The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-11-04
MRS. SAGE DIED
At AGE OF 90
One of the Richest Women
in the World and a
Philanthropist
SHE STARTED LIFE
AS VERY POOR GIRL
She Was Left $70,000,0
and Has Given Away
About One-Half

New York, Nov. Mrs. Russell Sage
widow of Russell Sage, the financier, died
suddenly this morning at her residence
here. She had been in feeble health for
several years. She was 90 years old.
Mrs. Sage was one of the richest wom-
en- in the world.
Three or four days ago her condition
became serious and the end was not I'M
expected Her death was caused by all
ments due to advanced age. Also due to
the same cause, Mrs. Sage has been vir-
tually reeuse in her Fifth avenue house
for several years. She has been seen but
rarely in public and her visitors were lin
tied to close friends and relatives.
A nurse on duty in Mrs Sage's room
noticed a change in the patients condi-
tion shortly after midnight, Mrs. Sage
died about an hour later.
Margaret Olivia Sage, until she reached
middle life had only the meagre income
of a school teacher and then in a day she
found herself mistress of one of the
greatest fortunes in America. Her early
days were devoted to scraping together
enough money to give herself fair edu-
cation, and her last were spent in deyel-
oping the science of giving money away.
During the last seven years of complete
stewardship of the S70,000,000 left by
her husband Russell Sage, she returned
nearly $30000,000 to the public by sys-
tematic philanthropies
My experience has taught me-" she
had said recently, "that successful people
are those who take what comes to hand,
and, if it be small, wait and work for
something better. The root of failure
lies often in the thought that you can do
but one thing and must do that or moth
ing"
This practical philosophy developed
when she was a girl in Syracuse, N. Y,
her birthplace. Her father, Joseph Slo-
cum, was so reduced in circumstances by
the panic of 1887 that the daughter, at
the age of only nine years was obliged to
help in the upkeep Of the household. AT
the age of 10 she started for Mount Hol-
yoke college, expecting to work her way
for four years by homework, but sick
ness overlook her on her way and she
was compelled to stop at an uncle's house
in Troy. Later she was induced to enter
Emma Wizards seminary at Troy, and
after a hard battle for self-support she
was graduated and became school
teacher For nearly 20 years afterward
she continued her battle, teaching schools
in Philadelphia, Syracuse and Troy until,
at the age of IL years, she became the
wife of Russell Sage, then frugal bank
er at Waterviet, N Y.
Their home life was simple, despite
their great wealth. Mrs, Sage took such
deep interest in her husbands affairs
that he turned over to her five years be-
fore his death complete control of his
business and found that his faith was
borne out by her successful operations.
But she was proudest of her ability to
support herself altogether independent of
wealth, and Of her housekeeping.
IF my cook should leave me to-day"
she once said, Il could do the work my
self without running all over the city for
another girl before we had something to
eat. Housework is one Of the best occu-
pations know Girls should take up
homework, even as servants, rather than
W.T. III 1hF StbttSs II 4 Ildh a hdhElibtI
(she was childless) she would have been
taught to cook and sew and be of some
comfort to her parents. Some girls, now.
adays, are of no more comfort to their
parents than if they did not exist"
Mrs. Sage was q "womans woman"
and her charities were largely directed to
the aid of women and children. She be-
came widely known as lady bountiful'
and was so besieged with requests for
money that she had to retire finally to
seclusion. Begging letters have been re-
ceived at her Fifth avenue home at the
rate of 500 a day, some of the writers
threatening suicide and Others to do her
bodily harm if their petitions were not
needed. SO insistent were the hordes
that they sometimes gathered in mum
bers about her doors.
Mrs. Sage was little woman and ex-
tremely self-controlled. She gave, and
gave literally but was so determined that
her giving should be done wisely that
shortly after her husbands death she
established the Russell Sage Foundation
with SI0,000,000 for the improvement of
social and living conditions in the United
States Outside of this she has made
large gifts, including Sl,0O0,00O to the
Emma Willard seminary, 100000 to
Rensselaer, Polytechnic institute, $780,
300 to the Y. NJ and Y. w. G. A., $l5000O
10 the American Seaman's institute,
$4,000 to the Mortified Mass sem
mary, $4,000 to the Sage Institute of
Pathology of the New York City hos
pital, $250,00O for a home for INDECENT
women, and 100000 to Syracuse univer-
sity.
She was born Sept. s, 1928, eighth in
descent, through her father, from Miles
Standish, and on her maternal side de-
scendant of Col. Henry Pierson of Sag
Harbor, N. Y, founder of the public
nchnnl svstem in America in l7R7