The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1897-05-22
THAT SAGE LOAN PAID.
Millionaire Collects Oh a $50 Mortgage
Oh His Poor Nephew's Hut.

JOLIET, Ill, May 1S.-Russell Sage
is at last able to buya $500 spring suit
and lay mp S45.01 in the bank. He has
collected the $50 mortgage on his
nephew's homestead. He a ever
indulge in a white shirt and seal brown
socks for there is the matter of 80 cents
interest. Elizur Sage, the nephew OF
the eastern millionaire, is free ut last.
He owns the roof over his head, but he
paid a price for his freedom. Fifty dol
lars is not much to Russell Sage
sometimes. Fifty dollars is a fortune to
Elizur Sage of C~hannahon at all times.
Russell has his own again. Elizur sent
it wet with a wife's tears.
When Elizur bought a half-burned
building last winter and moved 1t to the
foundation, which was all n fire left of
his own home, he asked his millionaire
uncle tor a loan. Russell let him have
$50, but insisted on a mortgage on the
nephew's homestead with interest at 6
per cent. EIizur put n patch on the
charred timbers and make a building
Sx12 feet, with Il small L.. The upper
story was not high enough for a grown
person to stand upright in, but he
called it home. Here he could shelter
wife and children, and it was worth
taking chances, even on a $50 mort
gage.
Elizur has long been the village mar
shall, n position of small honor and less
pay. BY turns he is a farmer, teamster,
carpenter and jack of all trades. His
home has been under the curse of pow
erty, not abject poverty, but the hope
less, helpless sort that is far below
comfort and not far above misery. He
-bravely set out to give his uncle no
excuse for foreclosing.
o. The mortgage was dated February 10
and ran for three months. Since April
l Elizur mas been working for Austin
Whitmore as a farm hand. His wife
and children remained at home while
he fought the struggle for freedom. He
probably got $50 a month wages, but
there was one mouth less to feed at
home. The faithful wife, whose noble
efforts are reflected in IA clearly house,
joined in the struggle for food and
clothing. AS the date of maturity of
the note drew near Elizur, in
spite of the direct pinching, was able
to marshal only forty-five of the big
dollars necessary to buy his liberty. He
had heard and read that Russell was
''purty close about money matters. "
he was haunted with the dread of a
man that the money lender
would take his home if he could get a
chance. What was he to doP
His wife had saved mp five whole
dollars. She had large plans for its
use. 1t meant shoes for 7-year-old
Russell, frOcS for ~10-year-old Ethel and
stockings for Emma. Perhaps it meant
a piece of 5-cent calico for herself. She
had set her heart on these things, but
the husband and father insisted the So
must be used TO wipe out the debt
over the home. The wife and
protested. She thought the
uncle could wait Il bit
for the other $5-it was so little
% him and so much TO her. But Elizur
was firm. He was filled with the fear.
Perhaps in his heart he said with an
path that he would not s'be beholden"
Russell, no matter how many mil
ions the uncle had.
At any rate, there was a family quar-
eel. Some reports sag it was tragic.
They say the wife, filed with grief and
niger, tried to take her own life. Be
hat as it may, Russell Sage's $50 are
in a wOman's tears and will
ing with children's cries. Elizur Sage
$ again square with the world. There
s no jingling coin in his pocket, but he
s ''behOlden" to nobody. He will con-
inue to live from hand to mouth, but
lie is a man. His chief concern o is
get the release. He goes to the post
'flice every day, and when it comes he
will probably celebrate the event by
himself an extra chew of
obacco for the day. ,