The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23
CHARLES w. OSBORNE, THE NEW
CONTROLLER OF THE SAGE MILLIONS

carefully. and actually took three days.
He worked year in and year out over
securities, and never seemed to feel the
need of rest.
1t would hardly be correct to say
that in the twenty-five years of serv-
ice he was absent, for it must be re-
membered that he had some time off
after the mailman Norcross threw the
bomb in the Sage office Mr.. Osborne
at the time was conducting a negotia-
ton with customer. He was carried
from the building minus a considerable
portion of his clothing, and for a time
1t was feared that his skull was frac-
tured. He came through that trying
ordeal safely, however, and in the fif-
teen years which succeeded did not
miss any time except the triple holt
day mentioned.
IL mas only been recently that those
who went to the office of Russell Sage
realized the influence of the vizier.
Nominally he merely received and paid
out money. Beneath the little window
IN the partition In the office at 81 Mas
sau street Is the legend. Charles w.
osborne. Cashier" 1t is printed in
black letters, with red borders. and was
engrossed by Mr.. Osborne's own hand.
Beyond the opening of a long, fiat,
table. such as bookkeepers have, and
in front of it stands the man who di-
reefs probably a hundred million dol
lars.
Mr.. Osborne had hardly been in the
employ of Mr.. Sage a year before a
power of attorney was given to him
and 1T was renewed from year to year.
The financier who/has departed this life
grew to trust him and to place the ut
most reliance upon him. Wall street
never mislaid a security or lost a dol
lar; that his judgment never failed and
that he never made a mistake
Details of keeping tracks of the bust
ness or Russell Sage probably would
nave driven a man with less command
over himself TO an insane asylum. Mr.
sage at the time of his death had $50.
OOV,OOO loaned in Wall street. which
means that his cashier lent the money
Ior MN. The greater part Of the bust
ness was with stock exchange houses
and the security given was of the very
pest The manner of taking care of
these accounts was somewhat priroi
tive. The collateral was showed into
an envelope. When a broker desired
TO substitute some other security for a
portion of it his envelope was hauled
out and the necessary change was
made.
me almost lnhnite number Of negO-
tlations required in such a business
hecessltateS tact and patience and self
control but Wall street saws of the
Sage executor that he never made AN
enemy. His fairness and courtesy were
proVerbial in the little world which
knew him. The brokers and the bank
ers who had occasion to transact busi
ness always found him the same. He
was always on the alert, always in
command Of his faculties. vet AT the
same time so agreeable to all who came
10 the little window that even men who
were obliged to sacrifice their securi
tleS spoke OF him later as fair, square
and agreeable man.
He was Russell Sage's man Osborv,o.
to many in the street, and il has only
Deen within the last two or three wears
that the men who dealt with him he
gan 10 realize that he was a strong In
Gividuality.
one of the reasons that he mt his
name on the cashiers window was that
IL might be known he was one of the
men mentioned i'm the stock notes. ON
account or his advanced age it was ar
ranged several years ago by Mr.. Sage
mat all loans should be paid either 70
his brother-in-law. Colonel J. J. SIo1
cum, or to Mr.. Osborne.
Inc quiet, well poised man who sat
oehlnd the cashiers desk I'm the Office
IN the Bank of Commerce building had
much to do with the engineering of af-
Iairs IN such way that the death of
russell Sage produced scarcely a rim
pie on the surface of Wall street. Had
the situation been less adroitly handled
there might have been a storm in
which many financial craft would have
foundered.
Mr.. Osborne. like his late emnIover
dld' takes keen delight i'm driving fast
norSes. He always owns a team al
least, and frequently he NAV be seen
on the driveways in the borough of
Brooklyn. He has been a resident of
the transporting borough for manv
years. Mr.. Osborne lives in 1nostenta.
tions style. In summer time he makes
ms nome in EnglewOod, n. J.. where
ne mas cottage on Hillcrest avenue
by the terms of the will of Russell
sage, Mr.. Osborne is one of the the
executors and he will share with them
feeS of nearly $1,000, 900. His saIsrv
win Mr.: Sage is said not to have ex-
ceeded $4,000 6 year. but bv carefI,1
hn ho