The Mineral argus., 1884-12-18
CYRUS THE CASH BOY.
How Cyrus W. Fie1d Rose From Poverty
TO Riches-His Methods of Money max
ing-Great Enterprises Engineered

ing-Great Enterprises Engineered.
New York Morning Journal.
The procession in celebration OF the
FIRST Atlantic cable has long since been
sclipsed by gran1er pageants, n At
lantic cables nave become as much mat
ter of course as ordinary telegraph lines;
but at that time New York had never be-
fore seen so splendid a show IN the
streets. The city was so crowded with
sight seers that the people slept IN arm
chairs at the hotels, or camped out in the
parks. The military parade, the civil
societies, swelled the large line; the
trades union sent tableaux on
wheels representing various artisans ~
work. Then, standing in an open
barouche and bowling to the right and
left in RESPONSE to cheers of the crowd
came the hero of the occasion, Cyrus
w. Field. a tall, ner~vouslooking gentle
man. with light brown hair and beard,
a Roman nose, bluish-grey eyes, and
the ~sanguine face of a born Yankee.
As he was then, so Mr.. Field is now
q trife s%touter, perhaps, and with a
tinge of silveramong his auburn halr'
The years since this great triumph have
touched him lightly.
A born Yankee Mr.. Field certainly IS.
He first saw the light at Stockbridge,
Mass, ON Ostober 80, 1910. He was
the Youngest son of a New England
clergyman, who subsequently removed
to Haddam, Conn. His brother, David
Dudley, was given a collegiate education;
instead of a classical education Cyrus
received $25 in cash and his fathers
blessing. With these treasures and a far
knowledge of reading, writing and
arithmetic, he was sent to New York
and obtained a situation as a cash boy
in A. Il. Stewards store, at the liberal
salary of 50 q week. For three years
Young CYRUS worked and starved IN
the employ of the dry goods mil
Iiouaire, and then a better and bright
err life was opened to him as travelling
salesman for a paper maker at Lee,
Conn. Even in Stewards establishment
Cyrus made his mark by his energy and
ability. and when he went away the
slerks clubed together and present
ed him with a diamond pin and a fare
well supper. A. L. Stewart gave him
nothing. Strangely enough Mr.. Field
has lived to see the name of A. 1.
Stewart as thoroughly painted out as if
that millionaire had never lived.
Comforted by n good supper and
adorned with his presentation pin, Cy-
rus threw himself into the work OF sell
ing paper with such zeal that in two
years he had mastered the business.
He then formed a copartnership in this
city. His venture was unsuccessful,
and in a few months he was bankrupt.
The blow was a heavy one; he had been
recently married, and had lost every
dollar, but Mr.. Field bore his misfor-
tune with his accustomed courage. He
started in again, and On the first day
that he took possession of his new OF
fee he made the sanguine remark; Il
shall make a fortune here in twenty
wears" Better than his word, he made
his fortune in twelve years and retired,
still in the prime of life, to enjoy that
rest which he had never before known
since his boyhood.
In a leisure moment he formed an
acquaintance with one Osborne, who
had conceived the project of an Allan
tic cable, and had procured a charter
for the laying of the cable from the leg
i~slature of Newfoundland. The Chs
borne's work had ended; but he talked
it over with Mr.. Field, whose leisure
hung heavily upon him, although he
had travelled through Bogota, Guaya-
aui and Ecuador with Church who paint
ed the Heart of the Andes" to try anC
while away the time. Mr.. Field be-
became interested in Gisborne's schem'
and one night, while studying the geo.
graphical globe, which still stands IL
his library, his interest famed into en-
thusiasm, and he shouted: at can b'
done. and it shall be DONE" The mex
night he called together his friends
Peter Cooper. Moses Taylor, Marshal
o. Roberts, Chandler White and Wilson
G. Hupt-and preached Atlantic ca
BILE TO them until they were ~converte'
TO his plans. A stock company wa
formed, the necessary capital for pre-
liminary expenses subscribed; hi
brother Dudley acted as lawyer OF tn
enterprise. and Cyrus sailed for Eng
land to wrest the money for the cabl
from British investors. No monk o
old over preached the crusade wit
better vehemence, and in a wonderful
short time, and in defiance OF nnumer
able difficulties, the cable was CON
menced and the ships chartered to la
it.
Before the Atlantic cable was IN &C
accomplished fact Mr.. Field had labor
ed upon it for twelve years and crosse
the ocean ffty-one times. The frs
cable would not operate, but la
lead in its ocean grave. The secon