Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-07-27

street and Fifth avenue for $50, 800, and
in six months sold it for $4,000, and
moved to his late residence, 500 Fifth
avenue.
At that time he was interested in the
affairs of the Wabash and the Union Pa
cifc, and he and Jay Gould then began
friendship which only ended with the
death of Mr.. Gould While Mr.. Gould
lived Mr. Sage counted the day lost if
he did not spend an hour with Mr.. Gould
of the Western Union Telegraph COM
pany. He and Mr.. Gould had pews in
the Presbyterian church in Forty second
street, over which Rev. John r. Paxton
presided.
Always Had Millions Ready.
He was considered to be the largest
stakeholder in the Importers and Trad
ers' National bank, and it has always
been said by Mr.. Sage's intimates that
an hours notice. Although member of
the New York stock exchange for years
he scarcely ever put foot upon the floor.
He joined the exchange on January %.
1874. His fortune of $40,OO0,O0O or
$5O,0OO0OO was constantly added to by
dividends and interest, rather than by
speculations in stock. He was a great
lender of money to bankers and brokers.
and most of the hours in his business
day were devoted to rolling up wealth in
this way and to attending the meetings
of directors. 1t has been said that his
fees as a director would make a COM
Portable competency for the average citi-
| zen. Up to the last day of his life he
was interested in a modest way in puts
and calls, although from that hot day in
June, 1884, when he was reported to
have lost $7,OO0.OOO, he gradually cur
tailed that branch Of his business.
Marries Second Time.
Mr.. Sage had lived in New York but
a few years when his wife died. The
blow almost Frustrated him, and it was
some time before he returned to the field
of finance. For years he continued to
devote his entire time to business, with
neither family nor children. Eventually
he married Miss Marguerite Olivia Slo-
cum, who survives him.
During the last decade of his career
Mr.. Sage's dealings in puts and calls
were comparatively small, though there
was a time when his transactions in
these privileges amounted to millions of
dollars annually.
Mr.. Sage's great reputation was that
of an ecOnomizer. He often declared that
So was enough for any man to pay for q
suit of clothes and that a 50-cent straw
hat should be worn at least two sea-
sons. And he religiously practiced what
he preached. He never smoked, and his
only stimulent in recent years was a
thimbleful of whisky just before retir-
ing. He had but one great hobby-to
own and drive fast roadsters. When
after his serious illness in 1905, his wife
and physician persuaded him to gradu-
ally relinquish the active management of
his business he could be seen every after
noon, save Sunday, driving behind a
| handsome pair of horses in Central park.
The past few years he resided in Fifth
avenue opposite ST. Patrick's cathedral.
Previous to that he had lived for many
years in a brown stone mansion in Fifth
avenue just above FOrty-second street.
Dynamite Plot Failed.
For years Mr. Sages office looked out
in Trinity churchyard, at the corner of
Broadway and Rector street. After the
attempt to blow him to pieces with dy-
Mantle in his office some fifteen years
ago, Mr.. Sage removed his office TO "a
Nassau street.
The attempt to dynamite Mr.. Sage was
made by Henry L. Norcross, noted
broker in Boston, who gained admit
lance to Sages Office, pretending that he
came from one of the Rockefellers. Once
| inside he proffered to Mr. Sage a type
written note which declared that if Mr..
Sage did not Immediately hand out
81, $50 900 he would fling q bag of dyna-
mite at Mr.. Sage's feet, and all would
go to instant perdition. Norcross as Mr..
Sage read the typewriter note, gently
swung a satchel
When Mr.. Sage retreated and Nor
cross saw that his mission was to fail he
dropped the bag of dynamite and was
blown to pieces himself Mr. Sage es-
capped, but not unhurt. The offices were
wrecked and all that was left of Nor
cross was his head. Mr.. Sage CROPPED his
way out of the building, across Broad
way, into drug store, where his wounds
were bandaged. Then he was driven
| home.
Never Lost His Nerve.
On that evening, Superintendent. then
Inspector Byrnes took the head of Nor
cross into Mr.. Sage's bedroom and asked
him if he felt we'll enough to undergo
the ordeal. Mr.. Sage's physician, had
prepared the head in the meantime. and
Inspector Byrnes asked Mr.. Sage for a
described the head accurately. The
basket was uncovered and DR.. Mum
held up the head. Mr.. Sage half rose
in bed, looked at the face intently for a
few seconds, and then said:
That is the person whom l saw with
the satchel and note
Up to the time when he was fast ap-
preaching his ninetieth year Mr.. Sage
continued to keep in the harness. All
the stories told about his taking no va
cation, having no days off, working on
holidays as on business days, were true.
MIR. Sage was never heard to speak IN
later years of his family connections. In
fact, he is said to have declared more
than once that he had no living relatives.
1t often has been reported, however, that
he has nephews and other relatives liv-
ing in his old home county and also
scattered through the west.
Sage Glorifed Gen. Taylor.
Just after the close of the Mexican
war, when paeans of praise were being
sung for Gen. Taylor, popularity called
"Old Rough and Ready Mr.. Sage was
deputed by the board of aldermen of
Troy to come to New York with a fell
low alderman and welcome Maj-Gen.
John E. Wood. a citizen of Troy, on his
return from the Mexican war At the
long dinner table on the boat there was
great gathering, and one of Mr.. Sage's
colleagues arose and addressed the audi
ence in true spreadeagle style, glorify-
ing Gen. Wood. Mr.. Sage who spoke