Evening star., 1897-02-06

was big money handler during the war.
ana ne has been associated with nearly
every great capitalist of the past genera
tion- He and jay Gould were hand in glove
IN great enterprises. and ne rs a director
In SO many banks. trust companies and rail-
road companies that it is said that his fees
Tor attending directors meetings would
make good salary for an ordinary man
L nave seen newspaper statements repre-
sentIns Russell Sage as an iEHterate man
L have not found him so. No one can he
with the biggest men of this country for
sixty years and not become educated Mr.
Sage started life with public school e,i,,-
cation. At the age of twenty-five he was
elected as one of the aldermen of TROY
and before he was forty he was one of the
most prominent members of Congress Long
before he was fifty he was worth a million
and now. at eighty, he has as bright an eve
and as quick a mind as any of the men of
hal1 MS age who borrow money of him to
play the great game which is always going
on mere among the Wall street gamblers
The Work shop of a Millionaire.
I met Mr.. Sage in his Office His New
fork establishment looks more like n prison
than the workshop of a millionaire II is
TO certain extent a fortification You re-
member now d crank came within an ace
-ol piowing him into eternity with a dyna-
mite nomb couple of years ago, because
MI sage would not write him out a check
Tor million odd dollars AS it was. he
was very badly hurt. Now the average
millionaire. after such an attack would
nave SlFen up business and retired from
danger. That, however is not the kind of
a man Russell Sage is. As soon as he re-
covered from his injuries he went back to
WOrh, Tut he put some guards about him
TO keep off the cranks of the future To-
day you cannot walk into his Office without
you are known You cannot see him unless
you have good credentials NY introduc-
1lSyfa 1.rf
tieWS. the famous Wall street banker
With this climbed to the second story of
al Broadway and entered an office upon
the painted door of which were the words
Russell Sage Passing through this |
found myself in a narrow hall or cell as it
Were, walled with boards to q point high
above my head. Above these boards there
vas laIticework of iron almost as heavy
as that which surrounds the bullion i'm the
vaults of the United States treasury There
were two doors leading through the board
Wall but these j understand shut with a
spring lock In the wall there were two
little holes guarded with brass bars
Standing before them you can look in and
see the clerks who manage Mr.. Sage's busi-
ness Through these holes is the only
means of getting at Mr.. Sage. You present
yourself at them, and Mr.. Sage's cashier
a gray mustached young man, with a criti-
cal eye looks you over. Ii he is very sure
that you are all right and that your busi-
ness Is of Importance you are presented to
Mr.. Sage This was what was done with
me- The investigation seemed to be salts
factory. and few minutes later the door
In the wall was unlocked. I was conducted
through an ante-Toom and shown into the
plain hut comfortably furnished private
Office Of the millionaire.
How Russell Sage Looks.
As / entered. a straight weIl-formed
smooth-shaven man turned about from a
desk III one corner of the room He rose
TO his feet though his joints were well
oiled, and a pleasant smile came over his
grave features as he told me that he could
give me a few moments only, and asked
me TO be seated He did not look at me at
all critically, and during the talk he chat
ted with me as freely as though there was
not an anarchist In the world. Though nc
tod me that he could see me for but few
moments. l remained with him for more
thaii an hour while brokers and other
business men were waiting outside He
became interested in the conversation and
then leaned over and tapped me on tbs.
kpec as he laughed over some story of his,
career OF became especially interested in
some subject he was discussing
How RusseII Sage Keen, younr
My first question was as to his health and
Row he managed at eighty to keep so
young and bright. The old millionaire
laughed as he replied:
Il don't know how I do il b,,, an,
week. year in and year out NV good
health in old age Is. / think largely due
10 temperance ! sleep from seven ia
eight hours every night and | don't allow
myself TO be dragged about to dinners and
ciuDs- when first came to New York I
was persuaded into joining the Union
League Club and | was Il member of it for
years never attended more than two ar
thcs dinners there, however and 1 seldom
went 70 the club rooms. Then nv friends
wanted me 10 give up my memberships m
stHe one else l was asked to sell H. You
see there were a number of men who
wanted 10 get in, and I could have gotten
a. much as $2lp for il. But 1 told them
mat l uio not want TO make money that
way, and that L would hold th.. memher.
snip unti II ran out. This l did
Russell Sage ON Money Making
Speaking OF money making. Mr. Sage
how did you get your start? How did Won
make your first thousand doilarsy.
There Is no particular story in thai .
replied MIR. Sage. When / was sixteen I
went TO clerk with my brother Then had
store of my own. / never had a grss,
deal OF trouble in making money Nv frs,
Thousand probably came from saving. and