Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-15

- civil service commissioner, po-
lice commissioner, lieutenant-colone Of
the Rough Riders. governor Of the state he
was born in, and so on, he vas generally
very approachable by the reporter, always
providing he wasn't too busy.
A reporter who went to see him one
day at police headquarters in New York
had a rather curious experience. Mr.. Roose-
welt was out when the reporters card was
sent in. 1t was nearly an hour before the
commissioner returned. BY that time a
score or more of persons were waiting.
Then a stir at the door made them all sit
up and take notice, and Roosevelt rushed
through the ante-room like a dark-brown
streak to the door of his office, scattering
his visitors right and left, and shutting
the door behind him with a slam. The
reporter was the first caller and entitled
to precedence, but he preferred to wait, and
It was nearly another hour before he had
his audience.
The future president was cordial in his
greeting, and, after looking at his watch,
said he could give twenty minutes to the
interview, but made it understood in short
order that he was a professional writer az
we'll as a public man.
The subject you suggest is an important
and interesting one said the commits
sioner, with his characteristic smile, but
l haven't time to think 1t all out now.
Besides, l may want to write about 1t my
self. What else have you in mind?'
Fortunately for him, the reporter had
other taxable topics to suggest, but his
spirits fell as he called them off in success
sion, for the first half dozen all appealed
to Mr.. Roosevelt as too good to be spoiled
by being interviewed about them. Finally,
though, a suitable subject was agreed upon
and an hour, instead of twenty minutes,
was given up to the interview.
Russell Sage has never been a hard man
to interview when he wanted to let the
public know what he thinks about some
thing, but otherwise you might as we'll
seek Information from a stone. In fact.
Mr.. Sage will not be seen at all in such
an instance, and 1t is useless TO try tn con-
vince the clerk who pokes his head out
of the little barred window in the thin
partition that shuts in the capitalists Of
fee. Sometimes Mr.. Sage has been known
to invite an interview by causing the in
sortion of 4 little FIVE or ten line item in
the newspapers.
On one occasion such an item was
printed saying that Sage was about 10
lend his backing to a man who had had a
spectacular, but not wholly successful ca
reer in the world Of ra' Tread finance. The
statement seemed so prep~sterous though,
that the reporters we're not sent to Sage's
Office. A correspondent of an out-of-town
paper, however, short of material for his
daily dispatches, went to Mr.. Sage's Of
fee, and, showing the little item to the
clerk at the window, was admitted with
out ceremony. Mr.. Sage seemed pleased,
and the correspondent got a creditable
scoop" on all the New York papers. Sage
didn't verify the item explicitly, bat what
he said amounted to the same thing.
THE man mentioned in the item" said
Mr.. Sage, lis one of the brightest men now
before the public, and have learned more
from him than from almost any one / ever
met"
BY the time he had finished, the CORE
spondent had material fer a column and a
half dispatch, the accuracy of which was
questioned at first by the New York papers,
but afterward confirmed with all the dig
nifty of display type. The result was that
the man mentioned" was able to get on
to his feet akain-for a while.
Mr.. Sage has always been more than
willing to talk about his horses, OF which
he is very fond, and more than one re-
porter, anxious to get his views on a cur
rent financial topic, has gained admittance
to his private Office by asking for some
Information about these pets. He is al
ways ready also to talk OF the methods by
which success in life may be attained, and
when he does his talk is always optimis-
tic.
He thinks the struggling young man OF
today has just as good a chance to win as
the young man who started out early in
the last century, and is full Of al ecdotes
and incidents to prove that he is right.
1t is not OF record, though, that any in
g%enious reporter ever got Mr.. Sage to
talk on something he didn't intend to by
questioning him about either horses or
success In life.
OF all the men big enough to be in
terViewed, Roscoe Conkling was one Of
the easiest, Proud and naughty in his