Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-11-08
EUGENE FIELD.
Sudden Death of the HumOrist
and Poet.

His Record az a Newspaper Nan and
/ some OF His Most Notable Productions
Ellis windhSm County Ancestry.
Eugene Field, journalist, humorist and
poet died of heart disease at his home in
| Buena park, one of the suburban quarters
Of Chicago, early Monday morning. He
bad been indisposed for a few days, but
his death was unexpected, for he had
planned to leave for Kansas City, where
he was to have given a reading Monday
night
Eugene Field was born in St. Louis in
| 1850. His mother died i'm 1856 and Eu-
gene and his younger brother, Roosevelt
| NJ, were placed in the care Of their cousin,
Miss Mary French of Amherst, Mass. Eu-
gene was a student in private schools iD
Amherst and Monson academy under Rev.
James Tufts. lie entered Williams col
lege when Is, but remained there only a
year. His father died in the meantime.
Prof. John w. Burgess, who was appoint
ed the boys guardian, placed him In Knox
college, at Galesburg, III. He studied
there two years, and afterward remained
for some time at the University of Mis-
souri,. In 1871, having attained his major
ity, Mr.. Field went TO Europe, where he
travelled for six months. He became a
newspaper reporter in 1873, being employed
on the St. Louis Evening journal, Of
which he soon was made city editor. He
also worked on a newspaper in st. Joseph
for several months, and later became man
aging editor of the Kansas City Times.
Later he went to Denver as a member of
the editorial staff of the Tribune of that
city There within short time his writ
ings gave him wide reputation, his bur
lesque primer series being copied through
out the country. In 1888 the Chicago
Daily News Record secured his services,
and ever since then he has been on the
staff of that newspaper with the full liberty
to write what he pleased. His column OF
FLATS and sharps' has attracted much at
tention.
Mr.. Fields first book, 1.-THE Model
Primer" was published in 1882. His next
was Cultures Garland" in 1887, and in
1890 were issued "a Little Book Of West
ern Verse and "a Little Book of Profit
able Tales" Other works were "The Sec
ond Book of Verse; with Trumpet and
Drum" a book for children, beautifully
illustrated by Gerritt and etched by Bick-
nell, published by the Scribners, while a
third volume bears the title of Echoes
from the Sabine Farm" 1t consists of
translations from Horace by himself and
his brother, X. NJ. Field. 1t contains 20
illustrations by Gerritt, etched by Bicknell.
The translations are given a contempora-
neous flavor.
In 1890 Mr. Field made long visit TO
Europe, and saw a good deal of literary
> London. He was enabled there to indulge
in his fad for rare old books, theatrical
, programs and curios of all sorts, and
/ | largely increased his own valuable collec-
ton. One of the treasures which he
brought back was Gladstones axe. While
, in London he renewed his acquaintance
with Isaac Henderson, the novelist, who
! was a classmate with him at Williams col
> lege, and received attentions from other
. literary men. His capacity for work was
4 prodigious. A pen capable of making
: only the finest hair strokes, when once
\ sent TO travelling over a pad of paper on
his knee, within two hours supplied
q enough of his beautiful microscopic writ
ing TO fill long newspaper column OF
a agate type.
He had been known TO send up copy in
& the newspaper office Illuminated with a
: beauty rivaling the rarest treasures in his
expensive collection Of the medieval book
4 makers art. All his manuscript for the
Scribners is illuminated in this way, and in
:, many home in far distant corners of the
English-speaking world copies of this OF
that poem, elaborated on extensively cal
T. endered paper with most exquisite skill
:, in the reproduction Of black-letter, testifies
, to his universal generosity, which set fol
;, him thousand tasks of love in behalf OF
# people he perhaps had never seen.
~ He was married at the age of % in St
- Joseph, Mo, to Miss Julia Comstock, who
with three sons and daughter, survive:
- him.
, Eugene Field had charming personal
% ity. He was popular man at college, IL
~ his profession and among all with whom
q he was brought in contact. His strength
~ in newspaper writing was in the line o.
~ photographic work. His acquaintance wa.
/, very large among literary men, politician.
y and dramatic people, and by all he will b'
10 kindly remembered as a personal friend.
The pathos of his little poems-he al
10 ways declared that they were verses, no
- poems-is touching and lasting. Through
all of his writings, whether in prose o.
> verse, there runs vein of pathos that i'm
;, presses every reader with the good hear
- - that was in him. His humor was delight
:, full; his literary style finished, origna
10 and striking; as husband and father, a.
~ a friend and companion, few were hi
'e equal. His sympathy with childhood anC
the child in the man were embodied il
&c many of his writings.
er MIR. Fields Newfane Ancestry.
/ Eugene Field was a Windham county
Z product in the strictest sense. His grand
father, Gen. Martin Field, who was a ma
Is tive of Leverett, Mass, came to Newfane
y to the old village on the hill, in 1900, and
a began the practice of the law, being ther
~ young man of p, and was for many year.
y lawyer and citizen of leading prominence
VI lfu Ia nf