The San Francisco call., 1896-07-26
! MIN WHO Ibid THE aTL4NTIC C4BLE
Life and Work Of Cyrus w. FedWhen He First Went New York
His Salary Was One Dollar and His Board Two
Dollars Week.

labors of Mr.. Field in carrying out his great
work nor to trace the steps by which it was
accomplished, in the face OF so many obstacles
and amid so many vicissitu of fortune.
What he achieved was in no wise. aided by
luck Again and again his efforts were baffied,
and it YVES only by perseverance amounting
to herosm that he at last succeeded. He was
largely endowed with the quality OF inspiring
others with confid ence in his plans and in his
leadership, and was thus enabled 10 obtain
money at all times for the object he had in
view. His own fortune he ventured unhesi-
tatfngly, and at one time lost it all. Against
his indomitable viii and.fertility of resources,
however, misfortune was powerless
From the time he first went to England to
get men of capital to interest themselves in
the work until the task was finally completed
by the laying of cable which yielded perma-
nent results, ten years lacking one month were
employed. Many men were of course allied
with him in the undertaking but the triumph
was everywhere recognized as being mainly
due TO him. Justin Mccarthy, in his 'fHistory
of Our Own Times" says: "He was not a
scientific man; he was not the inventor of the
principle OF transoceanic telegraphy; he was
not even the first man to propose tn COM
pany should be formed for the purpose of lay
| ing cable beneath the Atlantic But
the achievement of the Atlantic cable was
none the less distinctly the work of Cyrus
| w. Field as the discovery of America was that
| of Columbus. 1t was not he who first thought
of doing the thing, but 1t he who first
made up his mind that it could be done,
showed the world how to do 1T, and did it in
| the end. The history of human invention has
not a more inspiriting example of patience
/ living down disbursement and perseverance
triumphing over defeat"
Having completed this great work Mr.. Field,
with tireless energy, entered upon other
labors. He simply could not be idle. Among
other notable enterprises that occupied his
later years was that of constructing the system
| OF elevated railroads in New York City. He
also attracted good deal of ettention and
some severe criticism at this period by erect
| ing a monument to Major Andre. This monu-
ment was twice blown up by dynamite, and
after the second destruction was not raised
again. 1t was intended by Field as symbol
| of restored amity between England and
America, but the people living in the vicinity
| resented what seemed condonation of the
offense of Benedict Arnold, and Field wisely
| yielded the point after the second assault
| upon the memorial
| OF the work of Mr.. Field in his later years
| the biography gives us but scant memorials.
In December, 1890, he celebrated his golden
| wedding, but that was about the last CLEAN OF
brightness in his life His wife died in the
following year and then disasters came thick
| upon him.
His fortune rapidly vanished in unfortunate
| speculations, and we are told it was only
| through the kindness OF Pierpont Morgan that
he able to obtain the money to keep in
force the premium on his life insurance poll
cies.
On July II, 1892, he died in the seventy
first year of his age. His best eu-
logium was pronounced at q meeting
of the New York Chamber of Com
merce by his lifelong friend. William E.
Dodge, who in conclusion sad: "All the disap-
! pointment and sadness of his later life will be
forgotten and history will remember only the
great loyal American whose intense power and
large faith enabled him to carry through one
of the greatest and most beneficial enterprises
the world has ever known"
JOHN McNAUGHT.
GFor sale by William Doxey, Palace Hotel
price $2.I