The San Francisco call., 1896-07-26

Its not long since American biography was
one of the most barren fields in the whole
domain of literature. few lines of Wash
ington, some strained eulogiums OF party
leaders made up most of the quantity, while
the autobiography of Franklin and the letters
of Writ constituted about all there was in it
of merit. A different condition of affairs pre-
walls now. We rapidly forming biograph-
ical literature interesting If not SO exten-
sive as, those of European nations. We are
learnin how to write the lives of our distin-
guished men in way 10 reveal the humanity
in them instead of portraying them as a set of
stiff statues plentifully coated with whitewash.
Among the recent contributions to our
literature of this kind is Cyrus w. Field His
Life and Work." edited by Isabella Field Jud-
son. 1t is not a production of any great
literary merit, nor can it be called a compre-
hensive account of Fields life nor just ap-
praisement of his work in the world. 1t has,
however, an enecdotical value, and contains a
number of letters from distinguished person
ages which will be read with pleasure by all
who are interested in the private views Of
public characters.
The chief defect of the book is that so large q
portion of it Is taken up in giving the menus
and speeches of the various banquets at which
Mr.. Field was q guest. Hardly more interest
ing are the pages filed with extracts from
newspapers laudatory of Mr.. Field and repro
ductions of the headlines that announced the
completion of the Atlantic cable. These help
to swell the bulk of the volume, but the reader
feels that the space might have been much
better filed by giving a fuller and more de-
/ tailed account of Mr.. Fields work.
Cyrus West Field, the eighth child and
seventh son of David Dudley Field, was born
in Stockbridge, Mass, November 13. 1919. II
| is remembered of him a child that his deal
ings with his playmates were most exact.
| He paid punctually all that he owed and re-
quired the same punctuality in return. BE
/ was the chosen leader in all the games, and
| one notable occasion was victor in q race
around the village green, one of the stipula
tions of which was that certain number Of
crackers should be eaten on the way.
| In April, 1885, young Field left his village
home to seek his fortune in New York, where
his brother, David Dudley, had preceded him.
A record book, in which he kept an account
of his expenses, affords some curious informs
tion as to the prices that prevailed at thai
time. His board and lodging in respectable
quarter of the city cost him 50 week. He
paid 1215 cents for one steel pen and the same
amount TO get his hair cut. For a pair o.
shoe brushes he paid % cents, while q straw
hat cost him 81. His first employment was
that of an errand boy in the store of A. T
Stewart at salary of $50 year. The second
year his pay was raised to 500. To enable
him to live at this time his brother David
loaned him money, but the whole sum was re
paid with interest before Cyrus was 81 years
old.
An anecdote illustrative of Fields shrewd
ness and boldness is told of this period of hi!
life. 1t was a rule of Stewart's that all EN-
ployes who came to the store a minute late in
the morningor were more than sn hour ct din
ner or three-quarters Of an hour ct supper
should pay fine of % cents. The fines thui
collected Mr.. Stewart promised mis- clerks
should be paid to any charity they might select
When Field had risen to position OF influence
with his fellow-clerks he induced them one
year to sign petition that the money shoulc
be paid to him to be expended in charity
The cashier having refused to do this an ap
peal was taken to Stewart himself, who or
dered the money paid to the boys. The rest o.
the story can be best told in Fields OWE
words: