Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-14
,st posT.IHTElLIcENcER PUB. co
s..,sie June 10 1893.
CYRIs w. FIELD.

xu,,suatre Who Began Rusiness
~. M q Cash Boy I'm stewart.
asFs.
New York Morning Journai.l
~. urocession in celebration Of the
..,oo of the first Atlsntic cable has
- sincs been eclipsed by qrander
ssnssnts. and Atlantic cables have be-
- "a much matters of course as or
s,ss,v telegraph lines; but At that time
I ~ York had never before seen so
.lsudld show in he streets. The city
4 - 40 crowded with sight -seers that
NJ peeple slept IN arm chairs at the
/ scssis. or camped out in the parks. The
~silary parade and the civil societies
ssslIsd the large liue; the trades unions
snt tableauy on Wheels representing
,,r;ons artisans at work. Then, stand
mo IN an open barouche and bowing to
iks right and left in response to the
4 ss,ers OF the crowd, came the hero Of
sbs occasion, Cyrus w. Field, tall. ner-
,ous looking gentleman, with light
hfozu hair aud beard, 4 Roman nose,
Nuisb.eray eyes, and the saBguine face
born Yankee. As be was then, so
M Field Is nova trifie stOuter, per-
ham. and With tinge of silver among
N auburn hair. The years since bis
g,sat triumph have touched him lightly.
born Yankee Mr.. Field certainly is.
Hs first saw the light at Stockbridge,
Massachusetts,, on October 30, 1919.
he vas the youngest son of New Eng
and clergyman. who subsequently re-
moved TO Haddam, Connecticut. His
brcther, David Dudley, was given col
lpe;ate education; in tead of classical
sducation Cyrus received $25 IN cash
snd bis fathers blessing. with these
treasures an fair khowledoe of read
LOO, writing and arithmetic, he was sent
10 New York aud obtained n situation
"a cash. boy in Alexander L. Stewards
store, at the liberal salary of x2 week.
For three years young Cyrus worked
and starved in the employ of the dry
Pouds millionaire, and then better and
brighter life was opened to him ss trav-
cling salesman for n paper maker at
Lse, Connecticut. Even in Stewards
establishment Cyrus made his mark by
hls energy and ability, and when he
sent away the clerks dubbed together
and presented him with diamond pin
and farewell supper. Alexander L.
Stewart gave him nothing. Strangely
enough Mr.. Field has lived to soc tho
asme Of Alexander +. Stewart as thor
saQhly painted ont as il that millionaire
bad 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 tive years
DO had mastered the business. He then
formed q oopartnership In this city. His
venture was unsuGct ssful. and in a few
months he was bankrupt. The blew
vas heavy one: he had been reoeutiy
married. and had lost every dollar, but
Mr., Field bore his misfortune with his
accustomed courage. He started IN
aeain, and ON the first day that be took
possession of his new office, he made the
anQuine remark: II shall make for
tuae here in twenty years." Better
ihan bis word, be made his fortune In
sEelve years and retired. still In the
prime of life, tn enjoy that rest which
be had never before kuowu since his
boyhcod.
ln leisure inoment he formed an ac-
oonceived the project of an Atlantic
esble, and bad procured q charter for
lhe laying of the cable from the Legis
Ature Of New Foundland. There Gis-
borne's work had ended but he talked
Il over with Mr.. Field. whese leisure
hung heavily upon him, although he
had travelled through Bogosa, Guaya
QaiI and Ecuador with Church, who
painted the "Heart of the Andes" TO
ty and while away the time. Mr.. Field
became interested in Gisborne's scheme.
aud one night while studying the geo
graphical globe, whlch still stands in
bis library, his interest famed into en-
tausissm, and he shouted: IL osn be
done, and it shall be done " ] he next
night he called together his friends
Peter Cooper. Moses Taylor. Marshall
Y. Roberts, Chandler White and Wilson
T. Hunt-lnd preached Atlantic cable to
them until they were converted 10 his
plans. A stock company WAS formed,
tue necessary capital for preliminary
expense subscribed his brother Dudley
aeted as lawyer of the enterprise, and
Uyius sailed for England TO wrest the
Money for the cable fron British invest
os. No monk OF old ever preached the
Cfusade with greater vehemence, and in
wonderfully short time, and In def
snce Of innumerable difficulties, ths Ca
Die vas commenced aud the saips chat
isEed 10 lay it.
Before the Atlantic cable was an ao-
eompllshed fact MIR. Field be d labored
apon II for II years aAd crossed the
ocean 81 times. The first cable would
aot operate, but lay dead ia its ocean
wave. The second cable spoke for
nfee weeks, then parted and was az
csad as the first. In 1866 the Great
EASTERN succeeded in permanently unit
,nR the two worlds. Then all the terri
oie isbors OF twelve years were forgotten
% the trinmphs Of success. Congress
voted MIR. Faeld medal; the Paris Ex
position sent him another medal the
yasen OF England knighted bis ssso-
oiates, and he would have been Sir Cy
rus mad not h,s American birth and
ptsludices prevented.
10 1873 he celebrated, at the Graru-
mescy Park mansion. the silver wedding
= .ne cattle project, aud here as in Eng
.aau the best society did honors to his
saca'evements. William NJ. Evarts, IN
~ commemorative address, declared
ooiumbus said +: Here is one world,
=. mere be two But Cyrus w. Field
saiu Here are two worlds. let there
obeyed.n
Mr. Field is the owner of the Wash
ne'on building and other real estate
.iaed at xl0U00o0. In stocks, binds
,n nuu osner securities he has so. .0oo, ,Ooe
"a. 1e owns country house at Irvington
s aa . mansion opposite that OF his for
s business associate and recent rival,
nueiJ iilden. in Grammercy square.
~ ~ ar. Fields shirt from, flashes one of
49, =. slssfeest aud purest emeralds ia the
m;,s' and one often wonders as ne ad-
ssan snat jewel, whether Mr.. Field
.saiiy values IL higher than tue diamond
II presented to him when a poor cash
wy oy a. Il. Stewards clerks