The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-26

OF vast importance. II was assumed by
the newspapers and the public. at first.
that Gould only slammed forge,falnesx,
but time showed otherwise Soon after be
had tod the committee he couldn't re-
member" the Gould clerks were set 70
getting cut old records. Ar. Gould was
aoie not only 20 state fn what book each
record required could be found. bat also
on what page OF the book, yet curiously
enough. he couldn't give any details worth
naeoununs. His memory II will be OBJ
served had been trained no doubt uncon-
seiousiy, 10 hold exactly what would be
needed most in an emergency. Asked about
the size OF a certain check which changed
hands when the Western Union Company
WAS created by consolidation. he said he
really couldn't remember whether II was
Tor 6.01,eo or sia.0oo.e10, and II was as
sHmed thai be didn't Eisa TO tell. IL being
absurd. apparently. for him really 20 for
get such an important detail Later, from
the records. he secured the information
and presented 1t TO the committee The
check was only transfer OF funds i'm
pcftant when signed. but not afterward.
The late Cornelius Vanderbilt may have
hao firN-class. all around memory: GER
tainiy he exceiied surprisingly In one d.
rectton. He was interested in more organ
izatfoIs managed by boards Of directors
probably. Than any other man In New
York Al all events the corporations
business religious ard psrsiantbropic-to
which he belonged were go numerous that
IL would have taxed most men &c keep
track OF theri. But that was an easy thing
for him. Apparently. he never kept am
memoranda o. the needing time Of any
organization With which he was connected
but he never forgot. and though his duties
a. head OF the Vanderbilt system were
enough TO warrant his remaining away
from many Of his directors meetings. he
made II point to be present at every one.
Chauncey N. Depew has curious mem.
DRY faculty" OF which probably he Is un-
aware II was discovered last year By a
reporter. The senator-elect was feeling
good and told several stories OF his early
life to the newspaper man. and told them
well Some OF these rave been printed
before, ] suppose" said Mr.. Depew "for
l remember telling them to so-and-so three
or four years ago. but not In the same
form. OF course" The reporter had thern
down In shorthand in Mr.. Dspew'g own
words. bu, took the precaution 10 over
haul certain old scrapboot before pre-
pairing his copy for the press. The scrap.
book contained Depew Interview.
among other things. and In IL were the
same stories Mr.. Depew had given out that
morning That was In accordance with
what ne had told the reporter Careful
reading OF his notes and the old interview
showed the reporter. however that the
phraseology and the general form were
so nearly Identical that, had he written
out his notes as they stood. he might have
been accused OF lifting" whole paragraphs
bodily from what had been printed pre-
viously, Mr.. Depew's repetition OF the
stories Of personal experiences In Identical
lsnguag; was unconscious. beyond a doubt.
His memory. trained 10 retain narrative.
had recognized the form In which these
Incidents were told the first time as being
decidedly better than any other form that
probably Nigh, be gtver 10 them, ana, be-
ing called on for the facts. had furnished
the form In which they had been told. as
well as the facts themselves.
James J. Hire memory of details of his
railroad and tts running Is Simply marvel
GUS He can tell not only how long Is
each level, how steep Is each grade, how
high Is each trestie. how deep is each cut
and OF what radius each curve but also
how much coal engine >s27. for instance.
should consume In hauling a given mum.
Der Of tons OF freight over a given stretch
OF the road; how much delay should be
expected when the rails are wet or the
wind head on. aud a thousand and other
details learned In his personal experience
and firmly held by his tenacious memory.
De BlowitZ, for many years correspond
ent In PaTta for the London Times trem-
endously surprised himself and Delare.
the editcr OF the paper. on one occasion
Theirs. who was at the height OF his pow-
er just then. made n great speech at Yer
saiIles, De Biowitz and Delane were pres
ent and both felt chr up badly because
they hadn't shown sufficient foresight TO
have reporter there too The speech
was highly important and its publication
In the Times the next morning would
have been great stroke ~ journalistic
enterprise. nelane left Versailles for
London almost Immediately after the end
oy the speech. and about the last thing
ne said 10 De Blowltz. when they parted.
was 10 repeat the nroverh about the I'M
Wisdom of crying over split milk When
nelane got the paper In the morning hts
eyes came near popping out Of his head.
for there was long and nearly verbatim