The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-25

of them .patronize churches and sub
Iscribe to charities, or entertain people
and exhibit social proclivities. In Rus
Isell Sage there is no humbug Of that sort.
He has never been known to subscribe to-
ward anything, to have ssrun'' any
fchurch, or, to have exhibited any ten.
dency toward social enjoyment, except
when there was business side to it, and
even on such occasions he greatly prefers
being guest to being host. There is
a story going around in Wall street to the
effect that his notions of domestic
;onomy 60 so far that big hole has
been trodden in the carpet of his
dining room, much to the
dread of his visitors, who feel con.
stantly great apprehension of be-.
coming entangled in it. and that when
one of his friends made, thanks to that
hole, q stumbling and rather fat entry
into the apartment, Mrs. Sage remarked
that she had frequently called her hus-
bands attention to the necessity of re
storative work being undertaken, but was
rebuked with the argument that business
was dull and that expenses of that sort
could not be afforded just now.
The social position of Russell Sage was
never very prominent one, but of late,
and especially since he has had to part
with the management of the Pacific Mail
it has still more declined. The Vice.
Presidency of the Milwaukee and St.
Paul R. R. Co. is at the present moment
the only public post he occupies; but
even that chair will properly soon be
given up, under the heavy pressure of his
former friend and present antagonist, AL
exander Mitchell, an open war having
broken out between these two gentlemen.
MIR. Mitchell! accuses Mr.. Sage of making
the board of the unlucky railway
company Safeguarding engine in New
York, while Mr.. Sage accuses Mr.. Mitch
ell of trying to transform tho railroad
into political machine in Wisconsin, un.
der the pretext of his love for the people
of the Northwest. The knowing ones
seem to be of the opinion that both accu-
sations are correct. Mr.. Russell Sage
makes large profits out of all sorts Of
speculations with the stock and money of
the Milwaukee 4 St. Paul road,
while Mr.. Mitchell takes advantage
of his connection with it for electioneer-
ing purposes. There was a time when
hese two gentlemen were great friends.
They constructed very improbable air
line from Milwaukee to Chicago, sold it
to the St. Paul road, and realized some
thing like million each. But this
friendship and division Of profits are now
mere matters of tempt pdssaii, and the
two millionaires have apparently made
up their minds to fight it out on that
line. Mr.. Sage does not, however, on
that account lose his natural serenity.
Nothing in the way Of controversies, law
suits or public exposures can intimidatc
him. He knows that where there is a
will to get out Of them there is way to
do so. But his nervous system does not
seem to stand practical jokes. At all
events the Stock Exchange 'boys' threw
him the other day into perfect moral
distress.
Until very lately, Mr.. Sage dealt on
the Exchange through brokers, some of
whom he induced to do his business for a
much smaller commission than is allowed
h~'""" "@e of these brokers having
been discovered III doing this, was ex-
PEELED from the exchange, and Mr.. Sage
resolved for the sake of economy, to be-
come himself member Of the Board. He
paid some $4,000 for his seat, underwent.
some difficulty in getting elected, but
overcame all that, and has now the privi-
lege of either doing business himself or of
paying only one thirty per cent.
commission, instead of one.eighth per
cent. to his brother brokers, through
which economy he realizes an immense
saving in the long run.
His election took place abont year
ago, but he never appeared on Change
until last Monday, when the election of a
new President took place, and he had to
give his vote. The Stock Exchange, as
is we'll known, preserves the laadable GUS
tom Of hazing new members, and Mr..
Sage had to pass the usual ordeal The
moment he appeared in the hall the air
was rent with cries of ''Kere's Old Hon
esty! - '*Loek out for your pocketbooks
and watches - ''Knock his skull in y and
so on. His hat was smashed; he was chased
all around the Exchange room, thrown
against the bulletin boards, and ill.used
in different other ways and manners; I'M
til the chairman of the board, Mr.. " hee-
lock, came to his rescue ard carried him
away, pale, trembling, and considerably
damaged all over. The next day Mr..
Sage was quite serene again, quietly sell.
ling his 'tputs'' and "calls," and assuring
Everybody that he understood perfectly
we'll that the little ill.usage he was ex.
posed to was simply joke on the part Of
1.-THE boys" Those, however, who were
present at this reception have apparently