The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-10
HESAW BANKERGAGE
A STORY OF THE NEXT SECRETARY
OF THE TREASURY.

OF THE TREASURY.
He Tells Reporter What He Would DO 4
He Wero Plunged Into Poverty and Coul,
Get No Work, but Takes IL Back How
Sensational Story Was Nipped In the Bud
Stories Of Lyman j. Gage, the biz
Chicago banker who is to become Presi
dent McKnley's secretary of the treas
my, are now much in evidence, ant
scores of them, good and bad, many o
them without the slightest foundation
in fact, are going the rounds But her
IL one that is absolutely true and hai
never been in print. It is related by
Frank H. Brooks, well known Chica.
90 journalist. as one Of his own expert.
ences with the great banker.
Every Chicago newspaper man OF
character is the friend Of Mr.. Gage.
Probably no man of prominence in Chi
Cago is so accessible at all hours as he.
His little room at the bank is always
open-there is nobody ut the door to
take cards or announce visitors You
just walk in, and, no matter what your
business or what fool errand you may
have been sent on, the reputable news
paper man is always sure Of welcom-
ing smile aud cordial handshake.
Mr.. Brooks told his story to brother
writer, now ON The Globe Democrat, in
this way: IF you remember, about a
year ago the Chicago paper was at
tached to conceived the idea Of having
every prominent man in the c. inter
viewed upon some silly problem, such
for instance as Where and how did you
spend your first Christmas?' or Which
do you remember in your boyhood days
as bsing your most enjoyable Fourth of
July? No matter how trifiing the ques-
tion or how absurd. Lyman j. Gage,
because Of his ready accessibility and
excessive good nature, was always sim
gled out to be first visited.
lone day it fell to my lot to hunt up
a lot of nabobs, such as G. T. Yerkes,
Marshall Field, Sam Allerton, L. 2.
Letter and half dozen others and put
to them this question, If you should
suddenly lose every dollar of your prop
erty. find yourself deprived Of credit,
health and friends and could not get
work anywhere, what would you dO?'
II made for Mr. Gage the first thing
Of course, as we always did After the
usual kindly greeting fired my ques-
tion at him. He gave me a quizzical
look and said: Did - - mention
ing the venerable editor upon whose pa
per ! was working) send you OH any
such fool errand as that? What is Jour
nalism coming to?'
being assured that my assignment
was genuine, Mr.. Gage said, well, put
your question again.
II repeated it.
"'If should lose ever dollar had
and my credit too? Is that it?'
eyes, SIR
"'why. l would hunt job, of
course
But suppose nobody would give you
a job?'
Well, that is hardly possible; but,
granted that 1T is-why, i'll that case I'd
get shovel and clean sidewalks or set
up a peanut stand or do something like
that And Mr.. Gage smiled confidently.
but, Mr.. Gage, suppose you hadn't
even capital enough to buy shovel or
a lot of peanuts. What, then?'
We'll, then, l suppose, said Mr..
Gage thoughtfully, I'D have to beg on
the streets.
"'And suppose again nobody would
give you a cent, the same as thousands
are refused on the streets every night?'
Here Mr.. Gage showed just trace
Of impatience, and, waving his hand
said, oh, well, d-n it, in that case
/ would steal, and you can tell -
- (the name of my cditor) that be-
lieve he would, too, under the same cir
cumstances.
Il said, Thank you, Mr.. Gage, and,
grabbing my hat made for the door.
Here, here, young man! Come
backr yelled Mr. Gage. But by that
time was half way out of the bank,
and scare head line, Lyman Gage
Says He Would Steal, had formed itself
in my mind. He ran after me and sent
a messenger to chase me, but l dodged
into saloon and made for the office.
had hardly got seated to write the story
when the editor sent for me- l went to
his room, and there was Mr.. Gage, very
much excited and flushed.
1T is needless to say that my inter
view did not 40. "--St. Louis Globe
Democrat.
stanford Estate 20 Be Sold.
Mrs. Leland Stanford has decided to