The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-07-13

riage, for at the age OF 10, to wit, in
1884, he went to New York, and with
the assistance of his brother, David
Dudley, secured place ip the great es-
tablishment of A. II. Stewart. He
worked there six years, and did not par
ticularly like it; so soon after attaining
his majority he began the Manufacture
of paper, and ut the end of dozen years
had large establishment, a comfortable
fortune and some leisure for travel. In
1858 he passed six months in travel in
South America, and about that time his
brother, it is said, suggested to him that
q telegraphic line might be laid across
the Atlantic ocean, His imagination
took ere at once. His destiny was fixed.
For the next thirteen years the man
was swallowed up in the work.
AT this late day it would be idle to
discuss the question us to who first Eug-
gested an Atlantic telegraph line. 1t
was in fact suggested as soon as Profess
sor Morse demonstrated, in 1874, that
telegraphy was a success, and it is an
interesting fact that as the first message
in 1874 was, "What hath God wroughtw
written by Miss Annie Ellsworth,
daughter of the commissioner of pat
ents, so the first regular news over the
latter was that peace had been concluded
between Austria and Prussia. Professor
Morse insisted from the start that the
ocean would prove no obstacle. but such
tion. Many queer schemes were gug.
gested. For time there was much tsls
Of line through Alaska and across Beirt
ring straits.
Mr.. Field studied the matter care.
fully, then called in consultation
Messrs. Peter Cooper Moses Taylor,
Marshall o. Roberts and Ch.ndleS
White, and soon had them ailAme
equally with himself They agreed 10
lay down $50, 900 each. and the organi-
zation was at once formed under the title
of the New York, Newfoundland and
London telegraph company. David
Dudley Field was made its attorney
and proceeded at once to Newfound-
land, where he secured from the pro-
vinclal legislature the exclusive right
for fifty years to lay and operate tele-
graph from the continent of America
to Newfoundland and thence to Eng
land" And then - well, everything
seemed to come to regular standstill.
The matter became a huge national
joke. All the photographers took it up,
and the funny columns" of the news
papers were spotted with little gems
like this:
Bold Cyrus Field, he says, says he,
I've got pretty notion
That l can lay telegraph
Across the Atlantic ocean.
1t would be q wearisome task to go
over the details of the next four years,
vi IIi' AC'u . many journeys dCIOsS tld
| Atlantic and his final success in getting
the needed funds. Suffice it that on the
26th of June. 1857, the United States
:, steamship Niagara and the British
! steamer Agamemnon took each its half
of the cable in midocean and com
menced laying towards its own coast.
The wire soon broke, and broke again
and yet again, and SO that plan was a
failure. In August the Niagara started
again at Valentia bay, and had paid out
1856 miles when the cable broke again.
Then the fun grew loud and furious.
The illustrated press gave cartoons of
the submarine monsters playing with
| the cable.
In 1853 the cable was actually laid,
| the vessels arriving at their destinations
| July 90 and Aug. G. A few messages
| passed and there was an international
hurrah. Then all communication ceased
| and for seven years nothing was done.
The civil war absorbed all the energies
of the people. But all that time Mr..
Field and his subordinates were expert
menting, and at last cable was devised
| which, in the opinion Of experts, might
lie under salt water q Thousand years
without injury. The famous leviathan
steamer, the Great Eastern, was then
employed, and this time, IN 1865, the
cable broke.
Still the indefatigable Cyrus kept the
field. And now system of tanks, troll
leys, drums and regulating wheels was
established on the steamer 30 compli-
GATED that a description would fill two
columns. The effect was that no mat
ter how rough the weather might be the
cable could be paid out with perfect reg
ularity and without slack or strain. The
rest is known. On the 18th of July the
Great Eastern started from the Irish
American end of the cable at Hearts
| Content, Newfoundland. Its operation
| was perfect.
Then all Europe and America broke
forth in glad acclaim and Cyrus Field
was overwhelmed. There We're dis
patches of congratulation from Glad
stone and from Bismarck, from the
queen, the president and the French
emperor, and last, but most wonderful
perhaps, one from Ferdinand de Les
seps, at Alexandria, Egypt, which was
sent at 80 p. IN. and reached New
foundland at 10 II. m. the same day.
For weeks thereafter Mr.. Fields life
was a continuous ovation. Old readers
recall with enthusiasm the banquets,
the songs, the professions and still more
the cartoons and the jokes. Congress
voted him a gold medal and the national
thanks. England and France followed
with votes, thanks and medals. John
Bright in the British parliament ex-
pressed his profound regret that the
constitutions of the two nations stood
In the way Of comforting on Mr.. Field
the highest honors in the power of the
queen. The subsequent life of the great
enterpriser has been one of honor and
dignity. In 1860 he represented the
New York chamber of commerce at the
opening of the Suez canal. In 1876 he
began his work of developing the ele-
waited railway system of New York. In
1880 he started on his tour around the
world.
The elevated railroads nearly proved
the ruin of Mr.. Field. He had large
holds of Manhattan L" stock in con.
junction with Samuel j. Tilden, and
the latter sold to Jay Gould. AT that
time Mr.. Fields wealth was estimated
at 81 500, 900, while Goulds was prob
ably twenty times as much, and the lat
ter organized an immense 'squeeze.
Mr.. Field had "corner" and held his
stock at 10. In June, 1887, Mr.. Gould
managed to call in all his loans, and
money became SO scarce that Mr.. Field
could not put up margins" on the i'm.
mense amount of stock he was holding.
The result was that Mr.. Field turned
over 10000 shares of Manhattan to MIR.
Gould. At 100, its price, before it was
forced up, these shares were worth $11 :
goo, 900, and the story goes that Mr..
Gould got the whole block at 100, which