The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-17
GETS 100000 A YEAR
NEAT SALARY Of CHAUNCEY DE
PEW AND HOW HE EARNS IT.
Worth $40 an Hour to the Wander
biIts-Always Accessible to Re-
pOrters-His Oratory.


bits pay him? This is the largest salary
paid in the United States 1t is twice as
much as the Presidents, and would pay all
of the Cabinet officers with very respect
able balance. Allowing for 80 working
days In the year, Mr.. Depew is paid some
thing like 1920 per day for seven and a half
hours work, or at the approximate rate of
$50 an hour, or 90 cents a minute, very
pretty figure in the way of wages.
This story will show just what MIR. De-
pew, the busiest man in New York, does in
day. As every one knows. he is the friend
of the Prince OF Wales and of the youngest
and poorest lad on the New York Central;
he Is the confidential man of the Wander
bits, and practically manages their $100, 00O,
900 estate; he is president of the New York
Central, of the Yale Alumni Association.
director in a dozen corporations, one of
the officers of the Union League Club, and
a power in the Republican party of his
State and the country at large.
1t is usually past a. m. when Mr.. Depew
begins his day. He rises, shaves and
dresses himself and skins the morning pa
pers. and is down stairs about o'clock.
He can shave and read at the same time.
He has magnificent home on Fiftyfourth
street, close to Fifth avenue. A broad hall
runs through the house. On one side is the
parlor, music room and dining room, and
on the other reception room, which opens
into the library. The reception room and
the parlor are both full of people waiting
to see him about all sorts, kinds and con-
dftiCns of things. Railroad people from
other cities, agents for all kinds of articles.
people who want to travel free, and cranks
of every description. Mr.. Depew sees them
all, and has a hearty good morning for
each one; then he proceeds to weed them
cut. and practice has made him an adepr at
disposing of one person per minute, Those
the handsome dining room. Mr.. Depew
breakfasts all the year round, in Europe
and a cup of coffee. These breakfasts are
strictly business affairs, and no member OF
the the family Is IN ste Wes meer tWo OF
her nieces and his only son, Chauncey NJ,
jr.,-have their breakfast together.
HALF HOUR WITH BUSTER"
From until half past Mr.. Depew spends
regularly and uninterruptedly with his boy,
who has outgrown his old pet name, BUS
ter" since he has arrived at the dignity
of seventeen years. He is tall, slender and
handsome, and greatly DESTROYS of looking
and being in all respects like his father,
who is his hero and his model in every
thing At $50 Mr.. Depew prepares to go
to the Grand Central Depot on East Forty
second street Rain, snow, hail or sunshine,
he always walks. -
Down Madison avenue he goes with
easy swing and rapid gait, and soon he is
at the head of a short stairway entering a
door above which is printed president"
The furniture of his room is plain and mas
siye there are railroad maps and a few
pictures on the walls including one OF
Peekskill his dearly beloved boyhood home.
A cheerful CRATE fire blazes away, ana there
are soft roomy leather chairs and a great
big misunderstanding desk with little buttons
on it like keys of typewriter. BY touch
ing one of the keys he can summon any
assistant or employee in the vast building.
This desk is near the north end of the
room where H. c. Duval, his private sec
rotary transacts his business. and north
into a room occupied by Mr.. Depew's col
ored stenographer. At the south side of
the room is door opening into Cornelius
Vanderbilt's private Office. AS soon as Mr..
a photoeraph Of all of the happenings over
the road during the past twenty-four hours;
he goes over the accidents, the delays, If
any, and every detail of the vast concern
receives his personal consideration Mr..
Duval disposes of more than two-thirdS Of
the callers, and Mr.. Depew Is never aware
of their visits.
FRIENDLY TO REPORTERS.
The reporters from the several news
papers gain an audience for seldom does
day pass when Mr.. Depew is not called upon
to deny or affirm or give his opinion upon
some railroad, college, political or financial
matter. The next thing is the correspond
ence. The enormous mail is sifted SO that
Mr.. Depew receives only about twenty or
thirty of the many letters addressed to him
every day. These he answers through his
stenographer, for the social and private mail
usually comes to his house. His mail is
curious tumble; there are requests for passes,
for donations for autographs criticisms and
Communications of his speeches, and nearly
thirty days in every month the announce
ment that some young American has been
given a part his name in full.
After the heads of the departments have
come in. reported and received their orders,
Mr. Repew mas ye ms fruns mean and salS
during the whole time ne is discussing buSl-
ness matters with the officers or presidents
of other railroads or with oHlclalS connected
with his own.
meetings and consultations with the second
vice president, the general traffic manager
and the third vice president, HI. Waiter
Webb, who comes in with matters affecting
comes a committee of employees, and their
statements are carefully listened to and the
issue IS argued out with the same kindly
would receive. At $50 Mr.. Depew dons his
hat and coat and starts on his walk home.
These two walks of fifteen blocks each way
makes all the exercise Mr.. Depew takes.
Between and o'clock his family Claim
his undivided attention; then comes dinner,
which is very cheerful meal, because 1T s
a red letter event when Mr.. Depew can dine
at home. Mr.. Depew gets huge enjoyment
out of evening in his own mouse. Ihere
are callers every half-nour SO, but he is
SO used to it that it never worries him.
BUSY TIME AT NIGHT.
He has a splendid library, is a wonderful
ly fast reader, and has a peculiarly reten-
tive memory. In a night at home he can
read up and retain enough fresh material
with which to build dozen good speeches
on a big variety Of subjects. Political lead
ers, railroad men, newspaper reporters and
a few friends troop in on Mr. Depew in
a night and on the evenings that he at
tends a dinner, a meeting or the theater
there are always a. number of people wait
ing in his house to see him on his arrival
home.
Even in his sleep he is not safe from the
always present caller. At /, and o'clock
in the morning there is often loud ring
at the Depew door bell, and when the great
speaker pokeS his head out of the second
story window he finds a reporter waiting
to interview him on some late piece OF tel
egraphic news
Mr.. Depew never loses his temper. He
can talk in his night gown from the second
story window at a. m. as well as he can
in evening clothes behind the toast table
at Delmonico's No reporter, no matter at
what hour of the day or night, who goes
to interview Mr.. Depew on any reasonable
subject comes away empty handed, and
that is one of the main reasons of his in
ternational popularity.
On the evenings when Mr.. Depew attends
a big dinner he very often thinks up his
speech while he dresses. He says he can