The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-22
DEPEW At 80 IS
5. RRES|ST|BLY /.
Y Oh n 6.
Patriarch of After Dinner
Speakers to 60 to Work
as Usual Tomorrow.
BY HELEN FOX,
Copyright. 1924. by Cosmopolitan
~ News Seryica.l

by HELEN EUAe
copyright. 1924. by Cosmopolitan
News Service.)
NEW YORK, April 22.-"Rules
Tor being young at ninety? Well,
I should say follow the same rules
tor 80 to 100 as those by which
you got to ninety-which are no
rules at ALL"
Smilingly. Chauncey M. Depew.
patriarch of the after-dinner speak
ers, diplomat, former Senator and
political sage, who will DE ninety
years old tomorrow, opened his
birthday interview. h.
Mr.. Depew, who is chairman Of
the board of directors Of the New
York Central railway, plans nc
spend the morrow working as usual
from 10 o'clock until 4:3O D. m.
However, 1t is extremely unlike
~, that after receiving a flood of
kilograms, gifts and friends from
all over the country, whether the
far.famed wit will have any time
left for his dutiesd as railway
director.
Today this wonderfully young old
man sat straight up in his swivel
chair and chatted with the writer
about all sorts Of things-birthdays
youth, flappers, happiness, after.
dinner speeches, and the coming
elections. Never once did the IRE.
ststible twinkle leave the eyes that
have smiled through ninety years
and will probably continue to smile
through many years more.
TO Be Guest of Dinner.
II am a working man, you
know" Mr.. Depew said: 80 to.
tommorw, Ike any other. day, 7
shall come here to the office at 10
o'clock. And I shall stay till $50.
In the evening there will be fam.
fly dinner. And that is all there
will be to my birthday-except for
Saturday, of course. On Saturday
evening the Montauk Club in Brook.
1yn, will give me a dinner, as 1t has
been doing every year for the past
th1rty-three years. That's a little
unusual. In thirty-three years the
age social club is no longer in .ex-
lStence-or the average man isn't"
Rules. Tor being young at ninety?
Well, since its rules you want, let
me give you four:
!. Keep cheerful.
2. Enjoy your work.
:. Elevate to the nth degree the
virtue Of laughter - not forced
Aughter-genuine laughter.
=. Enjoy your friends. BY that
mean everybody-untils you discover
they're not your friends. -. 81,
I'm the matter of long life, PED.
pie are always giving rules for diet
and living. In the matter of diet
should say stop eating the things
that disagree with you; as soon as
you find out what those things are
land they are the things you like
best" The splendid example of his
rules, that aren't rules, laughted-
genuine laugh-not forced one.
Self-Restraint Important.
"But no matter how much you
like them, If they don't agree with
you, cut them out. Self.restraint is
most important. A person can't
get along without it. The most
important work know of is don't
My life Is governed by 'don'tS!
My mentor is constantly saying
don't to me-my mentor is my
madam. usually obey. There is
nothing like domestic harmony.
You can't know that yet. But I
have tried it for SO. many years,
and know what 1T means.
you see, I average two invita-.
tions a day to make dinner speeches.
That involves much thought and
preparation. It involves an evening
out. 1t involves considerable exer-
else. It upsetS my usual hours.
With such a foundation q don't is
very natural-especially when you
are ninety"
This led up very nicely to a re.
quest on the part Of the interviewer
Tor a recipe for an after-dinner
speech. The genuine laugh" rang
out again, and the wit came in.
otantly back with the following:
Drop Dinner in Slot.
"All you've got to do to make
IN after-dinner speech is to know
how to make it. A friend once got
off a good one about me. He said,
III you drop a dinner in the slot
you can always get speech The
crinkles about Mr.. Depew's eyes
they aren't wrinkles-deepened and
he laughed again.
"By interview and by letter !
have been frequently asked how to
make speech. At one time 1 was
making four and five speeches a
week. Once noticed the same
man present on each Of five sue.
ceeding occasions. The last time
he walked out with me. He told
me that he was constantly receiv.
ing invitations to make dinner
speeches but that once he made one
he was never asked again. He
wanted desperately to learn how to
do 1t so as to have one invitation
repeated. :t
"Some. friend suggested that he
follow Depew around and, see how
he does it, which was exactly what
the man had been doing for year.
On the way out he said to me; Mr..
Depew, now see how you DO e.
You start out by holding an un.
lighted cigar in your hand. That
gets the attention of your audi.
ence Immediately. They are won.
dering whether; you intend light.
Ing 1t. They watch and wait and
quietly listen. Then half way along
in your speech you slip a finger
into your lower vest pocket. That
holds the attention that you have
already caught with the cigar. They
are wondering again whether you
are looking for something in that
pocket, and what it will be. You
hold your finger there, feeling
around in your pocket while y0U
talk until the speech is almost over
All Of that time you are keeping
ID SvzAA