my memories of eighty years-第67节

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ree　hundred　dollars　a　month。〃

We　were　all　very　fond　of　Thackeray。　　He　did　not　have　the　general　popularity　of　Charles　Dickens；　nor　did　he　possess　Dickens's　dramatic　power；　but　he　had　a　large　and　enthusiastic　following　among　our　people。　　It　was　an　intellectual　treat　and　revelation　to　listen　to　him。　　That　wonderful　head　of　his　seemed　to　be　an　enormous　and　perennial　fountain　of　wit　and　wisdom。

They　had　a　good　story　of　him　at　the　Century　Club；　which　is　our　Athenaeum；　that　when　taken　there　after　a　lecture　by　his　friends　they　gave　him　the　usual　Centurion　supper　of　those　days：　　saddlerock　oysters。　　The　saddlerock　of　that　time　was　nearly　as　large　as　a　dinner…plate。　　Thackeray　said　to　his　host：　　〃What　do　I　do　with　this　animal？〃

The　host　answered：　　〃We　Americans　swallow　them　whole。〃

Thackeray；　always　equal　to　the　demand　of　American　hospitality；　closed　his　eyes　and　swallowed　the　oyster；　and　the　oyster　went　down。　　When　he　had　recovered　he　remarked：　　〃I　feel　as　if　I　had　swallowed　a　live　baby。〃

We　have　been　excited　at　different　times　to　an　absorbing　extent　by　the　stories　of　explorers。　　None　were　more　generally　read　than　the　adventures　of　the　famous　missionary；　David　Livingstone；　in　Africa。　　When　Livingstone　was　lost　the　whole　world　saluted　Henry　M。　Stanley　as　he　started　upon　his　famous　journey　to　find　him。　Stanley's　adventures；　his　perils　and　escapes；　had　their　final　success　in　finding　Livingstone。　　The　story　enraptured　and　thrilled　every　one。　　The　British　Government　knighted　him；　and　when　he　returned　to　the　United　States　he　was　Sir　Henry　Stanley。　　He　was　accompanied　by　his　wife；　a　beautiful　and　accomplished　woman；　and　received　with　open　arms。

I　met　Sir　Henry　many　times　at　private　and　public　entertainments　and　found　him　always　most　interesting。　　The　Lotos　Club　gave　him　one　of　its　most　famous　dinners；　famous　to　those　invited　and　to　those　who　spoke。

It　was　arranged　that　he　should　begin　his　lecture　tour　of　the　United　States　in　New　York。　　At　the　request　of　Sir　Henry　and　his　committee　I　presided　and　introduced　him　at　the　Metropolitan　Opera　House。　　The　great　auditorium　was　crowded　to　suffocation　and　the　audience　one　of　the　finest　and　most　sympathetic。

We　knew　little　at　that　time　of　Central　Africa　and　its　people；　and　the　curiosity　was　intense　to　hear　from　Sir　Henry　a　personal　and　intimate　account　of　his　wonderful　discoveries　and　experiences。　He　thought　that　as　his　African　life　was　so　familiar　to　him；　it　must　be　the　same　to　everybody　else。　　As　a　result；　instead　of　a　thriller　he　gave　a　commonplace　talk　on　some　literary　subject　which　bored　the　audience　and　cast　a　cloud　over　a　lecture　tour　which　promised　to　be　one　of　the　most　successful。　　Of　course　Sir　Henry's　effort　disappointed　his　audience　the　more　because　their　indifference　and　indignation　depressed　him；　and　he　did　not　do　justice　to　himself　or　the　uninteresting　subject　which　he　had。selected。　　He　never　again　made　the　same　mistake；　and　the　tour　was　highly　remunerative。

For　nearly　a　generation　there　was　no　subject　which　so　interested　the　American　people　as　the　adventures　of　explorers。　　I　met　many　of　them；　eulogized　them　in　speeches　at　banquets　given　in　their　honor。　　The　people　everywhere　were　open…eyed；　open…eared；　and　open…mouthed　in　their　welcome　and　eagerness　to　hear　them。

It　is　a　commentary　upon　the　fickleness　of　popular　favor　that　the　time　was　so　short　before　these　universal　favorites　dropped　out　of　popular　attention　and　recollection。



XXIV。　　SOCIETIES　AND　PUBLIC　BANQUETS

The　most　unique　experience　in　my　life　has　been　the　dinners　given　to　me　by　the　Montauk　Club　of　Brooklyn　on　my　birthday。　　The　Montauk　is　a　social　club　of　high　standing；　whose　members　are　of　professional　and　business　life　and　different　political　and　religious　faiths。

Thirty　years　ago　Mr。　Charles　A。　Moore　was　president　of　the　club。　He　was　a　prominent　manufacturer　and　a　gentleman　of　wide　influence　in　political　and　social　circles。　　Mr。　McKinley　offered　him　the　position　of　secretary　of　the　navy；　which　Mr。　Moore　declined。　　He　came　to　me　one　day　with　a　committee　from　the　club；　and　said：　〃The　Montauk　wishes　to　celebrate　your　birthday。　　We　know　that　it　is　on　the　23d　of　April；　and　that　you　have　two　distinguished　colleagues　who　also　have　the　23d　as　their　birthdayShakespeare　and　St。　George。　　We　do　not　care　to　include　them；　but　desire　only　to　celebrate　yours。〃

The　club　has　continued　these　celebrations　for　thirty　years　by　an　annual　dinner。　　The　ceremonial　of　the　occasion　is　a　reception；　then　dinner；　and；　after　an　introduction　by　the　president；　a　speech　by　myself。　　To　make　a　new　speech　every　year　which　will　be　of　interest　to　those　present　and　those　who　read　it；　is　not　easy。

These　festivities　had　a　fortunate　beginning。　　In　thinking　over　what　I　should　talk　about　at　the　first　dinner；　I　decided　to　get　some　fun　out　of　the　municipality　of　Brooklyn　by　a　picturesque　description　of　its　municipal　conditions。　　It　was　charged　in　the　newspapers　that　there　had　been　serious　graft　in　some　public　improvements　which　had　been　condoned　by　the　authorities　and　excused　by　an　act　of　the　legislature。　　It　had　also　been　charged　that　the　Common　Council　had　been　giving　away　valuable　franchises　to　their　favorites。　　Of　course；　this　presented　a　fine　field　of　contrast　between　ancient　and　modern　times。　　In　ancient　times　grateful　citizens　erected　statues　to　eminent　men　who　had　deserved　well　of　their　country　in　military　or　civic　life；　but　Brooklyn　had　improved　upon　the　ancient　model　through　the　grant　of　public　utilities。　The　speech　caused　a　riot　after　the　dinner　as　to　its　propriety；　many　taking　the　ground　that　it　was　a　criticism；　and；　therefore；　inappropriate　to　the　occasion。　　However；　the　affair　illustrated　a　common　experience　of　mine　that　unexpected　results　will　sometimes　flow　from　a　bit　of　humor；　if　the　humor　has　concealed　in　it　a　stick　of　dynamite。

The　Brooklyn　pulpit；　which　is　the　most　progressive　in　the　world；　took　the　matter　up　and　aroused　public　discussion　on　municipal　affairs。　　The　result　was　the　formation　of　a　committee　of　one　hundred　citizens　to　investigate　municipal　conditions。　　They　found　that　while　the　mayor　and　some　other　officials　were　high…toned　and　admirable　officers；　yet　the　general　administration　of　the　city　government　had　in　the　course　of　years　become　so　bad　that　there　should　be　a　general　reformation。　　The　reform　movement　was　successful；　it　spread　over　to　New　York　and　there　again　succeeded；　and　the　movement　for　municipal　reform　became　general　in　the　country。

The　next　anniversary　dinner　attracted　an　audience　larger　than　the　capacity　of　the　club；　and　every　one　of　the　thirty　has　been　an　eminent　success。　　For　many　years　the　affair　has　received　wide　publicity　in　the　United　States；　and　has　sometimes　been　reported　in　foreign　newspapers。　　I　remember　being　in　London　with　the　late　Lieutenant…Governor　Woodruff；　when　we　saw　these　head…lines　at　a　news…stand　on　the　Strand：　　〃Speech　by　Chauncey　Depew　at　his　birthday　dinner　at　the　Montauk　Club；　Brooklyn。〃　　During　this　nearly　third　of　a　century　the　membership　of　the　club　has　changed；　sons　having　succeeded　fathers　and　new　members　have　been　admitted；　but　the　celebration　seems　to　grow　in　interest。

During　the　last　fourteen　years　the　president　of　the　club　has　been　Mr。　William　H。　English。　　He　has　done　so　much　for　the　organization　in　every　way　that　the　members　would　like　to　have　him　as　their　executive　officer　for　life。　　Mr。　English　is　a　splendid　type　of　the　American　who　is　eminently　successful　in　his　chosen　career；　and　yet　has　outside　interest　for　the　benefit　of　the　public。　　Modest　to　a　degree　and　avoiding　publicity；　he　nevertheless　is　the　motive　power　of　many　movements　progressive　and　charitable。

Twenty…four　years　ago　a　company　of　public…spirited　women　in　the　city　of　Des　Moines；　Iowa；　organized　a　club。　　They　named　it　after　me。　　For　nearly　a　quarter　of　a　century　it　has　been　an　important　factor　in　the　civic　life　of　Des　Moines。　　It　has　with　courage；　intelligence；　and　independence　done　excellent　work。　　At　the　time　of　its　organization　there　were　few　if　any　such　organizations　in　the　country；　and　it　may　claim　the　position　of　pioneer　in　women's　activity　in　public　affairs。

Happily　free　from　the　internal　difficulties　and　disputes　which　so　often　wreck　voluntary　associations；　the　Chauncey　Depew　Club　is　stronger　than　ever。　　It　looks　forward　with　confidence　to　a　successful　celebration　of　its　quarter　of　a　century。

I　have　never　been　able　to　visit　the　club；　but　have　had　with　it　frequent　and　most　agreeable　correspondence。　　It　always　remembers　my　birthday　in　the　most　gratifying　way。　　I　am　grateful　to　its　members　for　bestowing　upon　me　one　of　the　most　pleasurable　compliments　of　my　life。

A　public　dinner　is　a　fine　form　of　testimonial。　　I　have　had　many　in　my　life；　celebrating　other　things　than　my　birthday。　　One　of　the　most　notable　was　given　me　by　the　citizens　of　Chicago　in　recognition　of　my　efforts　to　make　their　great　Columbian　exhibition　a　success。　　Justice　John　M。　Harlan　presided；　and　distinguished　men　were　present　from　different　parts　of　the　country　and　representing　great　interests。　　Probably　the　speech　which　excited　the　most　comment　was　a　radical　attack　of　Andrew　Carnegie　on　the　government　of　Great　Britain；　in　submitting　to　the　authority　of　a　king　or　a　queen。　　Canada　was　represented　by　some　of　th