The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-14
TRAITS OF RICH MEN
NAPOIEONS or FINANCE ARE SIN
GULARLY RETICENT ABOUT
THEIR OWN AFFAIRS
EVEN DEPEW GETS TACITURN
ANDREW Carnegie Said to BE Ex-
tremeIy Careless in His
Personal ExDend-
lures. -

On Fourth Of july morning the group of
powerful fnanciers that stood on the up
per deck of the Deutschland admiring
New York harbor and the outlines of
the lofty buildings Of Manhattan against
the horizon as the ship came up the bay
was suddenly brought face to face with
the representatives of the daily newspa-
pers and heard without answering many
questions about matters that are of conf
manding interest just now They all
illustrated that habit of taciturnity which
many believe to be the conspicuous char
acteristic of very successful men, says
the Cincinnati Enquirer. And yet it
seems as though this persistent silence
We're many times due rather to habit than
to any good reason for refTaining from
giving information. Besides, there Is
feeling that il is not exactly good form
for the successful business man to talk
not only about his immediate plans, but
also upon any subject, if that talk is
likely to find its way into print.
There are some conspicuous excep-
lions, and always have been to this Gus
tom. Probably no man in New York city
has greater power of taciturnity when
1T is inadvisable to speak than Abram S.
Hewitt, and yet he also has the capacity
to discriminate between matters which it
is essential to keep private and general
information or opinions which, coming
from a man Of large experience and great
achievements, would be Of interest and
value to the public.
Thus Mr.. Rockefeller, although he may
have perceived as clearly as Mr.. Hewitt
did twenty years ago that the pre-emi-
nence in the iron and steel manufacture
in the world would speedily be the dis
tinCtiOn Of the United States yet would
have deemed it a mistake. the breaking
Of fixed and safe rule, if he had made
such momentous prediction fortified
with facts and illustrated with examples,
as Mr. Hewitt did in his memorable ad-
dress before the Iron and Steel asSocia-
ton.
Peter Cooper who stood in the front
tnropiStS, was in intimate association
with those who had faith in the ability
of science to teach the way by when
cable could be laid under the Atlantic
stretching from Newfoundland to Ire
land. 1t was a project that involved the
raising Of millions, and if successful was
bound to create great wealth. The
modern financier would have deemed 1t
an unwlse thing to talk for publication
about the plans of the Atlantic cable
corporation, but not only Peter Cooper
gave with perfect freedom interviews for
publication in the daily press of that
time, in which he went into details, but
some of his associates were also equally
frank. That was the case with Cyrus
W ~ ANlbI ~ no Was not only Wiling Out
seemed delighted to talk for publication
as he did throughout his busy life, and
became tacttuIn only when his great re-
verses came upon him.
Russell Sage frequently talks for pub
LEGATION with q quaint, almost epigran-
matte expression and his intimate bust.
ness associate, George Gould, recently
gave an outline for publication of the
movements which have a vast increase
OF the community interest principle in
the far West in view. Mr.. Gould's
father the late Jay Gould, could be as
J2citurn, and generally was as is the
habit of Mr.. Morgan or Of Mr.. Rookie
Teller, but there We're times when he not
only cheerfully talked for publication,
but actually sent for the interviewer.
THE MOST TACITURN OF MEN.
ParadoXical as the statement may seem,
Il Is nevertheless quite accurate to say
tnat IN some respects there is no more
Jaclturn man in New York than Chauu-
cey NJ. Depew. His interviews usually
consist merely of congratulations, spiced
sometimes with a story or sparkling with
Wit or made interesting by personal anec-
cote, and yet Mr.. Depew is probably the
most difficult man in New York to CLEAN
information from respecting the details
or workings of the various business or
railway corporations with which he is
a9SoCldleu' lie mas, 1t Is true, Talley-
rand's gift for cOncealing thought by
speech, and he has a consummate pow
er of stimulation which is very receptive
TO the person whom he desires to throw
OH MS guard. It is for this reason that
Mr.. Depew's great achievements are lit
Tie known outside of the business circles.
in which he has had influential part.
There are many business men who re-
gard Depew as one who takes life not
very seriously, and even talks too much
and often too flppanly. But those who