The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-22
MILLIONAIRE SAGE.
n. W. Mcneil Talks Of the
Wall Street Broker.
A FORTUNE IN PUTS AND CALLS.
He Beiongs to the Church but II an In
veterase Gambler I'm stocks
His Box Clerks.


used with a number Of prominent railroad
enterprises for the past twenty years. was
In the city Thursday. and left for San
Diego yesterday. Mr.. Mcneil is president
Of the Mcneil Coal Mining Company. hav-
ing its headquarters In Oskaloosa. Ia, and
il considered one OF the greatest coal
mining experts IN the United States. The
company owns and operates four bitumIn-
Gus coal mines near Oskaloosa. one Of
which. the American. Is. in Mr.. McNeirs
opinion, the banner mine OF the United
States.
Mr.. Mcneil Is a large man, physically
and mentally, with an acquaintance
among the most prominent men in the
country. and a fund of anecdots that
makes a conversation with him long 70 be
remembered
when seen at the Rainier-Grand Mr.
Mcneil received the Post-Intslligencer re-
porter most cordially. as coming from
what he termed the greatest paper in the
Northwest.
The talk drifted from general topics to
the growth and workings OF a great COM
pany and the part OF the employees there
In. when a company starts from a small
nucleus and gradually expands itself into
a great concern. 1t Is like a machine" he
said, "of which the general manager is the
engineer and the employees are the cogs.
The cog of the hardest and coolest steel
wears the others out. and In the course of
time Is the chief wheel of the machine. II
is the old law of the survival OF the fit
test, and though luck may have some
place in the social scheme. you may de-
pend on IL that the best man will win.
etSave seen instances 10 prove IL time
and time again. Some men have the fac
uity of seizing the right time for every
thing A iowly illustration OF this came
under my observation short time ago.
We have T.0oo-acre anthracite coal mine
near Bann Hot Springs. on the summit of
the Rocky mountains at the point crossed
by the Canadian Pacific. One cold, rainy
day / was in my office at Anthracite and
looking from the window saw two ragged.
-foriorn tranlps standing on the lonely
platform waiting for train to pass. I
wondered what excuse two such worthless
creatures could have for being alive.
When the train was seen approaching
both stood ready for jump. AS the train
passed. at rate OF fifteen miles an hour,
one tramp ieaped boldly in between two OF
the cars. Expecting TO see his remains
spread along the track, ran out the door,
only TO see him a moment later climb iaZi-
ly to the top OF the car and sic grinuing
at his less daring companion, left behind.
The other fellow called ii luck-it was dar-
ing-the man had some OF the steel in his
character that makes winners in the race.
when / was a young fellow, with lots
of nerve and no money, / attempted. sue
cessfully to own and operate a coal mine
near Abba. Ia. on gall The division
agent of the Chicago. Burlington & Quin-
cy railroad, stationed at that point, was
Tom Potter. then working on a salary of
s45 month. and since one of the biggest
railroad men in the country. He has a
steamboat named after him (the It. ]. Pot
teri and is well known on the Sound. Tom
and I were cronies then and he did some
thing at that time that put his foot on the
first rung of the ladder on which he has
since mounted so high.
1.-THE overland train plunged through
defective trestle one day few miles from
Abba. and the passengers were piled about
on the ground, some quite severely in
jured Immediately upon receiving news
of the disaster, Tom Potter, without any
orders from headquarters, hired all the
csnveyances in Abba and rushed Oft TO the
scene of the accident. He took all those
passengers TO a hotel and before they had
time to think had nearly all or them sign
n release of damages. promising In return
70 nav hotel bills and fare home. When
the division agents prompt action was
made known at headquarters Tom was I'M
mediately promoted to higher position
and climbed steadily from that time until
he became general manager OF the Union
Pacific"
the nnuIti-millionaire. Russell Sage. who,
he said was the greatest flnancier alive
today, The capitalists name came Up
while the intelligence of young boys was
under discussion.
s'Russel Sage has about FIVE boys In his
office on Wall street. New York, ranging
In age from to IL years. who receive ana
transact all the business OF the wonderful
nut and CALI dealer. Sage has two offices
with n door between, and the outer one has
a window like that In an ordinary ticket
office. The old man sits bumped over his
desk In tho inner office, and all who wish
to deal with him do so through the boys.
'sThe business itself is one that has beg
CARED all who have attempted II except the
old man. He has remained king or the
greatest money center OF the world. and
over the brainiest men to be found any
where for over thirty years. He has
aurassed 500 c0.co0 and defeated every
combination formed against him. IL Is
really a gambling scheme. with millions
IN the balance. IL a man thinks a certain
stock will go up within q certain rumoer
Of DAYS he offers 20 bet with Sage that II
will do 80. and II the wager is accepted and
tho stock does rise Sage pays him the DIFF
ference IN value between the quotation at
the time of betting and the expiration OF
the DAYS specified for the rise TO occur.
For instance. broker having made
special study or the situation on w eStefn
Union stock, which Is quoted. say, at 10
concludes that IN thirty days IL viii 20 up
10 Is he goes 20 the little window OF
Sasa's Office. and writes on a card, 4 VIII
give Won 10 600 shares OF Western Union at
Is In thirty days This card he hants TO
one OF the little fellows at the window. with
the remark:
II you get the old man 10 initial that /
viii give you 81.
Sage charges i per cent. commission
for any one dealing with him This must
be paid In cash at the time Of the deal. and
the sharp little rascals sometimes take the
money in one hard and the card IN the
other when they present the proposition 10
him Sage eiancrs at the card. and II he
wishes TO accept the bet writes his initials
y not. the boy generally tries his hand at
persuasion, r7amples the bills OF the com
mission IN his nand. and expresses his
opinion OF its edvisability. All money re-
ceived as commission the old fellow thr5Ists
IN his rocket and az night unIoads in the
cashiers room II Sage accepted the
Western Union bet and stocks did so up
10 IS in the time specified. ne would pay
cents on the dollar for 70. 90 shares to the
successful guesssr; IL not be has the per
cent commission as clear gain.
Think Of the remarkable. sagacIty re-
CURED in the successful conduct OF bBsf-
ness OF this kind There that old man sits
alone. surrounded By few boys. who de-
pend On their commissions for salary
There are City stocks IN the market or