The herald., 1896-02-12
DEPEW TALKS OF PASSES


the New York Central railroad, was
opening, one by one, the letters that
were piled on his desk foot high. He
merely glanced at most of them an d
then tossed them at his secretary, di-
recting, in few words, how they
should be answered. But, opening one
letter, Mr.. Dspew found a tive-dollar
bill folded in it.
"What's that?" he exclaimed; "peo-
pie never send money to me-"
He carefully read the letter.
This is new one," he said, smiling.
"This man incloses me $5 and asks me
to send him a railroad ticket worth
let me see-yes, worth $40 at least.
Then, to his secretary, return the S.
and tell him it is impossible for me- to
do what he asks"
ITS remarkable" said Mr.. Depew,
musingly, "that so many ask me to
give away the property of this railroad
company, for transportation is proper
ty. Then the pretexts they advance,
the excuses they offer! First and
most numerous, there is the man who
is out Of employment who is certain
that he can get work alta certain place,
and who wants pass to that place
The trouble is that don't know him
and l can't tell whether he is telling
the truth. IIe may want to 60 on a
| pleasure trip or he may want to make
a business journey.
! "Then there is the mother-or the
I father-whose son-or daughter-is
dying in Albany or Buffalo. The grief
stricken mother-or father-prays
tearfully for pass that sheer be
may hasten to her-or his-bedside
and give the dying child his-or ber-
blessing before the inevitable happens.
These letters are very touching, very.
But they never touch me-for pass.
Then there is the interesting young
woman who is about to be married.
It's peculiar that the young man who
is about to be married never writes to
me. The young woman does. She
writes that her approaching happiness
/ will be greatly enhanced if she and her
bridegroom could make short. very
short honeymoon tour-say to Niagara
Falls. She writes that they have money
enough to pay their hotel bills, but
| that the railroad fare is beyond their
means. She never gets the pass, but 1
| 60 to Niagara Falls.
| "Then there is the young woman who
| lives in suburban town. The choir
master of her church has told her that
she has voice to which PATHS is in
comparable. Will | not give her pass
good for few months, 80 that she can
20 to New York and be instructed by
! the best teachers? l will not. Nor will
l to the youth who has been informed
by the critics of Four Corners that he
is the greatest living virtuoso on the
banjo or fiddle, and who needs only in
struction to enjoy an income like that
of Ole Bull.
iIhen there is the man who says he
is newspaper man and is not. He
writes to me that he has travelled much
over the road, but he has never seen its
| beauties sufficiently described in print.
He writes that the columns OF all the
newspapers are open to him. That 1
know to be a lie, for if it were true he
would be at work and have plenty of
money to pay his railroad fare. He in
Inmates that if / will send him pass
he will describe the road so attractively
that people will leave other roads to
travel on it, and people who never
travelled will at once desert their homes
and pass the rest of their lives on ex i.
press trains.
Last of all there is the chronic
fraud who brings me letters from really
important people, important in law,
the church-in every walk of life. 1t
does not cost these people anything to
write letters and, thoughtlessly, they
write them. Besides, the chronic fraud
is often we'll connected. He wants a
pass that he may sell it to the ticket
scaloers. But will say for the ticket
scalpers that few OF them will buy it,
81 remember one man who came to
me-" concluded Mr.. Depew, turning
again to his letters. "He told me be
WAS in the army with me during the
short time ! served. He said You're
tiourishing, I'm on my uppers, but we
old soldiers must stand together
Then he asked for pass. wrote an
order for it on my card and gave it to
him. He went out, returned and said:
"'By the bye, is this negotiable?'
81 took the card and gave him dol
lar.
"'That's negotiable New
York World.