The sun., 1919-04-27
CHAUNCEY DEPEW
is BIRTHDAY GUEST
At IS, for Twenty-eighth
Year He Dimes With Mon
tauk Club
HE PRAISES NATIONALISM
Informal Reception to His Old
Friends Follows the
Dinner.

Chauncey NJ. Depew, the spry states.
man Of IS pleasurable years who In
sists that how to grow old is one OF
the things his long life has not laugh,
him. journeyed across Brooklyn Bridge
again last night and broke bread with
his old friends In the Montauk club.
The passing years would not be com.
plete. either for Mr.. Depew or tn,
members OF the club, should he Skin
the Journey for once, since he ha,
made 1t every year for the last twenty.
eight, and he gave his solemn promise
to those who dined wit hhim last nigh,
that he already is arranging to cele.
brate the golden anniversary of the
clubs Depew birthday celebration.
Mr. Depew passed his eighty nth
birthday in the week Just closed ant
spent the rest OF the week-that part
Of 1t when he was not hard at WORK
in his OFFICES IN the Grand Contra
Terminal as director of the New York
Central lines-preparing the speech
which took him the greater part OF ar
hour TO deliver last night. As usua
the clubhouse was CARRIED festively fol
its guest who maintained his tins
honored record of being among the
very first OF the celebrators to reach
the clubhouse
Only once in the twenty-eight years
that the Montauk Club has been cele.
brating Mr.. Depew's birthday has the
dinner been skipped. That was away
back In 1905, and on that occasion Mr.
Depew was Ill. but only slightly
lie appeared last night, as he al.
ways expresses II, eft and in the pink
OF condition. The dinner was a uuie,
AFFAIR, and at Its close there was a
short informal reception, after which
Mr.. Dcpew spoke to the club members
out OF the experience of a life which
has been crowned by a birthday which
arrived at the close OF the most mo.
mentous Of his four score and five
years
Age Rests Lightly on Him.
1t was an optimistic speaker who
arose when Mr.. Depew was called upon
FOR his annual review Of the world.
progress and his appreciation of the deer
significance OF world events that have
occurred since his last birthday pilgrim.
age to the club. He repeated anew his
standing declaration that he would be
on hand MS the principal speaker when
the club sits down to entertain him on
the occasion Of It's fiftieth dinner in his
honor.
Age appeared to be something tina,
rested but lightly on the mind Of Mr.
Depew. for he began his speech BY re.
calling that apparently the world Is get.
ting on. even though scientists still were
busy dieputing its age and the number
OF years the human family has inhabited
the earth. He recalled that when he
was boy Bishop Cpsher's calculation
OF 5000 years was accepted universally
Then along came Darwin with a theory
or two, and then the last contribution
has been the unearthing of the home o.
the gray matter OF a citizen who walked
the earth thirty millions of years ago "
From there Mr. Depew traced the
course OF civilization rapidly until he
reached the circumstances under which
the German General Stan induced" the
Kaiser to declare war and the coming
into the war later OF the United States
which effected the complete overthrow
or the great power the Kaiser and mis-
people thought were great enough to rule
the world The year" said Mr.. Depew
referring TO the time that had passed
since he was last the guest of the club
gave the supreme command to Marshal
Foch.