Gets One on Depew.
This is one of the stories about Chauncey M. Depew and a railroad pass that is being told nowadays in local railroad circles.
The president of the Waupaca and Nishna Railroad company went to see the mild-mannered president of the Vanderbilt system.
“What can I do for you?” Mr. Depew asked, letting the smile he uses on such occasions have full swing at the visitor.
“I dropped in to see you, Mr. Depew, to ask for an exchange of courtesies. I am the president of the Waupaca and Nishna Railroad company. I would like to have a pass over your road and will extend the same courtesy to yourself over my road.”
Depew looked thoughtful for a minute. Then he said:
“Where is your road?”
“Why, it’s out in Wisconsin.”
“Is it rated in Poor’s manual?”
“Oh, yes, indeed; we paid a nice dividend last year.”
“Strange. I never heard of your road. How long is it?”
“We are operating sixty-seven miles this year.”
“What, sixty-seven miles, and you call that an exchange of courtesy, and the Vanderbilt system has its thousands of miles?”
Depew assumed his most cavalier air as he launched that question at the head of the president of the Waupaca and Nishna and then he waited for a reply.
“Well, Mr. Depew,” said the western railroad president as he arose to go, “your road may be a little longer than mine, but it ain’t any wider.”