Riders of the Purple SAGE is a classic western novel written by Zane Grey in 1912. The novel follows the story of a young woman named Jane Withersteen and her struggle against a group of Mormon elders in a small Utah town. The term 'Riders of the Purple SAGE' refers to a group of cowboys who come to Jane's aid and help her fight against the oppressive elders. The crossword solution for this term is SAGE, which is a type of aromatic plant used in cooking and medicine.