New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-12
PART II.
JULY IL, 1892.
CYRUS w. FIELD.
A SKETCH OF HIS VARIED, BUSY AND sue
CESSFUL CAREER.

The family TO which Cyrus W. Field belonged IS dis
anguished In New England annals. and traces It's Eng
lish line back to the time OF the Norman conquest
Jubcrtus de Ia Field who came TO England WIN "!ii
the Conqueror in 1906. the first clearly recoshH
shlc ancestor although the family Of the Counts de Ia
Field of Conar in Alsace, to which he belonged dated
hack 10 the sixth century. About 400 the de Ia" was
6ropped by the English descendants. who were most
numerous in the West Riding of Yorkshire In the
family records appear the names of John fede Sher
of London in 1454'55; DR.. Richard Held chaplain 10
Oueen Elizabeth and John Field, the astronomer VINO
introduced the COperTican system INTO Ehgaho III
,556 Zachariah Field the grandson OF the astronomer
horn at the old FIELD homestead at Ardley, Yorkshire
in 1000 came TO Dorchester Mass. in 1892. soon re
,novinp TO the site Of Hart ford, Conn., and atterwa
10 Northampton Mass. His son settled IN Dcerile"
Int his grandson, Ebenezer, TO escape the recntesS
hostility OF the Indians removed in 1896 to "uiioiu
Conn. where he settled In the east part OF the town.
now called Madison and Married Mary Dudley IN l"''
David and Timothy the next two In direct line. resided
also In Madison.
Tho latter was made sergeant major In 1116
NJ the seventh regiment raised in ConneciTut
lie served under Washington when the American troops
after their defeat Long Island, took posHlon Vi
defence on the upper part OF New-lork lsiaI'u Oe
tween Fort Washington and the East River ana tic 700"
mart in the battle OF White Plains In l1sl he "a hcu
tenant OF the coast guard defeated party OF tories
who landed for pillage near Gullford lie maj
Anna the daughter of David Dudley In l'6', thus HIM
ing his family to one of the Oldest and most rpeo'eu
in the colony Two sons and Six daughters "erc "'0
fruit OF this union The sixth cmd' DaVlo Duu,s'
horn NAV 90 1871, designed to leave oeh'ha III"
,h r,ost enduring record and the father OF uio
Iote Cyrus W. Field. Entering Yale College III i''0,
he was the roommate of jeremiah EvartS the la'cr
,ru,r, n Evarts and benefited by Che instruction Oh
,ht nrofopnd thinker Timothy Dwight, then president
~ the college He studied theology Tor WHO" "o nav
mn carly prediction, with Dr. Backus al Somers
no married Miss submit Dickinson. afterwaTd seu'nns
IN Madam Seventy five years from the Gay Oh .i'9
marriage October 81 1878, the four sons tlen Vi,
David Dudley stephen j.. Henry NJ anu '''"' "''
met in Haddam and presented to the town III llci'os
81 their parents park and also the site OF inc ou
rcbousc which they desired to have kept as puoic
green.
DIR. FIELDS SALARY.
In addition to his ministerial labors when con,
tInued in Haddam for fourteen years ~, ,,,
fonnd time for some historical publications a'ouE"
, ,ros only $500 a year. Six children were
born 70 him here In 1919 he accepted call TO STOCK
bridge Mass The old church in when MS ir'enu aIu
PREDECESSOR DR.. stephen West had pieaoheu "'
erected on the scene of Indian battlc III "iii'n ~
hostile red men had suffered terrible oeleNU a' .'c
hands Of the early colonists and the earth aug OUT W
Oh. foundations was found filed with bones II"
raors since Cyrus W. Field wishing TO preserve inc
nemorv Of this church, purchased SIX acres oi s'o
there which, with four adjoining lots voted oy 'ie
town he laid out as public park Dr' fleiu nNo' =,
a ronse on "The Plain" about mile out OF o'"'A
bridge IN the other side Of the Housatonc site now
,ccuned by the residence Of Charles H. bu'ioi' VI
Nouyork II was a low gambre rooted house stanonls
on a hill sopne down to the river, with DnhEIo"
Of tall trees and protected from chiinnH p'' ~
neocef,l mountains This was the birthplace OF O9Iu'
w. Field who first saw the nght on No'cn''' '''
1919 - A., ,,,,,o
Troro seemed no family name left for the little
S,r,rcer and he was finally called Cyrus. from Cyrus
Williams. the president Of bank in >'ockbfiuee' T."
which was added West In memory OF Dr. o'cpne"
West Dr. Fields predecessor. lie was a ran cn'iu'
the darling of his mother. who watched over MS '1,i,
childhood with painful care and loving Anxiety h"
ror thn first few wears he developed an lnceSsih'
mower Of nervous activity that by making him eaner
In ont-ofdoor sports fostered a witness OF H''"e
canable of remarkable endurance Energy anu Pciso
v.rence were his most strongly marked charac'eris'c
even in his extreme youth college ecnca'oh "ou'"
have been omen TO him had he wished it, but MS tastes
Ia, IN the direction of q business career Az the age
y, 6fteer then he left home at his own desire ana came
IN New.York with SIS in his pocket TO seek ms fortune
He had acquired good knowledge OF '"e 'o"'i"
school branches and Of the rndments OF ooohhecpns
while he was fond of reading books OF udNei anu
history. His brother. David Dudley Field had even
,hon IN 1874 won an enviable place as one OF the
to-,most LAWYERS OF New-York. To him TINS mex
perenced lad had naturally come for counsel ana az
sistance David Field numbered among HIS iflenu9 .he
late A. T. Stewart, who was at that time the leadniS
drygoods merchant Of the cry ana he secuieu io' @
brother cerishp in stewards store theh at NJ 80
Broadway between Murray and Warren s'S'
BEGINNING AS An ERRAND BOY.
The contract OF service was for three years, and the
salary $50 for the first 500 for the second ana
5000 for the third Beginning errand boy ne was
obliged TO be at the store when 1t was swept ouo oo
tween and O'Clock, and TO remain until the ist Vi
the partners had left in the evening Althous" ~"
hoard cost him but 81 week, he was obIeeu ~ "''l
aid from his brother David for Ills ac'''n s"PPo'"
prt before reaching the of twenty no hau IT.
..s ,,orr cant received from his brother well as
ths go bestowed upon him his outfit by ms laiheT.
II was simply as n business education that nc res'c
the three years in this store, and his Keen po"eI'
NJ observation and active intelligence were con.
SANITY at work fitting him TO be successful
merchant by gaining comprehension OF the me'hoos
AID all the details of business. lie found opportunity
also for some mental culture in the debates vi t"c
ECLECTIC Fraternity" society OF Young CLERKS VIM"
met In an upper room of a leather Warehouse !" i"0
sxamnn Jackson s. Schultz felow-mem6r.
The reading rooms of the Mercantile Library, then at
Nassau and Beelman sts offered to him a''n'c'one
OF which he availed himself at every leisure moment
Sundays were spent with his brother. David Dudley
Gho then lived in Clinton Place ar BIOadWay' anu
short fortnight of vacation In summer permitted a
visit TO the home at stockbrdge. At the close OF MS
three years he decided TO seek larger and some
what different outlet for his activities and therefore
declined fattering offer made by Mr.. Stewart TO re
main with him at a handsome salary. A complmcn'
.rv letter and diamond pin from the members of the
Arm and q supper from his fellowclerks on leaving
testified to the respect and regard in which the young
clerk held.
IN THE PAPER BU;1NEss WITH HIS BROTHER
After journey to Michigan to settle some real
Estate business for his brother David Dudley, he en-
tered the paper business with his brother. Matthew
Dickinson Field. then large manufacturer in Lee,
Mass, only four miles from stoekbrdge. For two
wears he NAMED here, his quick Intelligence aided by