The San Francisco call., 1910-08-30

San Francisco lost its most felicitous
after dinner speaker and one of its
best known clubmen and ablest law
yers yesterday morning, when Horace
G. Platt, attorney and president of the
Geary street railroad company, died at
the Adler sanatorium after long pc
riod of semi-invalidism. Although in
depressing state of health for years,
Platt refused to be depressed by his
condition and his optimism and courage
were matters of much comment at the
Bohemian club, of which he was twice
president, and the Pacific Union club,
where he made his home up to August
S, when he was removed to the hospital
RELATIVES AT BEDSIDE
Platt was attended at the end by his
sister. Mrs Andrew w. Kent, who
reached here 10 days ago from Europe
his brother, John Platt, who is In the
United States internal revenue service,
and his nephew, Platt Kent of this city
He left two other brothers, r. L. Platt,
who is connected with the Postal cable
company, with headquarters in New
York, and Charles Platt of the Paclhc
Improvement company. of which Horace
G.. Platt was acting president. Another
surviving sister, Mrs. Augusta Owens
resides in the east. The funeral will be
held tomorrow afternoon from Grace
Episcopal church, Sacramento and Tay-
lor streets.
While Horace G. PIatt was known as
a financier and an able lawyer, it will
be as an orator and clubman that he
will be longest remembered. AS an
after dinner speaker his fame was not
restricted to the exclusive limits of
his club, but had even extended across
the continent
DEFENDS WESTERN WIT
When Chauncey NJ. Depew, New
Yorks most famous after dinner
speaker, came to San Francisco a
decade ago, it was Horace G. Platt
fend the wit of the west in banquet
tournament with the scintillat ting
Depew.
To Platt was given the delicate task
of introducing his gifted rival from the
east, and he captured the assembiage
with a bon mot that is still repeated
wherever the English language is
played upon
THE reputation of Mr.. Depew," said
Platt. bowing to the guest of honor, in
the old Palace hotel banqeut hall, the
reputation of MIR. Depew of New York
is like that of some of the tall build
ings of that city, for it is built story
upon story.
Depew could not match that. The
honors went to the west.
BORN IN ALABAMA
Horace G. Platt was born in Selma,
Ala. in 1850 and came to California in
1875. His father, a clergyman, lectured
at one time on comparative jurispru-
dence at the Hastings law school. Plat
was a graduate of the law department
| of Yale university and began the prac-
tice of his profession in this city, For
the last l6 years he had been associated
with Richard Bayne in the law firm OF
| Platt & Bayne. Their Offices were in
the Crocker building. Platt was al
first a democrat and in 1881 was elected
10 the state legislature on the demo
cratic ticket from the twenty fourth
assembly district. That was the only
political Office he ever held. When
| Chris Buckley, the blind boss" of the
! democracy, was in power here, Platt
was his attorney. Up to 1895 Platt was
very active in democratic politics and
| was in demand as a political speaker
1t was due to his energy in his party
cause that his health failed. In 1896
when the democratic party came out for
/ free silver, PIatt became a republican
and was welcomed into the party. He
made several brilliant speeches in be-
half of William McKinley's candidacy
| for president
RAILWAY PRESIDENT
In April, 1902, at the time of the con-
! solidation of most of the streetcar
lines in the city under the United Rail
! roads. the Geary street line, which hac
been under the control OF the Market
street railroad company, resumed in
| dependent operation with Plat as presi-
dent Platt was active recently in the
contest to prevent the city from taking
over the Geary street railroad for mu-
nicipal operation.
In 1882 Platt Joined the Bohemian
club He was twice president OF tha,
organization.
Samuel NJ. Shortridge, the attorney
was close friend of Platt. In speak
| ing of Platt yesterday Shortridge said
'Above all things in Horace Plat
which we may most admire, I think
was his supreme courage and Christian
resignation. In spite of his serious
physical infirmities he did not become
a pessimist, but retained his good
spirits to the end. He was a man OF
wide culture and of splendid ability
as an orator. His speeches will long
! be remembered. He was an omniy-
erous reader and had world of in