The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-03-16
HAS RUSSELL SAGE
ANY RELATIVES.


The venerable Russell Sage claims
that he has no living relatives, no
nephews or nieces, although every
now and then somebody turns up in
the newspapers claiming to be his
brother or sister. There have been
a good many stories printed about
relatives of this great plutocrat, who
are destitute or in distress in differ
ent parts of the country, but he has
invariably repudiated them and de
clared them to be imposters The
other day lady living at Fredonia,
n. Y, told me of story she heard
from her father, now eighty-nine
years of age, but whose mind and
memory are still perfect. She said:
My father was born in the village
of Fredonia, N. Y, July 2, 1916 He
was married in 1888. In 1889 he EN-
ployed by the month one William
Sage, a brother Of Russell Sage, who
came to Fredonia from, near Utica.
William was then a married man and
had children, the number not stated,
but my father remembers two or
three bright boys. He soon became
interested in William and assisted
him to provide a home for his family
by loaning him horses TO draw build
ing material, giving him stone for a
foundation for his house from a quar-
ry he owned, and going security for
nim in his purchases The house is
standing today.
"Soon misfortune came. The wife
of William Sage became insane and
he moved to Troy, N. Y, where my
father lost track of him. He used to
tell father of his brother Russell,
who was then successful business
man, first in Troy, in the grocery bus
mess, and later in New York City.
William wished that his brother
would help him financially, but did
not expect him to do so, because when
their father died Russell refused to
contribute in defraying the funeral
expenses.
After William bad gone to Troy
the son of another brother, who had
made his home in Iowa, came to FIRE.
donna on his way to New York. He
stated that his father had borrowed
$50 of his brother Russell, who pressed
him so hard for his pay that he be-
lieved the anxiety and inability to
meet the obligation caused his faith
er's death. My father told him of his
Uncle Williams experience and urged
the young man to see his Uncle Rus
sell and ask him to assist him Ia buy
ing the home, which he not only prom
ised to do, but was to advise my faith
er of the result. Later word came
back from the Western nephew, who
had seemingly interested the great
financier in his brothers sad expert
ence Russell Sage instructed his
nephew to go to Troy, to have VIII
liam select home and promised to
follow himself and make the pur-
chase. When Russell arrived and in
spected the selection he refused to
pay for it, and, to the bitter disap-
pointment of his brother and nephew,
said: If William has such extrava-
giant notions as to select a home cost
ing $4,000 l will do nothing for him,
and he turned his back upon his I'M
fortunate brother.
This proves that Russell Sage had
two brothers, each of them with chill
dren, and several of those children
are doubtless living today. One of
them, nephew of Russell Sage, lives
at Brocton, Chautauqua county, N. Y,
only seven miles from Fredonia. He
can verify these statements. Will
liam e. Curtis in Chicago Record
Herald.