Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-16
A MlSER'S LIFE.
The Old Comp - Who Hoarded $40, coo and
Died in a New York Hospital.

From the New YORK Mail ana pTeHs.J
John Russell, the aged composition
who died recently in Bellevue
Hospital from Bright's disease of the
kidneys, was one of the most eccentric
men in the composing OF the daily
press. He was especially noted for his
parsimony, and would regard with hor-
ror any attempt to make him increase
his expenses by eating warm food IN
stead of his customary bread and cheese
or in any way. Russell was regarded
by his fellow-compos1tors as the mean
est man in the craft and many are the
stories of the ingenuity which he used
when anxious to avoid spending money.
He was an Englishman, and came to
this country when he was 10 years of
age. He had been composltOr in
England and when he arrived in this
city he obtained employment in a job
bling Office. He never reDounced his al
legiance to his native country, and when
his associates joked With him about his
heirs he would declare that the state
was his only heir, and that if when he
died he was worth any money he would
leave it to New York. Russell was en-
ployed on the Morning Express from
1916 to 1852, and while there was es-
pecially noted for his quietness of dis
position and his evident dislike for So
ciety. When he left the Express he
went to the Sun, where he remained for
several years. He was afterward en-
ployed on the Times and the Independ-
ent. In 1879 he became one of the
compositors of the Evening Mail and as
at that time all his peculiarities had be-
come marked, he was the observed
among his fellow craftsmen. In sum-
mer his costume was rather remarkable
in being an overcoat and straw hat, the
former, as he explained, "to keep his
body warm and the hat to cool his head.
He was never known to bring his
! luncheon to work or to eat his
meals In an eating house. At
ter the other compositors had
finished their meals he would gather up
the crusts of bread and crumbs OF
cheese, and after eating them seemed
puffed up with the satisfaction of a square
| meal. compOsitor who remembered
| Russell when he worked at the same
stand with him, recalled an incident
which happened one Christmas eve which
was characteristic of the man. Turkeys
had been provided by the newspaper,
and every married man in It's employ was
presented with one. Russell was not
married, but kept bachelors hall In q
| tumbled~down attic In Center Street.
| When he saw the turkeys spread so
tempting y along table, he recollected
| that he was not benedict. He never
theless determined to have one at all
| odds. He pulled one of the fowls from
| the heap and hid it in a closet, and then
went to his case. The foreman, when he
was informed, told Russell that he would
have to give the turkey up, but Russell
chung to the door, and when the turkey
was found he had clutched its neck, and
held on until the man who was pulling
the legs captured the body and left Rus
sell in possession of the head. His fail
ure to keep thefowl seemed to grieve him
| greatly.
He said at one time that he was certain
that he should not die before he was 80,
because his father lived to that age. He
was never known to go into barber
shop, but he invariably cut his own hair,
which was very black, and after he had
performed that very difficult operation
| his head looked as though it had been
shingled. He asked his companions
sometimes to cut his hair for him, and
they always shingled it with STANCE eff
! feet. When Russell was 48 years old he
surprised his office one day by observing
! that some benefcent power had given
HIM a new tooth. His companions pied
several forms while specializing what use
Russell had for teeth, as his gums were
quite as effective on bread and cheese. He
was never seen to leave his case unnec-
essarily during working hours. He was
afraid to lose time.
After Russell died, twelve bank books
we're found about him, in which were
entries representing $4,000. In his
pockets were $50 in cash. Yet he ap-
piled to the commissioners of charities
and correction to be admitted to Belle
vue. This fortune was accumulated by
privations of all kinds. When he could
not induce his fellow-compositors to
leave him the crumbs of their meals he
found his food in the ash barrels along
the street. His fortune began, however,
in singular manner. While walking
along street near Park Row he found
United States coupon bond for 81. 900.
He Immediately appropriated it, and,
after drawing the interest for several
years, bought a tenement house. He
afterward sold the house at profit, and
put the proceeds in bank. In appear
ance he was far from being progresses
ing. Of medium height and thin fea
lures, he dressed very poorly, and
seemed always at the last stage of starva-
ton. It is said that Russell had a
brother who is employed as compost
tor, but at the rooms Of the Topographic
cal Union, to which he belonged at one
time, it was not believed. His name
was dropped from the roll Of the union
because he owed $50 in dues and de-
clared that he was unable to pay them.
A Cool Tramp and Cool Maiden.