Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-01-15

German who was staggering along un.
der the load of a great pile of cases.
Field stopped him, and the German
said that he had in the cases a complete
collection of the butterflies of North
America. The collection was the work
of lifetime, but he had lost his work
and had to sell it to pay his rent. Field
bought it on the spot for $50 and lug
ged it home, promising himself to give
1t to museum, but he never did. As
collector of books Mr.. Field was more
discriminating, aud he has left note
worthy library Of first and rare editions
Last spring Mr. Field bought q fine
old mansion in Buena Park, one of the
suburbs Of Chicago. This house is filled
with cabinets loaded down with curios.
He had no particular preference, unless
it was for books, but collected things
impartially and Unfortunately. Two
special treasures he had, and they hung
side by side in whatever home he had.
One was an ak which had been used by
Gladstone. Field went to see the IA
nous Englishman at his place at Ha-
warden, and Gladstone gave him an ak
with which he had just finished cutting
down tree. The other treasure was a
pair of shears which Mr.. Charles A.
Dana had used in his. Office and given
to Mr.. Field at the Chicago man 8 re-
quest.
Mr.. Field used to say of himself that
he was an aristocrat, but he was an
aristocrat of very democratic sort Ev-
erybody in his neighborhood knew him,
and everybody liked him. A visitor to
his home in Buena Park met all the
people of the neighborhood. If it was
in the summer, the visitor was sure to
find the lawn and porch crowded with
callers and Field entertaining them all
He was remarkably witty and an mimi
table story teller, Astounding with inces-
SAINT fun. He always responded to call
to help entertain people, and his neigh
bors always called on him. He had
way of coming home and saying to his
wife, "What you going to have for din
ner?" If it was something he didn't
like particularly, he would go to the
first neighbours and ask there. When
he found what he wanted, he would
stay, and no man was ever more vel
come. He was gentle and CHEEKY and
everybody loved him. Children swarmed
about him, and he told them wonderful
stories, which he invented on the spot.
Nine children were born to him, Of
whom Eve are still living.
One incident will illustrate his pro-
pensity for practical jokes: One after
noon last spring he took to each Of his
neighbors in Buena Park little green
slip of plant to which he gave won
derful Latin name, and told him it bore
beautiful flower. With his own hands
he planted the slips in the gardens Of his
friends. 1t didn't take long to develop
that the beautiful plants were Canada
thistles, and there were many good ma
tured ratings at Field.
He was pestered so much few years
ago for biographical data that he got up
circular Of information about himself
and sent it to all his friends. 1t was an
astonishing self exposition. He told his
age, height, weight, color of hair and
eyes, size of head, hands and feet. Said
he loved women and children, believed
in religion, and was a Christian. Ad-
mitted that he didn't dress well
and said he didn't like to. Told the
things that he liked and those that he
didn't. Said he used perfumery in spite
of the fact that it was bad taste, and de-
clared that he had written only one
novel. That one he had rewritten each
year for seven years. and meant to keep
at it until he had made it satisfactory
to himself. 1t said that he didn t drink,
and smoked only in moderation. It
didn't admit, what was the fact, that he
was very hard worker.
One of Field amusements was enter
tanning at the Chicago Union League
club any persons of literary reputation
who might be visiting Chicago. Usually
he would invite some of the commercial
lights of Chicago to dine with them and
not infrequently he would poke fun at
them without much mercy. The last
time he was in London he was at din
ner where he was placed next to Mrs,
Humphry Ward at table. She looked
him over critically and devoted her con-
versation entirely to others until she no
ticed the attention that others were pay
ing to Field. Then she turned to him
and said
"Tell me about the habits and char
acteristics of your people"
Field looked at her with extraordinary
seriousness in his solemn face and re-
Piled:
"When they caught me, I was up
tree.
Then he went on to tell the whole
table about his friend Red Leary, the
murderer, and about burglars and
thieves and highwaymen in way
which amazed them, and many of the
guests sought him out afterward to
know if he told the truth.
The work of filling his column Of
Sharps and Flats so wore on him that
he was struggling to get out of it. He
went about good deal as public en-
tertainer, reading selections from his
own work. In this way he added great
deal tO his incoma From, hir hoolc w hioh