The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-09-04
So Says Her Friend Lillian Whit
ing to Boston Globe.
NOT DESERTED BY HER FRIENDS.
Still Hunting for That WiII-Miss Field Made
Money and Spent it FreeIy-Lost One For
tune by Standing by the Union-Mr. Riddles
Plans-Miss Whiting Coming to Honolulu

The friends of Miss Kate Field have
been distressed by the reports in the
press to the effect that there was neg
Iect of her last wishes and affairs, and
that Consul-General Mills of Honolulu
had received no responses to the many
letters sent regarding her death, says
the Boston Globe of August II.
In order to ascertain whether there
were any foundations for these rumors
a representative of The Globe yester-
day called upon Lillian Whiting at the
Brunswick, Miss Whiting having been
one of the most devoted friends of the
brilliant woman.
mo, there has been no possible neg
lect," said Miss Whiting, in reply to a
question. cit must be remembered that
there is no cable between our country
and the Sandwich islands-indeed, to
secure this cable communication was
one of the things Miss Field was work
ing for-and her death, which occurred
May 10, was not even known here until
the 31st, and that beyond the mere
fact that she had died, which was first
cabled from Japan, not the slightest
detail could be ascertained until the
goth of June.
"The long delays of the mails be-
tween Boston and Honolulu have been
almost uncomfortable to her cousin and
dearest relative, George Riddle, who
has been unremitting in his devotion
and untiring attention to all that was
possible for him to do.
Mr. Kohlsaat of the Chicago Times
Herald, on whose staff Miss Field was
engaged, and to whom she looked as
one of her nearer friends, has also done
all in his power. But there are inev7
liable delays now, owing to the fact
that Miss Fields will has not yet been
found; and until this is discovered no
final arrangements can be made.
This will was made in Washington,
and witnessed by Hon. Jefferson
Chandler and his wife shortly before
Miss Fields departure for Hawaii; but
it is not in her safe in that city, as was
supposed and is probably elsewhere
among her papers. Until this document
is found and proved nothing can be
settled, even by her nearest represents
ative, Mr. Riddle
''Is it true that Miss Field died in
debt?''
ut is utterly untrue replied Miss
Whiting. Miss Fields estate more
than amply provides for every claim
upon it. Who is there that would not
have unpaid bills at the moment were
he to die suddenly? In that sense al
most any of us would die in debt.
Miss Field has had, indeed, at one
time and another, handsome fortune.
AS a girl of IS, she was considered by
her uncle, Milton H. Sanford, a New
port millionaire, as his probable heir
ess. and this prospect she sacrificed
out of her intense patriotism and her
love for justice to the colored race.
When the war came on this young
girl was in Florence studying, music
and the languages, and even then
writing brilliant press letters and con-
tributing to the Atlantic Monthly her
charming series of literary papers on
Mrs. Browning, Lander and others.
Her intense patriotism burned for
the maintenance of the union Her
uncle's sympathies were on the other
side, and the consequence was that her
persistent devotion to the ideal right
cost her a large inheritance. Never
did she regret it, and in this one in
stance you have the keynote to the
noble character of Kate Field. She
was woman who kept faith with her
ideals. Could one have higher trib-
ute than that?
70
very handsome fortune. When the
Bell telephone was first projected in
London Kate Field became deeply in
terested in it and wrote number of
articles regarding it for the London
Times. Her clear comprehension and
brilliant presentation of the work were
most valuable to the company and
they gave her number of shares.
which rose on her hands
Beside this continued Miss Whit
ing, Kate Field was singularly sue
cessful lecturer, and she made a great
deal of money on the platform. Charles
A. Dana said editorially in the Sun a
few years ago that Kate Field has al
ways something to offer that the public
find worth while to listen to- The
great work Of her life, in my opinion.
was her crusade against treason in the
guise of Mormonism, and her lectures
on this subject and her personal pleas
before congressional committees arous-
ed the whole country and was the sig
nal influence in the improved legisla-
ton regarding Utah.
Kate Field held a distinctive place
on the Iyceum platform of America.
She had rare combination of the in
tellectual and the purely artistic quail
tiles. Her personal grace of manner,
her unrivaled charm of presence, was a
salient factor, too, in her public ap-
pearances on the platform. And her