The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-04-23
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April %.

On this day in April, in the yea
1884, in the old homestead which ha
been in the DeDew family for owe
200 years, Chauncey Depew was born
His fathers family was of old Hugue
not stock. On his mothers side he
was descended from Roger Sherman
a signer of the Declaration of indie
pendence. AS boy he went to school
in his native village, where he was
| noted more ability as an athlete and
his humor, than for industry in his
steudies.' He entered Yale at eighteen
years of age and graduated in 1856.
Leaving college he began the study
of law in the office of the Hon. Will
liam Nelson, of Peekskill, and was
admitted to the bar in 1858. Although
SO young he had gained recognition
among politicians, and was sent to
the republican state convention in
1858. He left practice in 1859, al
though successful and good worker
to take the stump and made a deep
impression as an orator and logician
before large audiences. Despite his
interests in the sports and pleasures
of school life, Mr.. Depew had obtain
ed thorough knowledge of classical
lore, which enabled him to draught,
SO to speak, on the master minds of
yore. In the following year he was
elected to the assembly as democrat
although himself a republican, by an
overwhelming majority, simply be-
cause of his personal popularity. He
was reelected in 1872 and appointed
chairman of the committee of ways
and means. He was reelected in
1852 and appointed chairman of the
committee of ways and means. He was
elected secretary of state by the re-
publican party, by 10000, and during
the campaign showed unusual capac
ity for work. He left politics to take
the appointment offered him by Com |
modore Vanderbilt, as attorney for the |
New York e Harlem railroad COM |
pany. He gave up politics altogether
to devote all his energies to business. |
When the n. Y. & H. combined with |
the New York Central, Depew became |
attorney for the combination. His
rise in the railroad work was remark !
able, as unlike most great railway |
men, he had no practical experience,
but rose simply because Of his char
acter and ability and his high stand
ing as a man of affairs. He became
general counsel for many roads, IN
GLIDING the Lake Shore & Michigan
Southern, the Michigan Central, the
Chicago & northwestern, the St. Paul
& Omaha, and the West Shore &
Nickel Plate. Mr.. Depew was candi-
date for lieutenant governor on the
Greedy ticket, which movement was
1 memorable failure. Depew's repu-
alton as an orator was continued by
lis pleadings before the supreme
court judges. He has always been
Jery popular and such is his fame for
post parandal humpr that for a long
ime no banquet was considered com
llete without him. He says that H.
inds the banquets great relaxation
Turing periods of hard work. He be
.al1e president of the New York Cen
raj L. Hudson River railroad in 1883.
lie was a prominent republican can
idate for the presidency of the Unit
d States in 1888, and he dropped ont
f the race to prevent split in the re-
ublica nparty. He held numerous
ublic positions besides being presi'
ent of the New York Central ana
hudson River railroad. He was pres
lent of the Union League club q
lew York city, of the Yale Alumni
ssociation of New York, director of
lie Union Traction company, Western
nion Telegraph company, Equitable
life Assurance company and of st.
uke's hospital, In 1871 he married
lice Hegeman. Eight years after the
cath of his first wife he married May
almer in 1901. Mr.. Depew recently
1T the presidency of the New York
enarl and Hudson River road.