Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-01
RUSSELL sAGEs CAREER.

has read Il line Or TWO about uncle
Russell Sage during the past week or two,
but there are not many who enjoy an in
innate acquaintance with the old mans
history. 1t is known that the recent cy-
clone whisked six or seven millions of Of
the top Of his pile, and the old gentleman
naturally feels rather sore in consequence.
He is still credited, however, with being
able to command more ready cash than
any other one man on the street, with the
possible exception of JAY Gould. He has
probably amassed more wealth and spent
less Of it than any man known in history.
From his bOyhOOd days up to his present
venerable years economy has been his
chief characteristic. He has no pecu-
liarities, idiOsyncracies, but simply a
talent for accommodating and retaining the
precious metals of the earth. Gold and
silver, government bonds, dividend.
paving securities, are to him the
staff of life. Like most of our milliOnaires.
Sage was born and bred in the country,
and received the meagre education incl
dent TO life among the rustics in those
comparatively primeval days Like
ROmulus of old. this latter day King is
credited with having twin brother, but
history on the point is so obscure that
the authenticity of the assertion has come
to be generally doubted. His early career
was Of much more every day
nature than that Of the ROHRn
youth who had the brother. At IA
Sage was a tOw-headed boy behind a
small grocery store counter in the then in-
significant town of Troy, this State. The
few dollars which We're his weekly stipend
he carefully boarded, and on various
occasions. when his unemployed friends
were sadly pushed for ready cash, he
assisted them out of their difficulties. He,
however, insisted upon sound securities
and was bY no means modest about the
rate of interest. BY interchangeable industry
and indOmitable energy, and the
shekels gained by his small
loans, young Sage soon found him.
self in possession of 1880. He
then persuaded his employer to sell out to
him, and Immediately commenced to en-
large the business. He married one of
TrOy's best daughters and up to her death
she aided her husband in his path 10 great
wealth. While he attended TO his store
duties his wife was engaged in dress
making and frequently handed to her
spouse as the result of her labOrs the
munilicent sum of s. per week. On a
certain occasion Dir. sage visited BalstOn
Spa, and while there saw an acquaintance
in the act Of destroying a number of
manuscripts. "HeaYe2 bless usI' cried
Russell, "What are YOU about? Surely you
can't tear these things up without looking
over themi Why I Snow man who once
tore up dollar bill in just as careless 4
manner "Oh, that's all right" replied
his friend, ''there is nothing valuable
among them, YOU are welcome to the
Fragments" When Sage's acquaintance
nad dtp'ri,. -. 40 stopped down and
suddenly noticed a letter written on
bill head of the Troy and Schenectady
Railroad Company. Mastering the
contents of the communication, he placed
the mutilated bits in his pockets, and on
his return to Troy commenced negotiations
with the New York Central Railroad. and
subsequently cOusummated a lease of the
Troy and schenectady to the New York
Central. By this little bit of engineering
Sage was enriched few thousand dollars.
Twenty-Five years ago Sage was elected a
member Of Congress. He is therefore an
honorable. Uniting his fortunes with
Gould in the good old days, be laid the
tracks which led to his present comfort
able competency, estimated at 10000, 600.
Mr.. Sage is not a gOurmand, and can
scarcely be said to be even fond of high
living. He brides himself on the fact that
govt has never found a resting place in
his family. He is very partial to fruit,
and as often as three times week he may
be seen purchasing q nickePS worth of
apples, bananas and oranges from a street
vender. He has the utmost regard
for his digestive organs, and Will
not OyertaX them. This he gives
as a reason for not consuming the nickel's
worth of fruit in one day. He divides his
purchases into equal portions, and re-
serves one for the next days lunch. Not
long ago, while attending church. Uncle
Russell was Visibly affected by DIR. Bevan's
eloquent dissertation on the beauties of
charity, closing with an earnest appeal
for substantial assistance in aid of a most
worthy object. Uncle Russell appeared
quite affected. His bandanna was fire.
quently in use, but he subsequently re-
marked that the crystal tear in his left
optic was the ''result of cold" When
the plate was passed Mr.. Sage, it is said,
began fumbling in his vest pockets, and
after some little eXertiOn brought out
25-cent piece. As he was about to deposit
it in the collection basket Gen. BTistOw,
who was sitting behind him, tapped him
on the shoulder and said: Lets make it
5Ocents to-day, uncle?o 'sWhat?" family
exclaimed Uncle Russell, Il really could
not to-day; this is all the change l have
with me.o In appearance Mr.. Sage looks
like a country farmer. He is about feet
10 inches in height, weighs about 165
pounds, and has gray hair and watery
blush eyes. He comes from lOng-lived
family. and vows he will not quit this
world until he has secured sufficient funds
TO give him decent burial.
WILLIAM II. vANDERBLT's PORTRAIT
has been painted by a London artist on a
marble slab an inch thick. The likeness
H"0ears on the other side of the slab
EQUALLY as good. II - not vuIy on Inc
marble, but in the marble and through it,
and cannot be eliminated from it. You
may grind on it all day with a pumice
stone and you cannot hurt it. So long as
even a shaving is left the portrait remains
every slice is two portraits. The portrait
is lifelikC, the skin being nearly flesh
color, the hair and whiskers light brown,
as if on the verge of turning to gray, and
the coat dark brown. Mr.. Vanderbilt has
not seen il as vet. It is valued at $3.50.
The process by which this kind Of work
is done is something of a secret. The
portrait is first painted on the marble.
When dry, the slab Is placed on little
car and rolled into an air-tight oven OF
moderate temperature. Under the car Is
an open tray full OF water, which is heated
slowly bv gas. After being subjected for
some time TO a slow steaming process the
slab is suddenly transferred to another
oven with a temperature Of 500 degrees,
anu Kept EEeEe Llli the pEuCc55 - cUIl-
pleted. When removed the cOlOrs are
found to have penetrated the marble and
the picture appears on the O-her side.
SOCIETY Is IN A FLUTTER
at the prospect Of another marriage in
which the high contracting parties are
none other than a handsome Turk who
prefiXes his name with one Of the outland-
ish titles Of the ORIENT, and Miss Anna
Goodwin, daughter of Parke Goodwin.
Mr. DeCastrO, for the prospective bride
groom drops his title when on this side OF
the water. was the private secretary OF
Bonanza Mackey, and is looking after
that gentleman's interests in the new ca
bic company. His house on Lexington
avenue is Mr.. Mackey's headquarters
when he is in town, which is about twice
a wear. on his way between San Francis
co and Paris. Mr.. DeCastrO has lived q
great deal Of his life in the latter city,
and is pretty thoroughly EurOpeaniZed
OfcOurse he dresses as a European, but his
face is Enthusiastically Turkish. Miss
Goodwin will not be the first Ameri-
can girl to marry a Turk. Two OF
the Turkish Ministers have married
New Workers.. Blacque Bey married
a daughter of DIR. Valentine Mott, and his
son. Valentine Blacque, IS well known as
broker and gentleman Of more than or
binary refinement and culture Aristar-
chi Bey, the present Turkish Minister, has
twice married New. York girls. and is
again a WidOwer. No American lady who
ever married a Turk in New York has