travelling railroad men is anxious TO give
Porter new story. The General 10
| equally anxious To hear them.
In this manner. Porter gets hold OF
tremendous supply OF stories, lie
knows tho ones no wants to keop. Al
the hrst opportunity ho dictates them
TO his stenoRrapher, eithor In skeleton
shape or In full, rs he deems the wiser.
whether those stories are preserved In
scrap book shape, tho writer has not
heard. Certain 10 Is that they are with
In reach whom wanted
AT any dinner Gen. Porter attends he
ls always called upon, no matter who
the guest nor what the topic. lie can
respond as promptly and gracefully In
French, German or Spanish rs In Eng
llsh. While he charms the foreign act
or, musician or author, he IN turn onIoys
tho conversation with all these celebri-
ties aud from them learns the most ro-
cent illusions OF humor and satire, and
hears the best stories OF their respective
countries and profession. IIe adds
these contributions To his catalogue
OF tales For years he has Rradu-
ally acquired what might be termed a
library OF data for after dinner festiyi-
ties. and from its shelves takes down
tho material that makes him one OF tho
two great Dromios, whose appearance 10
always the cause OF hearty applause,
whether they arrive between the wal
nuts or the wine. or whom the BANQUET
ball Is fragrant with the smoke az Per.
fectos. LAwRRNCE =. MoTr.