The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-13
Indianapolis Star.)

| Russell Sage. His thriftiness became
a byword all over the country. That
Mr. Sage was thrifty there can be nc
gdinsaying. Wall street has an ole
joke about Mr. Sage TO the effect that
hanging framed in his Office was the
frst dollar bill he ever made. which
he cherished so much that he would
not part with it except on the best
| collateral.
1t used to be ali event in the finan-
cial district when word was passed
along that Mr.. Sage had bought a new
piece of clothing. Some were unkind
enough to say that no such report
could be true, as he had never been
Known TO buy anything new. AT any
rate. his personal appearance indi-
Gated that he believed in the adage
that only rich man can afford to look
shabby
Daily for years Mr. Sage used to go
from his Wall street office to the
Western Union building at 1876 Broad
way, to partake of the free lunch that
was served to the company by its d.
rectors. Once a newspaper man fol-
| lowed him there to try to obtain ain
interview on an important financial
| matter. Mr.. Sage showed that he did
not want to talk about it,
He boarded a Broadway car down
town, and the persistent reporter still
hopeful of a talk. followed. The con-
ductor came around and asked for
fares. Mr.. Sage never budged. The
conductor was getting impatient, and
1t was evident that some one would
have to pay. The reporter had fished
up a nickel for himself, but he dived
into his pocket again. so no one was
fAttf H. isrl. Ton ,,.,
up perceptibly, said, Thank you" but
did not offer to reimburse for the fare
The reporter got his reward, however,
In the sought-for interview.
Once again this newspaper man en-
countered Mr.. Sage at the corner of
Broadway and Cortland street on his
way to the elevated railroad station,
homeward bound A newsboy had
proffered his evening papers. and Mr..
Sage had taken one. He offered a
dime. The boy could not change it.
and was trying to secure cents for 1t
from nearby banana and peanut ped
dlers. Mr.. sage was keeping a watch
full eye upon him all the time. Said
the reporter to the aged financial mag
nate. "T'll treat YOU
Thank you. thank you said Mr..
Sage, and calling loudly Boy. Boy"
he summoned back his dime. and. as
smiles overspread his face, the reporter
handed over a cent for the paper. 1t
used to be a standing joke of this news
paper man that he had invested
cents in Russell Sage"
~
Contrary to general Wall street opin-
ion, Mr.. Sage was quite sensitive about
newspaper stories rejecting on his
thrifty habits. The newspaper man
h. {r,- 4 In, hi ha
a sample of this one day when he was
accused by Mr.. Sage of having written
a story which had appeared in one of
the morning papers purporting to tell
of a cock fight in Mr.. Sage'S office. As
a matter of fact, some chickens, Grated
had come to the office the day before,
addressed to a clerk of Mr.. Sage's who
lived in the country, and the story told
how they had escaped and how two
ROSTERS had fought over heaps Of
bonds worth millions of dollars.
1t also told how Mr.. Sage had
reached the office after the fight and
had wanted to know all the particulars
and which bird had won, and how he
had searched about his office and found
a fresh-laid egg in his waste paper
basket, which he had carefully wrapped
up for his breakfast next morning
The newspaper man tried TO convince
Mr.. Sage that he could not have writ
ten the story, as it had appeared in a
paper that did not employ him; but
Mr.. Sage would have none of 1t.
He said he had been told that the
man had been in the office
the day before, and that he did not
know of any other reporter who had |
been there. So suspicious and exas- |
perated was he that he gave instruc-
tons that his heretofore newspaper |
friend should not be admitted to his |
office again.
This was a nuisance to the latter as |
Mr.. Sage was at that time still an ac-
tive power i'm Wall street. The re- |
porter was kept out of the office for
two years, until one day Mr.. Sage had |
told him the way the story had reached |
the paper that had printed it. Another /
reporter had happened to visit the Of
fee for few minutes and had noticed /
the chickens.
Before the bomb explosion that very
nearly cost Mr.. Sage his life, it was
easy for strangers to
reach him and converse with him.
After that event, in which the crank
bomb thrower. Norcross, was blown 10
pieces, bars and gratings were put up
could not fully explain his business
had any chance of getting in. Wall
street got TO calling the office "Sage's
bomb proof"
That Mrs. Sage was not in her hus-
)and's confidence as to money matters
s further illustrated by several stories
hat are related by persons who know
he family affairs. Sage gave $4,000 10
he San Francisco sufferers fund. ana
Wall street stared and gasped. 1t was
/ vast fortune for Sage to give away
without possible chance of q return
That night Henry Clews, who lives
lext door to the Sages, at 634 Fifth
lvenue, thought he ought to tell Mrs
sage what her husband had done for
,harity.
Clews stepped into the Sage house
md gleefully reported to Mrs. Sage
he news. He only gave $4,000" said
hrs. Sage in surprise. He uoght to
AVE given 100000" she added, in a
egretful way. 1t was explained to her
" Clews that Wall street thought 1t
vas a lot of money for her husband
10 til |