Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-13
BOyhOod Spent in PeekskiII.

Mr.. Depew's boyhood was spent in Peek
skill, which place to this day he makes the
scene of his best stories, and there he pre-
pared for college, entering Yale in 1852 and
being graduated four years later with the
class of &c. In the same year his first vote
for President of the United States was cast
for John c. Fremont, and his connection
with the republican party has never been
broken. Mr.. Depew studied law in his ma
tive village in the office of William Nelson
and was admitted to the bar In 1858. That
same year he was elected a delegate to the
republican state convention, and the next
year he began the practice of law The
following year he took the stump for
Abraham Lincoln, and in 1861 he received
his first public office, being elected to the
assembly from the third Westchester coun-
ty district. He was reelected in 1862. and
chosen speaker pro tempore for part of the
session. In 1864 Mr.. Depew received the
republican nomination for secretary of
state, and he made such vigorous cam
paign that he was elected by a majority of
10000. 1t was in this campaign that he first
displayed clearly the remarkable ability in
public speaking which has since then been
so generally recognized. At the expiration
of his term of office he declined renomina-
ton. The state census taken under him
showed smaller population than many
expected, and the first humorous political
nickname fastened upon the man who was
himself to invent many in the future
was that of 1.-The depopulating Depew."
Once Minister to Japan.
President johnson appointed Mr.. Depew
United states minister to Japan, but, after
holding the commission for four months
Mr.. Depew determined to retire from DO
litical life, and declined the honor. He had
already attracted the attention of Commo-
dore Vanderbilt and his son William H.
Vanderbilt, and in 1866 he was appointed
attorney for the New York and Harlem
Railroad Company. Three years later he
became attorney for the New York Central
and Hudson River Railroad Company. and
afterward became a member of the board
of directors. Mr.. Depew's influence grew
with the growth OF the Vanderbilt system
of railroads. and in 1875 he became general
counsel for the entire system and was
elected a director in each of the lines COM
prised in it.
governor on the liberal republican ticket in
1872. and Shared the defeat of his ticket
In 1874 he was chosen regent of the State
University and one of the commissioners TO
build the capitol at Albany He narrowly
missed election as United States senator in
the memorable struggle of 1881. and de-
chned in 1855 to be a candidate for the
same office
Mr.. Depew's influence in railroad circles
had been constantly increasing meanwhile
and in 1882. when William H. Vanderbilt
retired from the presidency of the New
York Central, Mr.. Depew was elected sec
ond vice president succeeding James III.
Rutter in the presidency three years later
holding that place until las. year, when
ne succeeded Cornelius vanderbilt chair
man of the board of directors of the entire
Vanderbilt system of railroads.
Mr.. Depew was candidate for the presi-
Dental nomination at the national repub-
lcan convention of 1883, and received the
solid vote of the state of New York and
on one ballot ninety-nine votes, but when
the Blaine supporters gave their votes to
Benjamin Harrison Mr.. Depew withdrew
his name. At the national republican con-
vention of 1892 Mr.. Depew was selected to
present the name of President Harrison
and he did SO in one of his most memorable
addresses.
His Present Affiliations
Mr.. Depew is still regent of the Universe
ty of the State of New York. an active
| member of the st. Nicholas Society. the
Holland Society, the Huguenot Society and
the New York chamber of commerce; a d.
rector of the Wagner Palace Car Company
the Union Trust Company, the Western
Union Telegraph Company, the Equitable
Life Assurance Society, st. Luke's Hospi-
tai, the Niagara Bridge Company the
American Safe Deposit Company, the New
York Mutual Gas Light Company and of
other industrial companies and corporations
too numerous to mention. He was for
seven years president of the Union League
Club. and on retiring was elected an honor
airy life member. For ten years in success
sion he was elected president of the Yale
Alumni Association, and he Is now presi-
dent Of the Republican Club
Mr.. Depew married Elise Hegeman on
November Q, 1871. and has one child, a SON
Chauncey NJ Depew, jr. Mrs. Depew died
on May Z. 1893.
most among the humorous and ready pub
lie apealers of the time and there are NONE