The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-10-26
DEPEW TELLS OF
FRIENDSHIP WITH
ABRAHAM LINCOLN

(By the Associated Press
NEW YORK, Oct. 26.-Chauncey NJ.
Dcpew, former United States senator.
in the opening installment OF Leaves
from Ny Autobiography, in the
forthcoming November issue OF Scrib-
ncr's magazine, a retrospcction of HE
childhood, youth and public service
covering u period Of so years, tells
some new anecdotes Of Lincoln.
Grant, Andrew Jackson. Seward,
Chase, Commodore Vanderbilt and
other notable men Of Civil War days.
II had a long and memorable in
terview with President Lincoln" Mr.
Depew writes Of "A visit he paid to
Washington in 1863 when he was
secretary Of state from New York.
"As | stepped from the crowd in Mis-
reception room, he said to me: What
do you want?" / answered Moth
ing, Mr.. President, only came TO
pay my respects and bid you good
bye, as / am leaving Washington
1T is such luxury he then remark
cd. to find a man who does not want
anything. / wish you would wait un
til l get rid of this crowd
"When we were alone he threw
himself wearily ON lounge and was
evidently greatly exhausted. Tier
he INDUCED, rocking backward and
forward, in reminiscent review
of different crises in his admins
tration and how IL had met them
In nearly every instance ne had cfr.
licd his roin' and either captured ~
beaten his adversaries by a story so
apt so on all fours and with such
complete answers that the contro.
vctsy wa OVER. | iomemhe' eleven
OF these stories, edCl Of VIII ~, was
, victory
Lincoln Enjoyed Good Yar,.
Lincoln was always on the look
out r. good yam. although ne tSld
Depew he never invented one.
One night there was a reception In
the executive mansion. Rufus c.
Andrews surveyor of the port Of New
York and confidential adviser of
the president on New York affairs,
attended the reception with Mr.. De-
pew. As the procession Of hand
StldktIH lliONtu past i%i'NthA 'NNf
ped Andrews and, leaning over, spoke
very confidcntially to him, delaying
the ceremonies for some time. Mo-
mcntous issues were impending. Lin
coin was in thc midst Of the CAM
paign for denomination, his CABINET
was inharmonious, the war was on
and decisive battles were about TO
be fought Newspapermen and poll
ticians buttonholed Andrews on his
return to his hotel. Mr.. Depew
writes: Andrews made n great mys-
terry of his confidential conversation
with Lincoln and so did the press.
He explained TO me when we were
alone that during his visit to the
president the night before he told
Mr.. Lincoln a new story. The pres
ident delayed him at the reception
saying: Andrews. I forgot the point
OF that story you told me last night;
repeat II now"
"I am accused of telling a great
many stories,'" Mr.. Depew quotes
Lincoln. "'They say that 1t low
ers the dignity of the presidential or
flee, but | have found that plain peo'
people (repeating with emphasis the
plain people,, take them as you flnd
them. are more easily influenced by
broad and humorous illustration than
in any other way and what the hypo
critical few think, / don't care
I'm speaking Mr.. Lincoln had pc
culiar cadence in his voice, caused by
LAYING emphasis upon the key-word
, of the sentence.
81 never invented story but
have a good memory and, think tel
one tolerably well. My early life wa'
, passed among the pioneers who hac
the courage and enterprise to break
away from civilization and settle II
, the wilderness. The things whicr
happened to these original people an(
among themselves in their primitive
conditions We're far more dramatic
than anything invented by the pro
fessional story tellers.
"'For many years travelled th'
: circuit as a lawyer. and usually there
was only one hotel In the county
towns where the court was held
The judges. grand and petit tiries
the lawyers, the clients and witnesses
would pass the night telling exciting
or amusing occurrences and these
were Of infinite variety and inter
est"
Referring to Lincoln's adroitncss II
haidllng men and his personal hu
} mility, Mr.. Dopew said:
0 Cabinet Members Independent
L. lsnI Huh
of which the members We're so In
dependent. had SO large individual FOL
- lowings and were so inharmonious
The presidents sole ambition was u
secure the ablcst men In the coun
try for the departments which he as
signed TO them without regard t'
their loyalty TO himself. one Of MIR
Stewards secretary's would frequently
report to me the acts OF disloyalt,
or personal hostility on the part o
Nh. Chase with the lament; 'Th'
old man--meaning Lincoln-knows nj
about Il and will not do thing.
Mr.. Depew tells how he started OF
a business career that finally
brought him to the presidency oi
the New York Central railroad. liz
had Just been nominated and con
sirmed as United States minister to ia
pan at $500 year land an outfit
OF $4,000" At the same time he had
been offered the attorncyship for th'
New York and Harlem railroad a'
less money. when he told Commo'
dorc Vanderbilt about II, the commo
dorp remarked: Railroads are tn,
career for young man; there l.
nothing in politics. Don't be- damned
fool"
That decided him and the result
was that ON January l. 1921. Mr.. De
pew rounded out 80 years IN th,
| l. i.