Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-08-03
With my work"
HIS FIRST VENTURE.

rfN' y 'fa@s
The Sage store was an old fashioned
grocery; liquor by wholesale ana retail
formed an important part of the traf-
tic. At the end of the year Russels
salary was raised to So q month and
when fifteen years old he was getting
81 a week. He saved nearly all OF II.
Across the street were two vacant
lots, and when he had amassed $500 he
bought them. Like David Harum-
whose name, by odd chance appears
on a bill board which now adorns the
side Of the old grocery house, long since
converted into saloon like David
Harum young Sage had keen eye
for horsefiesh
Horses were In great demand, and
the ambitions clerk ever had his eyes
open for promising Vermont colt
Many are the stories told of his shrewd-
ness in horse trading His knowledge
OF horses and his ability 10 buy aud
sell them more than doubled his in
come. He bought more land
With some OF the money he entered
upon new venture on his own account
lie built a shop, and was one of the
first TO navigate a trading sail craft
from Troy TO New York. He handled
on commission a lot OF Vermont horses
and landed them safely in New York
city. II was his first visit to the metro
polls, then a city Of 100000 people. lie
roamed around the markets ana asked
questions OF the grain and produce
men. lie made a study Of prices. and at
once saw that there was a large profit
10 he made In shipping stun from Troy
to New York. He sold his horses and
produce at good advance, and made
contracts for more.
\ PROFITABLE VOYAGE.
At this period Russell Sage was a
tall, rather awkward but strongly built
boy between nineteen and twenty years
old. Those New York dealers who mag
ined they could impose on his inexperl
ence and ignorance Of mercantile meth
DDS soon had reason to change their
minds.
With the money obtained from the
sales he purchased such groceries, dry
goods and other articles as would be in
demand in Troy. and taking advantage
Of a favoring wind and tide set out
for Troy which be reached speedily
and without accident. This trip melted
him nearly 500 and opened to his eyes
a new world.
The young man then terminated his
career as clerk and entered luto part
nership with another brother. Elisha
Montague Sage. and opened a grocery
store at No 40 River street. In two
years the profits from his sloop ana
from other transactions We're such that
he was able TO buy out his brother
Then came the great temperance wave
Of 1893, and he sold ont the grocery
store at a profit and abandoned forever
any traffic in liquor
During all the years that he sold In
toXicants as a clerk and merchant he
never tasted liquor himself. Whei,
about twenty years old he smoked a
cigar IL made him sick ana he never
again attempted the experiment
At the age of twenty-five the yount
man found himself the owner of al
least $4,000 In cash, several tracts OF
land, two sloops and a business expert
ence which he determined to put intu
profit. Around him was one Of thu
best farming countries on earth. To III,
north and east were Canada and Ver-
mont with horses and cattle. To the
south was the metropolis with It's three
hundred thousand mouths.
On himself he spent nothing. Already
he was one of the most substantial
citizens OF Troy, with a reputation
which made his word as good as his
bond. HI entered into a co-partner.
ship with John w. Bates in the whole.
sale grocery and commission business
This place Of business was at No. 70!
River street, and IL was here that Rus.
sell Sage really entered on that bust.
ness career which has made him more
than a hundred times a millionaire. In
five years he purchased the interest OF
Mr. Bates, paying for II the sum OF
$4,000 In cash. He was then twenty.
eight years old. and already was one Of
the wealthiest men in the United
States.
The Erie canal the slow construc.
ton Of which he had watched as a boy
was now one Of the prime means OF en-.
HANGING his fortune Like all men who
have attained great riches. the younl
man was often favored with the smile.
Of the goddess Of good luck. and h,
never failed TO take advantage OF for.
tultous circumstances.
Early In his career and when yet but
boy in years, fleet Of barges loaded