The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-16
CYKus W. FIELD.
A Millionaire Who Began Business Life as
= Cash hoy in Stewards Store.


a Cash hoy in Stewards Store.
New York Morning Journal.
The procession in celebration Of the laying of
the first Atlantic cable has long since been
eclipsed by grander pageants, and Atlantic
cables have become as much matters of course
as ordinary telegraph wires; but at that time
New York had never before seen so splendid
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 tradesuniOns sent fableauX on
wheels representing various artisans at work.
Then, standing in an open barouche, and bow
ing to the right and left in response to the cheers
of the crowd, came the hero of the occasion,
Cyrus w. Field. a tall nervous looking gentle
man, with light brown hair and beard, Roman
nose blush gray ewes, and the sanguine face of
a born Yankee As he then. Mr.. Field
is nova trife stouter, perhaps, and
with tinge of silver among his auburn hair.
The years since his great triumph have touched
him lightly.
born Yankee Mr. Field certainly is He
first saw the light at Stockbridge, Mass, on Oc-
tober 80, 1919 He was the youngest son of
New England clergyman. who subsequently re-
moved to Haddam Conn His brother David
Dudley. was given collegiate education; instead
of a classical education Cyrus received 50 in
cash and his fathers blessing. With these treas
ures and fair knowledge of reading, writing
and arithmetic, he was sent to New York and
obtained a situation as cash-boy in A. T. Stew
arts store, at the liberal salary of 81 a week
For three years young Cyrus worked and starved
IN the employ eff the dry goods millionaire. and
then better and brighter life was opened to
him as travelling salesman for paper maker at
Lee Conn, Even in Stewards establishment
Cyrus made his mark by his energy and ability.
and when he went away the clerks dubbed TO-
gether and presented him with diamond pin
and a farewell supper A. T. Stewart gave him
nothing Strangely enough, Mr.. Field has lived
to see the name of A. T. Stewart as thoroughly
painted out as if that millionaire had never
lived
Comforted by one good supper and adorned
with his presentation pin, Cyrus threw himself
into the work of selling paper with such zeal that
IN two years he had mastered the business He
then formed eopartnership in this city. His
venture was unsuccessful and in few months
he was bankrupt The blow was heavy one:
he had been recently married and had lost every
dollar. but Mr.. Field bore his misfortune with
his accustomed courage. He started in again,
and on the first day that he took possession of
his new office he made the sanguine remark Il
shall make fortune here in twenty years
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 be-
fore known since his boyhood
In a leisure moment he formed an aequaint-
ance with one Osborne, who had conceived the
project of an Atlantic cable and had procured
charter for the laying of the cable from the Leg
islature of Newfoundland. There Gisborne's
Field, whose leisure hung heavily upon him, al
though he had travelled through Bogota, Quay
aquil aud Ecuador with Church, who painted
the Heart of the Andes, to try and while away
the time. Mr.. Field became interested in GiS-
bornes scheme, and one night while studying
the geographical globe, which still stands in his
library, has interest famed into enthusiasm, and
he shouted: 1T can be done, and it shall be
done The next night he called together his
friends-Peter Cooper, Moses Taylor Marshall
D. Roberts, Chandler White and Wilson
e. Hunt-and preached Atlantic cable
TO them until they were converted
to his plans. stock company was
formed, the necessary capital for preliminary
expense subscribed; his brother Dudley acted as
lawyer of the enterprise, and Cyrus sailed for
England to wrest the money for the cable from
British investors. No monk of old ever
preached the Crusade with greater vehemence,
anee Of innumerable difficulties, the cable was
commenced and the ships chartered to lay it.
Before the Atlantic cable was an accomplished
fact DIR. Field had labored upon it for twelve
years and crossed the ocean fifty one times. The
first cable would not operate, but lay dead in it's
ocean grave The second cable spoke for three
weeks. then parted, and was dead as the first
In 1866 the Great Eastern succeeded IL perma-
nently uniting the two worlds. Then all the
terrible labors of twelve years were forgotten in
| the triumphs of success Congress voted Mr..
| Field medal the Paris Exposition sent him
another medal; the Queen of England knighted
his associates, ana ne would nave been Slr Cyrus
had not his American birth and prsjudices pre-
vented
In 1879 he celebrated at his Gramercy Park
mansion. the silver wedding Of the cable pro
iect, and here as in England, the best society
did harmonic to his achievements. William
III. Evarts, in his commemorative address
declared Columbus said Here is one world
let there be two but Cyrus w. Field said:
Here are two worlds, let there be one and
both commands were obeyed.n
Mr.. Field is the owner of the Washington.
building and other real estate valued at SIC, 000
600. In stocks, bonds and other securities he
has so, 600, 900 more
He owns country house at Irrington and a
mansion opposite that of his former business as
sOciate and recent rival Samuel j. Tilden
IN GrameFcy square. In Mr. Fields shirt front
flashes one of the largest and parest emeralds
in the world, and one often wonders as he adj
mires that jewel, whether Mr. Field really
values it higher than the diamond PIN presented
to him when poor cash boy, by A. 4. Stewards
clerks.