Los Angeles herald., 1891-01-01

at Haddam, Conn, Feb. l9, 1905; StepheEc
johnson at the same place Nov. 4, 1916,
Cyrus West at Stockbridge, Mass, New
80, 1919, and Henry Martyr, the only ono
who adopted his fathers calling, at the
same place April 13, 1922. In infancy and
early childhood Cyrus was so feeble that
no one expected that he would live to ma
turity; yet his frame is erect and his
health firm at n, and he will doubtless
have the most permanent fame of the
four, for the Atlantic cable is his monu-
ment.
He began his business life at the age OF
Is, hiring himself to New York merchant
for 50 per week to sweep out the store, put
up and take down the heavy shutters then
used and "other light duties" Yet at &C.
he was rich enough to retire temporarily
from business and travel in South Amer
ica. On his return from this trip he be-
came satisfied Of the practicability of an
Atlantic CABLE and after brief interval
in business he devoted twelve toilsome
years to the project. The world knows
the history. Even in the heat and fury Of
the civil war he toilel on, sometimes aB
completely absorbed in his great work as
Archimedes was in his study while the
barbarians were taking the city.
When but two days past his twenty first
birthday Mr.. Field married Miss Mary
Bryan Stone, of Guilford, Conn.,, q comedy
lady of such very retiring habits that tey-
New Workers. know her by sight. She ics
well known, however, to regular attend
ants at DR.. Parkhurst's church, in whicta.
she and Cyrus may be seen every Sunday
regardless of the weather. All the Fields
are orthodox, and none more so than tho
old financier. They are the parents OF
seven children, of whom six are living.
After laying the Atlantic cable Mr.. Field
returned to business with renewed energx,.
and was at one time worth probably g, &C.,
600, but few years ago there was "drefs
in Stocks" which reduced his pile few
millions. 1t is scarcely necessary to SKY
that Jay Gould quit q few millions ahead.
The history Of the Atlantic cable Is ~
interesting as any romance, and the mere
Mr.. Fields course in connection with il is
studied the more admirable it appeaFa.
John Bright, in one of his most eloquent
addresses, said of him that, like Cyrus Of
old, he freed the messengers of peace FROM
their bonds, gave lightning wings to inter-
nationalspeech,a and moored the New WoxiE
beside the Old. The idea of course was not
original with Mr.. Field. Frederick ~.
Osborne, telegraph operator, is some
times credited with originating tlsss
scheme, but his plan now seems yery5
vague.
Professor Morse made the experiments
and calculations demonstrating that tfex
electric power could be carried from New
foundland to Ireland, and urged Mr.. Field
to go ahead. The original company con~.
sisted of David Dudley Field, MarshalI O
Roberts, Moses Taylor, Peter Cooper arssS
Chandler White, but the last named dying
soon after Wilson G. Hunt took his place.
Mr.. Field has retired altogether ffon
business and spends his summers at his
country home, near Dobbs Ferry, on tlses
Hudson. Both in country and city he is q
great walker and only uses spectacles foa'
very fine print, though naturally near
sighted. Such Is the septuagenarian whS,
was an invalid in boyhood.