The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-22


I asked Mr.. Depew recently how he man
aged to be the active head of a great rail-
road system, the personal representative of
the Vanderbilts. an active participant in
political campaigns, a devotee of society and
the greatest dinner goer in the United States
at the same time.
Il think it is because 1 have a splendid
constitution said Mr.. Depew. IF I were
not in perfect health all the time I should
not be able to accomplish nearly so much.
Besides, 1 am a very methodical man.
dispose of my business as it arises. never
permit it to accumulate. The result of that
system is that never leave piece of work
uncompleted on my desk when 1 close it for
the night"
Mr.. Depews desk is a big one,
and as he talked with me 1t ac-
cumulated business. officers of the Cen
trail and other roads wanted a few minutes
to state their proposition or difficulty, which
was from Mr.. Depew's vast experience i'm
mediately settled. Clerks came in with let
tiers to sign or papers to indorse and at in
tervals his secretary, Mr.. Du VAL adroitly
sandwiched into the conversation some one
who had claim on a minute of Mr.. De-
pew's time. Once or twice Mr.. Depew ex-
cused himself to go into the adjoining room,
and from the sounds that came from it it
was safe to assume that some one had
told a joke.
asked Mr.. Depew If he intended to aban-
don the facetious style when he entered
the Senate. He answered in the negative.
ut is one of the most effective styles Of
speaking he said, land it is one of the
most difficult. 1t is a style that may have
a boomerang effect if not skillfully used. 1
have said things under cover of a humorous
speech that 1 would never have been per-
mitted to say seriously 1t was all part
of the fun at the time, but it seemed Sc
rious enough to the hearers when they
thought of it next day"
Did an audience ever refuse to listen to
you?" l asked.
Never said Mr.. Depew.
HIS FIRST SPEECH.
"Can you recall the first speech you ever
nader"
Every well. 1t was just after 1 returned
home from Yale. My father was pro-slav-
cry man. 1 came back from Yale an anti
slavery man. 1t caused a great deal of I'M
happiness to my father and made many diff
| fercnces in our home. L regretted them very
much because was very fond of my father.
The trouble never reached the point of
causing me to leave home. But it was well
known to all the people of Peekskill, and
they were much interested in it. AT that
time there were only about $50 anti-slavery
men among the 5000 in the town. Most of
the business of the town was with the
South and the feeling against the Abolition
lists ran very high. One night George Will
| liam Curtis waste make a speech at Peeks-
kill He was the great orator Of the day.
He missed his train, or for some other rea-
son did not get to the meeting. After a
long wait, someone suggested that L make
a speech. They probably wanted to get me
on record, knowing how strong the influ-
ence at my home was l got up in my place
and began to speak. Then someone sug-
| gested that l take the platform and l did.
| l spoke for two hours at that meeting. 1t
was the first time L had had a chance TO
| learn that l could take care of myself on
my feet. had spoken more or less at Yale
| lin fact, had received a medal there for
| Oratory. But there / had always prepared
myself for speaking. That was my first ex-
tempore speech. A few days later received
an invitation from the state committee to
take part in the campaign that was on. The
| late General Hustled, who had graduated
from Yale two years before me- told me it
was great opportunity. He took me to
the headquarters of the committee and in
troduced me- [ plunged into the campaign
and went right through to the end of it.
l haven't missed making speeches in any i'm
portaat campaign in New York State since"
do you think speechmaking has much in
fluence in making votes?"
Il know It has. Take just one instance
My town in off years always goes Demo-
cratic by 800 or 4G0 In the year of guber-
material election I invariably make a speech
at Peekskill the night before election day
am among old neighbors, and it is more
like a friendly talk than a speech. In those
years the vote of the town is generally Re
publican by 200 or 300. You cannot account
for it in any other way than on the theory
that that final speech changes several hun
dred votes OF course, the speaker and his
personality have much to do with effect
My speech in the Bowery has become ia
nous for the peach incident. l was advised
that because of my position as president of
the New York Central road, president Of the
Union League Club counsel for the Van
| derbilts and reputed rich, my life would be
in danger. ] have rsked it many times, and
always came out all right after getting a
| hearing. The audience was a typical Bow
cry one, very large and intensely hostile for
half an hour Then for an hour they drank
in argument and illustrations with eager
ness. The Bowery district that year re-
versed the majority it had given Tammany
for years before and since. That meeting
had something to do with it, and it was be-
cause, after becoming on terms with the
speaker, knowing he had made his own
career, and being convinced that his inter
ests and theirs were the same, they be-
lieved what he told them.
EFFECT OF HUMOROUS SPEECHES.
Il suppose l have hurt myself a good deal
by making humorous speeches." said MIR
Depew. The newspapers have given me a
character as a stOry-teller and humorist
that probably would make some people re-
fuse to take me seriously. But l have every
evidence that my style of speaking is eff
fective. In the last national campaign, for
instance / made a speech in a Western
city. The man who had made a speech Just
before was a man of great national reputa-
ton. He had made an argument so alb
struse that / had to read it three times
before l could understand it. / asked some
one who was at his meeting how he had
been received. 1 was told that before he
was half through speaking people began
to leave the hall and half were gone when
he fnished-they couldn't understand HIM
When 1 began to speak the aisles were
packed, hundreds were standing. / spoke