The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-11-01
tralia would be 5000 miles more, making a
total of II, 600 miles in all
CYRUS W. FIELD AT sEvENTY-rwo,


total Of II, 900 miles in all
CYRUS W. FIELD AT sEvENTY-Two.
l found Mr.. Field in his office in the big
Field building at the foot of Broadway. He
is seventytwo years old, and his hair Is
gray, but he is full of vigor and he is as
bright intellectually now as when he
planned the Atlantic cable, nearly half a
century ago. He is about six feet tail, and
rather spare than otherwise. He has the
same fine, silky hair and somewhat the
same features as his brother, Judge Field,
Of the Supreme Bench, though he is more
nervous and less judicial in his aspect He
is still one of the rich men of New York,
and is worth his millions. He is largely
interested in the elevated road, and when l
asked him as to what he thought of the cable
which was being put down on Broadway,
and to give me his ideas of the future of
rapid transit in New York, be replied that
this matter was now being discussed by a
committee and that he did not care to say
anything concerning it until after they had
made their decision.
THE FUTURE OF NEW YORK.
The discussion of the cable road brought
up the wonderful growth of New York city
ana | asked Mr. Field what he thought of
its future. He replied:
VI came to New Y ork when l was fifteen,
and my first work here was in A. T. Stew
arts employ. At this time New York only
had 260, 90 people. 1t was not much bigger
than Washington is now. l have seen it
grow right along from year to year until
now, with its suburbs and Brooklyn, it
contains more than three million people.
London has only 5,000,0 and l believe
that this will be the greatest seaport of the
world"
How about the growth of fortunes?i 1
said.
''Our greatest fortunes said Mr. Field
'are among the wonders of modern times
l don't believe there was a millionaire in
the country at the time of the Revolution,
and now you may find one in almost every
county and in every city Of the United
States. It is not very long ago that the
richest man in the state of New York had
only an income of 81, 800 year in money.
This was Van Rensselaer,, of Albany, who
died about fifty years ago and who had at
one time 900 farms of $50 acres each under
cultivation. He rented these out at per
cent. on their valuation and he had good
deal of an income that came in kind, in the
shape Of farm products, etc. His money
income was, however, only 81, 500, and he
was considered the richest man of his day
Now we have our Vanderbilts, our Astors,
and numerous other men of many millions.
William H. Vanderbilt, when he died, was
the richest individual in the world. He left
$500 10000 | suppose William Waldorf
Aston is now one of the richest men in the
world, and the Astor family is growing
richer from year 10 year."
"Do you know of any means by which a
fortune may be perpetuated in the United
StatesP
MOI replied MIR. Field, al do not. Our
laws are such that the perpetuation of a
fortune and the keeping of a vast sum of
money in one family is almost impossible.
| think il is far better for US that it is so.
Still the accommodations of our rich men are
enormous, and the combinations of capital
during our modern times tend to make them
more So"
"Will'we ever have a billionaire?"
81 can't say as to that" was the reply
"New developments in nature and new ele-
ments in fortune making are coming into
the field every day. This inter king of
South America has, it seems, jumped to the
front as one of the rich men Of the time,
aud what can you tell as to the future!"
''Do you think, Mr.. Field, that the chance
for young man is as good now IS when