Thrift, the Secret of a Fortune Built in a Single Lifetime.
VERY few great fortunes have been acquired by one man, or within the
limits of a single lifetime. The vast wealth of the Vanderbilts, the
Astors, and many others, has accumulated through several generations.
It is seldom, indeed, that a fortune like that of Russell Sage is
amassed by one man. For years, the newspapers of the country have been
filled with stories of his eccentricities.
When I called at the great banker’s office, I found it very hard to
obtain an audience with Mr. Sage, even though I had an introduction to
him. He has so often been the victim of cranks, and has so many callers
at his office, that he has been obliged to deny himself to all alike.
He finally decided to see me. I found him seated at an old flat-topped
desk, looking over the stock reports of the day, and I was surprised at
the extreme simplicity of all his surroundings. The furnishings of the
room looked as if they might have seen service before the Civil War,
and, upon later inquiry, I learned that most of the chairs and the desk
itself have been in use by Mr. Sage for more than twenty-five years.
He has become so attached to them that he cannot think of discarding
them for more modern inventions. Mr. Sage is smooth-faced, and his hair
is thin and gray. His clothes are fashioned in the style of thirty
years ago, but of good material, and well kept. His shoulders are bent
with care and age, but his face has a good color, and a happy smile
that betokens health and a peaceful mind.
“I have come to ask you to tell me the story of your life,” I said,
“for I am sure it must be of great interest.”