Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-03-20
LYMAN j. GAGE, SECRETARY OF
THE TREASURY.

Lyman j. Gage, the man who is to
succeed John @. Carlisle as secretary
OF the treasury, is a we'll known and
picturesque character in the middle
west. He Is a man Of energy as well
as ideas, and, though he has lived six
~ years, he can hardly be called Did.
Mr.. Gage was born at Deruyter, y. y,
June 2S, 1886. His parents were also
New Workers, and their ancestors were
among the first settlers of New Eng
land. The father of Lyman Gage was
a farmer and aftcrward a merchant in
a small way.
In 1916 the elder Gage moved with his
family to Rome, n. Y, and there Lyman
attended school until he was IL years
old. At the time the Gage family was
so large that Lyman thought that it
would be best for him to begin making
his own way, so he secured a clerkship
in a country p~ostoffice. Within a year
he was promoted to the position of mail
agent on the rome and Watcrtown
railroad. In 1856 he withdrew from the
railroad and took a position in the
Oneida Central bank at Rome. Here
he acted as %janitor, office boy and gem
eral factotum at a salary of 500 a year.
After serving his employers In this ca
pacity for a year or more young Gage
asked for an advance of salary. This
being refused he threw up his position,
and, acting on an idea which he had
long entertained, started west.
Chicago was the objective point which
young Gage had in his mind. Thither
he made his way, arriving October 3,
1855.
Hts efforts to get employment in a
bank were fruitless, and so he applied
at Nathan Coles lumber yard and OBJ
tanned work there. 1t was hard labor.
He loaded wagons, steered his logs
against circular saws n now and then
took his turn at driving a team of balky
mules. The pay was small. n the
hours We're long. After a while he was
promoted to the position of night
Waterman and put in the long hours
between sunset and sunrise patrolling
the yard to prevent fires and thefts. A
ear later he became bookkeeper of the
concern.
His first step in the remarkable as
cent he made to fame and prosperity
was taken August 3. 1858. He had been
quietly looking out for employment in
which his special talents could have a
chance to develop. On the day named,
he walked into the Merchants Savings,
Loan and Trust company bank and
asked the cashier for a position. To his
joy n establishment, his application
was looked upon with favor. They were
needing the services of a bookkeeper
and would give Gage a trial at $500 a
year.
1t vas an humble beginning, but IT
was all Gage wanted. His promotions
began within six months. At the end Of
that period he was made paying teller.
In this position he displayed many of the
talents which have made him famoua.
Not long afterward he became assistant
cashier. He remained with the Mer-
chants Savings, Loan and Trust COM
pany until the position of assistant
cashier Of the First National bank was
offered him. He has been with the LAT
Ger institution ever since. In time he
became vice president and afterward
president of this great banking institu-
ton.
1t was the public record Of Mr.. Gage
in his successful efforts to allay the dis
content and rloting OF 1887 that gave
him his greatest prestige. He was II
wonderful harmonizer. In those days of
panics and disaster he called meetings
of laborers and capitalists, some of
which were held in his own parlors, n
got them to confer together and settle
upon modes OF procedure that would
ease the friction between the classes.
1t was to Mr.. Gage also that the sue
cess of the worlds fair was largely at
tributable. He was it's first president
and Its strongest hacker. He 1t was
also who began the fight for its location.
and IT. would certainly have gone ONE
where else but for his untiring efforts.
Mr.. Gage has been twice married
first IN 1854, to Miss Sarah Etheridge OF
Little Falls. ". Y. She died In 1874,
leaving a son. Eli Gage, now a young