The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-11-06
Mai PERSONAL Friends Had to
Say CT Him
SOME INTERESTING STORIES
How He Came Near Breaking Up a
Wedding
His Popularity Among Newspaper lien and
Theatrical Folks How II. Came to
Enter the journalistic Field

Percy Weadon, business manager OF th e
Bostonians, yesterday stated thar 1.-THE
sudden death OF Mr.. Field carries me
hack to little dinner l attended short
time ago. The party was made up of
Henry NJ. Watterson, Joe Jefferson, Sol
Smith Rus sell, George Yenowine, Eugene
field, Or. Edward Palmer ana myself.
It was Jolly affair, but perhaps not IL ore
50 than many other dinners OF like ma
ture, but it is me morable to me and other $
from the fact that soon after DR.. Ed"
Palmer was killed while riding a bicycle
on the boulevard in Chicago. 1t was
quite a shock to US, and now comes the
equally sudden death, though not by &C.
cident, of Mr.. Field.
''Few men can count the number of
friends that could Mr.. FIELD. He was
popular, not only among newspapermen,
but with theatrical people and the read
ing public. In appearance he some What
resemblei Nat Goodwin, though his Ia
cial expression was perhaps little more
st1ld. Like all true humorlsts, ne never
smiled when relating the funniest of stor-
les. One could never catch ffCm the ex-
preston OF Mr.. Fields face what sort of
q story was coming. l can think OF no
greater trio than Eugene Field, Bill Nye
and James Whitcomb Riley. Each ex-
cclled in vein of humor peculiar to
himself
''Do you know that these three ever
metz"
We'll, no, not as co-workers, but they
have each attended the same party, but
never appeared together in public.
Mr.. Field was Just BEGINNING to attain
some fame as a ecturer. In fact, he was
cut down at the zenith of his glory,
though undoubtedly he would within
few years have stepped to much higher
pinnacle"
Next to his humor, Mr.. Fields forte,
lie his child verse. That lie was a great
lover of children all must know from the
under-current OF love that ran through
all that Mr.. Field wrote for Children.
1t will be many a day before we II ave
another to take his place.
Probably no other person in Los An
geles knows MIR. Field more intimately
than |. II. LIE Neen, now city editor of.
the Eve ming Express. Mr.. lie VeeD was
managing editor OF the Kansas City Star
for everal wears and during that time
Mr.. Field was engaged as special writer
on the Kansas City Times and the two
became quite intimate.
Mr.. LIE Veen, when asked about the
career of Mr.. Field, said: ''He came OF
an excellent family, was Harvard grad
uate, and gained his first newspaper eX.
perience in ST. Louis. He began as a
writer of advertisements and as such was
employed by u big st. Louis firm. He
had frequently applied for position as
reporter on the papers IN that city. Some
paragraphs which he wrote in the firm $
Advertisements attracted the attention of
Joe Mccullough of the Globe Democrat
and who offered Mr.. Field an opportuni-
IT, to see what ne could do by putting
him on a minor detail, the police | think.
An opportunity soon came and Mr.. Flel
turned In story in which he had made
tho most OF some humorous situations in
q court trial. Mr.. Mccullough saw the
value of the work and at once put Mr..
Field on special work.
''Was there any popularity in Mr..
Fleli's work as a reporterY'
"Yes, he had no appreciation OF news.
For instance, he might be sent to a big
fire. Suppose that an engine in driving
up ran into post or struck a hydrant,
the chances were that Mr.. Fiel" would
forget all about the fire and devote his
space to the minor matter the accident.
As a descriptive writer he was a wonder.
in ia It he was wonder in many ways.
Some OF his brightest verse has never
bee in print. lie had the happy faculty
OF improvlsing upon any and all occas-
IONS, and it was only when out with
friends that some OF his brightest gems
were Gull pOSctl, ueIlteIco aHN loSt. liz
was humorlst in every sense OF the
word. Not only could he Compose in that
vein, hut he enjoyed joke even though
it be on himself. But 1t was dangerous
to joke with him unless you were prepared
to be PAID in kind. | rememb Der one time
Kansas City; they, together with MIR.
Field, myself and several others stepped
into George Gastons saloon. CASTOR was
quite joker and thought to have some
fun with Mr.. Field. After two or thres
rounds CASTOR said, Mr.. Field, | would
Field began looking through his clothes
and making apologies. Castor sa'd
Field, your bill is $50; If you have got a
quarter in your clothes give me that and
we will call it square. Field admitted
that he hadn't even quarter and turned
Plumb banded MIN 81. which he gave to
CASTOR and received 70 cents in change.
Mr.. CASTOR then made out his bill 'Eu-
gene Field, debtor, to sundries, $50. Re
oelVed payment in full. and, signing it,
banded it to Mr.. Field, who looked it
over, folded and put it in his pocket
Then sort OF calm came over the party.
such as comes only when some one has
been EN- barrassed. Mr.. Field broke it by
remark pg, Haven't you forgotten some.
thing, Mr.. CASTOR. No, l guess not, you
got your pm and your change, didn't
yOu es, ItIlleu MI ltlI' Dub !
isn't it customary when man pays his
bill to2get little treat? Why. certain |
ly.' replied CASTOR, 'what'll you have?'
MY friends all take champagne. Step |
up, gentlemen Having received the tip |
from Field We all toak cham payne, VIII len |
cost CASTOR at least So
Another joke of Field S that | recall, - |
continued Mr.. lie Neen. VINO was now |
warmed up to his subject, was when !
the city editor of the Star got married. 1t |
was quite society event and the church |
was crowded with the best people of Kan
sas City. just as the minister pro-
nounced the words If any man know
just cause why this man and woman
should not be united in marriage let him |
now declare it or forever hold his peace. -
Mr.. Field held up his hand and SAID. Il |
do. OF course there was commotion all |
over the chuc II; the bride turned pale
and what went through the mind of the
scribed. The minister turned to Mr.
Field ami asked him to state the cause.
Field scratched his head moment ana
SAID, Il thought | knew, but guess I've
forgotten it, Go on
Mr.. Field would have II AIDE a great
success as Il topical song writer. He re-
Ceived all sorts OF offers, nut would accept
none. What he could do in this direction
Is illustrated by tho song, Listen to NV
Tale of Woe, which he he'd no idea would |
ever be used as it was when he wrote It,
else he never would have let it appear in
print. Pull Down Your Vest became
popular and probably added more to the