Great Falls tribune., 1921-11-29
CHAuNCEY DEPEW
IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
TALKS Of LINCOLN

Tells OF Intimate Conversations
With Martyred President
During Civil War Times.
New York; Correspondence of The
| Associated Press. .)-Chauncey NJ. De-
| pew, former United States senator, in
the opening installment of Leaves
from My Autobiography" in Scribner's
Magazine, a retrospection of his child
hood, youth and public service covering
a period of 80 years, tells some new
anecdotes of Lincoln, Grant, Andrew
johnson, Seward, Chase, Commodore
Vanderbilt and other notable men of
Civil war days.
II had a long and memorable inter
view with President Lincoln. Mr.. De-
| pew writes of a visit to Washington
for New York. '.As / stepped from
the crowd in his reception room, he
said to me: What do you want I?
l answered Nothing, Mr.. President, l
only came to pay my respects and bid
you goodbye, as / am leaving Wash
| ington.' 1t is such luxury he then
remarked, to find man who does not
want anything. I wish you would wait
| until 1 get rid Of this crowd
Remains to Visit
"When we were alone he threw him
self wearily on. lounge and was evil
IDENTIFY greatly exhausted. Then he
| indulged, rocking backward and for
ward, in q reminiscent review of differ
ent crisis in his administration and how
he had met them. In nearly every in
stance he had carried his point, and
either captured or beaten his advers-
aries by story SO apt, so on all fours,
and with such complete answers that
II of these stories, each of which was
victory"
Lincoln was always on the lookout
for good yarn, although he told De-
pew he never invented" one. One
night there was a reception in the ex-
ecutiye mansion. Rufus c. Andrews.
surveyor of the port of New York and
| a confidential adviser of the president
on New York affairs. attended the re-
ception with Mr.. Depew. AS the pro-
cession of handshakers moved past
Lincoln stopped Andrews and. leaning
over, spoke very confidentially to him,
delaying the ceremonies for some time.
Momentous issues were impending.
Lincoln was in the 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 politicians
buttonhcled Andrews on his return to
his hotel Mr.. Depew writes:
Makes Great Mystery
Andrews made great mystery of
his confidential conversation with Lin
coin and so did the press. He explain
ed to me when we were alone that
during his visit to the president the
night before he told Mr.. Lincoln a new
story. The president delayed him at
the reception. saying: Andrews.
forgot the point of that story you told
me last night; repeat it now."
"sI am accused of telling a great
many stories,'" Mr.. Depew quotes
Lincoln. They say that it lowers
the dignity of the presidential office,
but l have found that plain people
(repeating with emphasis plain people,
take them as you find them. are more
easily influenced by broad and
humorous illustration than in any other
way and what the hypercritical few
may think. don't care
I'm speaking Mr. Lincoln had
peculiar cadence in his voice. caused
by laying emphasis upon the keyword
of the sentence. In answer to the
question how he knew so many anec-
dotes, he answered:
I never invented a story but /
have a good memory and, / think.
tell one tolerably well. My early life
was passed among pioneers who had
the courage and enterprise to break
away from civilization and settle IN
the wilderness. The things which hap
pened to these original people and
among themselves in their primitive
conditions were far more dramatic
than anything invented by the pro-
fessional story tellers.
Secures Abiest Men.
"'For many years I travelled the
circuit as lawyer, and usually there
was only one hotel in the county
towns where court was held. The
judges, the grand and petit juries, the
lawyers, the clients and witnesses
would pass the night telling exciting
or amusing occurrences and these
were of infinite variety and interest
Referring to Iincoln's adroitness in |
handling men and his personal humi-
lity. Mr.. Depew said: /
mo president ever had cabinet |
of which the members were SO inde |
pendent, had so large individual fol- |
iowings and were so inharmonieus. |
The presidents sole ambition was to !,
secure tHc ADitSl HkSu lNc CouulIy
for the departments which he assigned
to them without regard to their loyalty |
to himself. One of Mr.. Stewards sec-l
retaries would frequently report to me
the acts of idsloyalty or personal hos
tility on the part Of Mr.. Chase with
the lament: The old man,--meaning !.
all about it and will
not do thing"
Mr.. Depew tells how he started on
a business career that finally brought |
him to the presidency of the New
York Central railroad. He had just |
been nominated and confirmed as
United States minister to Japan at
81 500 year land an outfit of /
$4,000" At the same time he had
been offered the attorneyship for the
New York g. Harlem railroad at less
salary.
Listens to Vanderbilt.
When he told Commodore Vanderbilt
about it, the commodore remarked:
Railroads are the career for n young
man; there is nothing in politics. Don't
be damned fool"
That decided him and the result was
IL.