The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-07-03

Many a poorer man than Russell Sage
has spent greater amounts for an
evenings advertisement. Bit the hard
eyed old financler didn't do business
on the charitable plan.
Transaction Typical Of Sage.
One may recall that he let his wife
yearn for years after velvet carpets.
But he did finally tell his relative he
might have what money he needed
under certain conditions. In the end
Elizur Sage asked only 1859, which
was sent him, and in return be gave
Russell Sage, a mortgage onpbis place
70 guarantee this. enormousisum;psis
The neWspapers, gotshold eflsthe
Rttaryi at the time, Z and as ahrestitVa
New York rmusepm proprietor Offered
Elisl,n Sage 5000 10, week, to. appear
With his son in the museum as tha
man who bad iauseeeded In borrowing
$40 Of Russell Sage. 3 The saephew
peyer appested and the experience
has made him q bit cbarya OF tnewa;
papsrs and jmuseqwsls bat they HOLD
only what, wasptrye5 osfthls, richsrelas
tive ihassnot soitened 'thegRting. ahbssr
a But in th9, end IElizuBi Sage got big
sS990GrThlt his IownG to do wlthas he
pieasedr7and.t there. swas5 tno Russell
Sage estp ask atmeFtgase.nThere
ls more tragedy In sthis than may
crop Ssout of+white papers and, eblaels
Ink. There Is here the ruin of youth.
the wrecking OF hopes and enjoy
ments, In the end there rs prosperity
when the age for such things ispast,
when the, ability to enjoy 10 dead.
Elizur Sage was SO years old when
the legacy came. Fl
II might have acted different II I
had been younger" he said, "but ]
wasn't no young man any more, and
I guess hayln' a little money didn't do
much like maxim me crazy" -
Neither did It make him happy. In
all the things Elizur Sage says Of his
/ gift gold there II no:trace OF any gen.
ulna enjoyment. ;:fisi i'd more secure
than he was, bit tsatS Ii, al,i, He isu I
sure that his money has haas shimtsh-
Joy life more. $ N 4! ;:,is;S1
Sage did not squander hisS money. n /
A BIT Of native. shrewdnesst Ia reS
sponsible for the fact chat the. sharp
ers haven't It all, 3 rS'pi
Sage invested atlleast "a large part
OF HIS legacy In land y! q. u ~ e,
Hestill has the land ,inctimbered or
otherwise. and It has appreciated.
Wealth Falls to Bring Happlnssiss.ss
He Is neither happy nor satisfied.
y went into the war at 49," he said /.
in beginning bis story, land l was in
the service until was 16, In the first
Chicago Board Of Trade regiment
Captain Sexton, my commander was
afterwards postmaster In Chicago. On
leaving the service + went back 10 NV
father, who was in Will county. mi.
nols, In q little town. He was car.
penter and i learned this trade from
him. He also owned farm. At 20,
In 1869, ! went to farming on his place
and stayed there till 1872 or 1879
when my father died and the estate
~as divided. Then ran little
grocery and meat market for about
Ave years and then came to Indiana
and rented a farm. Then for yea,
! was back on farm in Illinois again,
and In 1890 ! came back here to In.
diana. I've been here, ever since"
Sage was more than willing to saw
that previous to the coming of the
$4,000 he had been absolutely poor,
mo. had nothing in those days
but q living, was happy and care.
less then" he said. Nothing worried
me. When got done. with a hard
days work J slept. That was all there
was to It. L was good in a Wayne
cares, and nothing. guess / was just
about as well off. AS long as any.
body has bis health guess he's about
as happy as be can be made"
What happened when you got the
money!" was asked.
We'll, the: first thing, It put, me
into a peck O. trouble. Friends l