The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-07
field for money making? Should country

are perhaps greater than in the country
but the temptations are also greater. tell
you don't like what 1 see about the clubs
here in New York. You may go to them
any night ana you will see young fellows
who have less than a thousand dollars a
year dressed in swallow-tailed coats. They
are eating expensive dinners. They are
drinking little and playing cards little.
Such are not my ideas OF a successful
scheme Of life for a young man, and those
are not the young men who succeed. 1t is
the young fellows who spend their evenings
at home and save their money who keep a
bright eye for the main chance and live so
that they will have brains healthy enough
to see it when it comes
You have been interested in many en-
terprises in your life Mr.. Sage?'
Eyes, l have" was the milionaires reply.
Il early became interested in railroads. 1
Travelled over some of the first built in this
country, and l saw there was going to be a
lot of money in them. / bought a lot of
stock in the Western railroads, and / was
for long time president and vice president
OF the Milwaukee & st. Paul. / had also
interests in roads further West, and for
long time have been connected with the
Union Pacific"
What is going to be done with the Union
Pacific, Mr.. Sage?"
Il think the government ought to have
something TO do with it, was the reply.
"A great deal of noise has been made about
it, but the Union Pacific has been Of enor-
nous profit to the United States govern
ment. Its profit has perhaps not come d.
rectly, but indirectly that road has built
up the great West. 1t has created hundreds
Of millions of dollars worth of taxable
property, and the great States of the West
are due TO it. 1t would not seem to me out
of the way that the government should
guarantee its bonds. II the United States
would guarantee its bonds at per cent. 1
would be glad to take lot of them"
HE TALKS ABOUT THE TINES
What do you think about the times, Mr..
Sage? Are they going to be better?"
Il think so, though we had a hard pull
during the last campaign. l have faith in
| the sober sense of the American people. and
L believe with a moderate tariff we will
| soon be prosperous"
Are you not afraid of the dissatisfaction
| of the poor?"
No; don't believe the best elements of
| the laboring classes are dissatisfied. More
| than three-ffths of the laboring men of
| this country realize that their success is de-
| pendent upon the success of the capitalists
who are their employers. The other two
| hfths are those who are trying to get along
without work, and who don't want 10
| work.
What are the causes of the hard times ?''
| Il believe they are largely due to over
production, not only here, but all over the
world. We have been making more goods
| than We could SELL We have expensive es-
| adjustments, and we have kept them up
| Notwithstanding the sales have stopped
| Ihen we took off the tariff, and let for
| elgners ship in cheap goods TO compete
| with us, and the result is as you see it.
why, things Were never so cheap as they
| are now in the United States. Look at this
coat which 1 have on
L looked and felt the sack coat of the
| millionaire. 1t was a very respectable-loolx.
ing garment, made of fairly good dark gray
| wooden CLOTH As felt it Mr. Sage went on
We'll, how much do you think that coat
cost? l paid just IS for it. 1t was par
of a suit that was selling Tor $3.50. and
bought 1t just to show these fellows here
how cheap things are. You know there ar,
things In the papers now and then about
my wearing S11 suits and buying my clothes
ready made. Those stories are not true
have always had my clothes made Il
order, and 1 don't think 1 ever wore 8
ready-made suit in my life. / merely pu
this on to illustrate the position 1 hold OF
this subject"
Russell Sage Is perhaps the bigges
money lender in the United States. He ha,
millions out at interest, and he is one O
the few men who seem TO always have ;
million to lend-to the right party. As
looked at him thought of this, and asked
How is money in New York just now
Are not interest rates very low?"
Mr.. Sage replied: mo they are not Low
to-day. but they are in general lower tina,
they have been for years. This is so no
only here but all over the world 1t seems
10 me that this shows that men have NOR
faith in each other than ever before A re
spectacle man can easily get trusted now
out at the same time a man whose reputa
tion Is not good is more carefully watche,
than ever Those fellows in the West hav
lost great deal by their evident desire {,
repudiate their debts The silver move
ment has been bad thing for the West
Do you think L would lend any money to
Western town for water works or publi
improvements knowing how they stan,
it more difficult to borrow money here thai
they did in the past
THE ORIGINAL M'KINLEY MAN
The only ornaments on the walls of Nh
Sage's private office are two big railroal
maps and one larger photograph in an oal
frame. This photograph hangs right owe
his desk, and the face within il is that n
Presdent-elect Mckinley. L pointed to /
and said:
II see, Mr.. Sage, you are a McKinIe
man."
| Yes. said he. 81 am / think he Is
safe man. and will make a good president
My attention was first called to him who
he beat Campbell for Governor Campbe
had gone in with large majority. McKin
ley was elected over him the next term
he was in for one term and was then re
elected by majority of more than so OK
At that time / saw. l thought that n
was man of the future. and | told m
friends that he would be the candidate G
the Republican party for President
The conversation here drifted TO politics
ard Mr.. Sage told me some interestin
stories about his career as politician. an
how it was through him that Millard Eli
more became President of the Unite
States. In his younger days Mr.. Sage WA
a prominent man in New York State. II
was great admirer Of Zach. TAYLOR IN
was. above everything / strong Henry CIa
man. He was at the head of the New Yor
delegation at the convention which nom
"A holI he.