The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-01


,,-. ~ r,y,, gether by cable
NA4'0' '" connection
The man who laid the first cable lives here
IN New York, and l called upon him yes
terday TO ask him as to the possibilities of
the line across the Pacific. His name, as
everyone knows, is Cyrus w. Field. He
organized the company for the building OF
the first Atlantic cable in 1854. His line
was 1900 miles long. 1t cost more than
T,5OO,0O0, and was a failure. He tried it
again in 1888 and the cable spoke a few
words and was silent. Then the war came
and for eight years nothing was done. As
soon as it had closed. however, Mr.. Field
again took up his scheme and in 1866 the
first successful cable was laid. Now we
have cables everywhere, and there Is in
Mr.. Fields office a great case filled with
sections of wire rope cut from the great
cables of the world. There are score of
these behind the glass door of this case
and they represent lines of South America,
along the coast of Africa, through the
Mediterranean sea and along the waters of
China and Japan. Mr.. Field told me
that there was no doubt but that q
successful line could be made
across the Pacific, and he showed
me map which he had made in support
of similar scheme proposed by him to
congress more than eleven years ago. At
this time Mr.. Field proposed cables for
Japan, Australia and the Sandwich
islands, and the map shows that 1000
miles of cable would give us two cables to
Japan and one to Australia. Taking the
northern route, running from Puget
sound to Vladivostock. and thence down
to Corea, the distance is 1900 miles, and to
this, adding 20 per cent. for slack,
would make cable of this
kind extend 1880 miles from one
continent to the other. 1t is 2,100 miles
from San Francisco to the Hawaiian ISL
ands and more than 8, 400 miles from the
Hawaiian islands to Japan. With the
slack in the cable, for the line
has to accommodate itself 10
the hills and valleys on the bed of
the sea, the cable along this route from
San Franciso to Yokohama would have to
be 6, 700 miles long, and branch line from
the Hawaiian islands running down from
Australia would be 5000 miles more, max
ing total of 1900 miles in all
CYRUS W. FIELD AT II
found Mr.. Field In his Office in the big
Field building at the foot of Broadway.
He is Y years old and his hair is gray, but
he is full Of vigor and he is as bright intel
lectually now as when he planned the At
lantic cable nearly half century ago. He
is about six feet tall 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. lie is largely interested in
the elevated road and when | asked him
as to what he thought Of the cable which
was being put down on Broaday and To
give me his ideas of the future of rapid
transit in New York he replied that this
matter was now being discussed by COM
mittee and that he didn't care TO say any
thing concerning it until after they had
made their decision.
THE FUTURE or NEW YORK.
The discussion of the cable road brought
up the wonderful growth Of New York
city, and / asked Mr.. Field what he
thought of its future. He replied:
II came to New York when | was -.
and my first work here was in a. L.
Stewards employ. A that time New
York had only 600 people. 1t was not
much bigger than Washington City is now
| have seen 1T grow right along from year
10 year until now with its suburbs and
Brooklyn, II contains more than 100000
people. London has only 5000, 900. and |
believe that this will be the greatest sea-
port of the world"
How about the growth of fortunes ?"
said I.
''Our great fortunes" said Mr.. Field,
''are among the wonders OF modern times.
| don't believe there was a millionaire in
the country at the time of the Revolution,
and now you may md one IN almost every
county and in every city of the United
States. 1T 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 nifty years ago, and who had at
one time go farms of 10 acres each under
cultivation. He rented these out at / per
cent. on the valuation, and ne had a good
deal OF an income that came in kind, in
the shape OF farm products, etc His
money income was, how ever, only 81 800,
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 II.
Vanderbilt when he died was the richest
individual in the world. He left S200.00O,-
coo. / suppose William Waldorf Astor Is
now one of the richest men in the world.
and the Aston family is growing richer
from year to year"
DO you know Of any means by which
fortune may be perpetuated in the United
States2'
NO" replied Mr.. Field, 81 do not. Our
laws are such that the perpetuation Of
fortune and the keeping OF vast sum Of
money in one family Is almost impossible.
I think it is far better for us that it is so.
Still the accumulations Of our rich men
are enormous and the combinations Of
capital during our modern times tend 10
make them more So"
will We ever have a Millionaire? ?"
II can't say as to that" was the reply.
New developments in nature and new
elements in fortune making are coming
into the field every day. This nitre king
Of South America has, il seems, jumped 10
the front as one OF the rich men of the
time, and what can you tell as to the
future2"
DO you think. Mr.. Field, that the
chance for young man is a. good now as
when you started IN lie, and what would
be your advice 10 young men,"
Il don't see Why the chances are not a.
good now a. ever. It Is true much is done
by combinations of capital. still the deld is