my memories of eighty years-第40部分

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eized　me　by　the　hand　and　said：　　〃Chauncey；　come　in。　　I　was　never　so　glad　to　see　anybody　in　my　life。〃

He　told　me　the　legislature　had　adjourned　and　left　on　his　hands　several　thousands　of　thirty…days　billsthat　is；　bills　on　which　he　had　thirty　days　to　sign　or　veto；　or　let　them　become　laws　by　not　rejecting　them。　　So　he　had　to　deny　himself　to　everybody　to　get　the　leisure　to　read　them　over　and　form　decisions。

〃Do　you　know；　Chauncey；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　a　new　business　to　me。　Most　of　these　bills　are　on　subjects　which　I　never　have　examined；　studied；　or　thought　about。　　It　is　very　difficult　to　form　a　wise　judgment；　and　I　want　to　do　in　each　case　just　what　is　right。〃　　For　the　moment　he　became　silent；　seemingly　absorbed　by　anxious　thoughts　about　these　bills。　　Then　suddenly　he　exclaimed：　　〃By　the　way；　Chauncey；　you've　done　a　great　deal　of　thinking　in　your　life；　and　I　never　have　done　any　except　on　business。　　Does　intense　thinking　affect　you　as　it　does　me；　by　upsetting　your　stomach　and　making　you　throw　up？〃

〃No；　governor；〃　I　answered；　〃if　it　did　I　fear　I　would　be　in　a　chronic　state　of　indigestion。〃

While　he　was　governor　he　canvassed　the　State　in　a　private　car　and　made　many　speeches。　　In　a　plain；　homely　man…to…man　talk　he　was　very　effective　on　the　platform。　　His　train　stopped　at　a　station　in　a　Republican　community　where　there　were　few　Democrats；　while　I　was　addressing　a　Republican　meeting　in　the　village。　　When　I　had　finished　my　speech　I　said　to　the　crowd；　which　was　a　large　one：　〃Governor　Flower　is　at　the　station；　and　as　I　passed　he　had　very　few　people　listening　to　him。　　Let　us　all　go　over　and　give　him　an　audience。〃

The　proposition　was　received　with　cheers。　　I　went　ahead；　got　in　at　the　other　end　of　the　governor's　car　from　the　one　where　he　was　speaking　from　the　platform。　　As　this　Republican　crowd　began　to　pour　in；　it　was　evident　as　I　stood　behind　him　without　his　knowing　of　my　presence；　that　he　was　highly　delighted。　　He　shouted：　　〃Fellow　citizens；　I　told　you　they　were　coming。　　They　are　coming　from　the　mountains；　from　the　hills；　and　from　the　valleys。　　It　is　the　stampede　from　the　Republican　party　and　into　our　ranks　and　for　our　ticket。　　This　is　the　happiest　evidence　I　have　received　of　the　popularity　of　our　cause　and　the　success　of　our　ticket。〃

Standing　behind　him；　I　made　a　signal　for　cheers；　which　was　heartily　responded　to；　and　the　governor；　turning　around；　saw　the　joke；　grasped　me　cordially　by　the　hand；　and　the　whole　crowd；　including　the　veteran　and　hardened　Democrats　on　the　car；　joined　in　the　hilarity　of　the　occasion。

He　came　to　me　when　he　was　running　for　the　second　time　for　Congress；　and　said　that　some　of　the　people　of　his　district　were　anxious　for　me　to　deliver　an　address　for　one　of　their　pet　charities；　and　that　the　meeting　would　be　held　in　Harlem；　naming　the　evening。　　I　told　him　I　would　go。　　He　came　for　me　in　his　carriage；　and　I　said：　〃Governor；　please　do　not　talk　to　me　on　the　way　up。　　I　was　so　busy　that　I　have　had　no　time　since　I　left　my　office　this　afternoon　to　prepare　this　address；　and　I　want　every　minute　while　we　are　riding　to　the　meeting。〃

The　meeting　was　a　large　one。　　The　governor　took　the　chair　and　introduced　me　in　this　original　way：　　〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；〃　he　said；　〃I　want　to　say　about　Chauncey　Depew；　whom　I　am　now　going　to　introduce　to　you　as　the　lecturer　of　the　evening；　that　he　is　no　Demosthenes；　because　he　can　beat　Demosthenes　out　of　sight。　　He　prepared　his　speech　in　the　carriage　in　which　I　was　bringing　him　up　here；　and　he　don't　have；　like　the　old　Greek；　to　chew　pebble…stones　in　order　to　make　a　speech。〃

Governor　Flower　in　a　conservative　way　was　a　successful　trader　in　the　stock　market。　　When　he　felt　he　had　a　sure　point　he　would　share　it　with　a　few　friends。　　He　took　special　delight　in　helping　in　this　way　men　who　had　little　means　and　no　knowledge　of　the　art　of　moneymaking。　　There　were　a　great　many　benefited　by　his　bounty。

I　was　dining　one　night　with　the　Gridiron　Club　at　Washington；　and　before　me　was　a　plate　of　radishes。　　The　newspaper　man　next　to　me　asked　if　I　would　object　to　having　the　radishes　removed。

I　said：　　〃There　is　no　odor　or　perfume　from　them。　　What　is　the　matter　with　the　radishes？〃

After　they　were　taken　away　he　told　me　his　story。　　〃Governor　Flower；〃　he　said；　〃was　very　kind　to　me；　as　he　invariably　was　to　all　newspaper　men。　　He　asked　me　one　day　how　much　I　had　saved　in　my　twenty　years　in　journalism。　　I　told　him　ten　thousand　dollars。　　He　said：　　'That　is　not　enough　for　so　long　a　period。　　Let　me　have　the　money。'　　So　I　handed　over　to　him　my　bank…account。　　In　a　few　weeks　he　told　me　that　my　ten　thousand　dollars　had　become　twenty；　and　I　could　have　them　if　I　wished。　　I　said：　　'No；　you　are　doing　far　better　than　I　could。　　Keep　it。'　　In　about　a　month　or　more　my　account　had　grown　to　thirty　thousand　dollars。　　Then　the　governor　on　a　very　hot　day　went　fishing　somewhere　off　the　Long　Island　coast。　　He　was　a　very　large；　heavy　man；　became　overheated；　and　on　his　return　drank　a　lot　of　ice…water　and　ate　a　bunch　of　radishes。　　He　died　that　afternoon。　　There　was　a　panic　in　the　stocks　which　were　his　favorites　the　next　day；　and　they　fell　out　of　sight。　　The　result　was　that　I　lost　my　fortune　of　ten　thousand　dollars　and　also　my　profit　of　twenty。　　Since　then　the　sight　of　a　radish　makes　me　sick。〃



XVIII。　　FIFTY…SIX　YEARS　WITH　THE　NEW　YORK　CENTRAL　RAILROAD　COMPANY

Heredity　has　much　to　do　with　a　man's　career。　　The　village　of　Peekskill…on…the…Hudson；　about　forty　miles　from　New　York；　was　in　the　early　days　the　market…town　of　a　large　section　of　the　surrounding　country；　extending　over　to　the　State　of　Connecticut。　It　was　a　farming　region；　and　its　products　destined　for　New　York　City　were　shipped　by　sloops　on　the　Hudson　from　the　wharfs　at　Peekskill；　and　the　return　voyage　brought　back　the　merchandise　required　by　the　country。

My　father　and　his　brother　owned　the　majority　of　the　sloops　engaged　in　this；　at　that　time；　almost　the　only　transportation。　　The　sloops　were　succeeded　by　steamboats　in　which　my　people　were　also　interested。　　When　Commodore　Vanderbilt　entered　into　active　rivalry　with　the　other　steamboat　lines　between　New　York　and　Albany；　the　competition　became　very　serious。　　Newer　and　faster　boats　were　rapidly　built。　　These　racers　would　reach　the　Bay　of　Peekskill　in　the　late　afternoon；　and　the　younger　population　of　the　village　would　be　on　the　banks　of　the　river；　enthusiastically　applauding　their　favorites。　　Among　well…known　boats　whose　names　and　achievements　excited　as　much　interest　and　aroused　as　much　partisanship　and　sporting　spirit　as　do　now　famous　race…horses　or　baseball　champions；　were　the　following：　　Mary　Powell；　Dean　Ricbmond；　The　Alida；　and　The　Hendrick　Hudson。

I　remember　as　if　it　were　yesterday　when　the　Hudson　River　Railroad　had　reached　Peekskill；　and　the　event　was　locally　celebrated。　　The　people　came　in　as　to　a　county　fair　from　fifty　miles　around。　　When　the　locomotive　steamed　into　the　station　many　of　those　present　had　never　seen　one。　　The　engineer　was　continuously　blowing　his　whistle　to　emphasize　the　great　event。　　This　produced　much　consternation　and　confusion　among　the　horses；　as　all　farmers　were　there　with　their　families　in　carriages　or　wagons。

I　recall　one　team　of　young　horses　which　were　driven　to　frenzy；　their　owner　was　unable　to　control　them；　but　he　kept　them　on　the　road　while　they　ran　away　with　a　wild　dash　over　the　hills。　　In　telling　this　story；　as　illustrating　how　recent　is　railway　development　in　the　United　States；　at　a　dinner　abroad；　I　stated　that　as　far　as　I　knew　and　believed；　those　horses　were　so　frightened　that　they　could　not　be　stopped　and　were　still　running。　　A　very　successful　and　serious…minded　captain　of　industry　among　the　guests　sternly　rebuked　me　by　saying：　　〃Sir；　that　is　impossible；　horses　were　never　born　that　could　run　for　twenty…five　years　without　stopping。〃　American　exaggeration　was　not　so　well　known　among　our　friends　on　the　other　side　then　as　it　is　now。

As　we　boys　of　the　village　were　gathered　on　the　banks　of　the　Hudson　cheering　our　favorite　steamers；　or　watching　with　eager　interest　the　movements　of　the　trains；　a　frequent　discussion　would　be　about　our　ambitions　in　life。　　Every　young　fellow　would　state　a　dream　which　he　hoped　but　never　expected　to　be　realized。　　I　was　charged　by　my　companions　with　having　the　greatest　imagination　and　with　painting　more　pictures　in　the　skies　than　any　of　them。　　This　was　because　I　stated　that　in　politics；　for　I　was　a　great　admirer　of　William　H。　Seward；　then　senator　from　New　York；　I　expected　to　be　a　United　States　senator；　and　in　business；　because　then　the　largest　figure　in　the　business　world　was　Commodore　Vanderbilt；　I　hoped　to　become　president　of　the　Hudson　River　Railroad。　　It　is　one　of　the　strangest　incidents　of　what　seemed　the　wild　imaginings　of　a　village　boy　that　in　the　course　of　long　years　both　these　expectations　were　realized。

When　I　entered　the　service　of　the　railroad　on　the　first　of　January；　1866；　the　Vanderbilt　system　consisted　of　the　Hudson　River　and　Harlem　Railroads；　the　Harlem　ending　at　Chatham；　128　miles；　and　the　Hudson　River　at　Albany；　140　miles　long。　　The　Vanderbilt　system　now　covers　20；000　miles。　　The　total　railway　mileage　of　the　whole　United　States　at　that　time　was　36；000；　and　now　it　is　261；000　miles。

My　connection　with　the　New　York　Central　Railroad　c