San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-01-17
STORIES OF GENE FIELD.

for $50. His magazine biographers,
most of whom, by the way, had
very little acquaintance with him,
have paid deserved tribute to his
later work, and especially to his
child verse. His children's poems
have all been republished, and
they rank with the best literature
of the day, but nothing has been
said of the work which first made
him famous. Field was essentially
a humorist and paragrapher, and
his sentimental work was but a
fragment. He was a newspaper
man, as well as a writer, but he
was too imaginative and radical,
and too much money was required
for the defense of libel suits to per-
NIT OF his being a newspaper man.
ager. He had wonderful resources,
and when he was occasionally left
at the helm, the most casual read
er of the paper could see that there
was new hand at the wheel, but
the publisher regarded it with fear
and trembling. He could make a
red-hot newspaper, but no man
ever had money enough to conduct
it under Fields management.
Field came into prominence
among newspaper men about 1878,
in Denver, when Fred. Skiff was
manager of the "Tribune," He
wrote the 'leaded nonpariel" mat
ter on the editorial page. His
handwriting was like copperplate,
and as legible as print, although
he put 300 words on a letter size
sheet. His copy was never "read,"
and he delivered it in person to the
foreman of the composing room.
When he put in his nightly APP
pearance the printers all set up a
shout, not only in anticipation of
"fat takes" but in welcome of their
comrade, for Field was convivial |
fellow in those days, and when the
edition was out he was with the |
printers in the composing room
for jolly good time. His '"Trib-
une Primer" was issued from the
'Tribune's" job room, and was a
curiosity, for book work. Field
the construction of
the book, and he attempted the
rough edges, wide margin and ir-
regular binding, fashionable so
many years later. The book was
bound in paper and illustrated
with wood cuts, prepared under
Fields direction. These cuts were
and would digrace a
Cuban revolutionary handful.
About 1000 copies of the "Prim-
er," were issued from the Tribune's
job room, and it is this edition that
Is now selling for $50 per copy.
Field failed to copyright it, and it
was republished in New York.
This edition had big railroad
sale.
Field was in Denver, when Oscar
Wilde came to America, at the
height Of his literary fame. Field
had followed the career of the dis
,iple of Estheticism, and had made
every reader of the Tribune &C
luainted with him by some ex-
verse and many para
graphs. Wilde visited Denver on
his travels, and on the day he was
expected to arrive, a great crowd
gathered at the railway station,
curious to see the lackadaisical
Field learned that Wilde
would not arrive at the time he
was expected, and he determined
that the crowd should not be dis
He hired a hack,
trimmed it lavishly with garlands
Of artificial sunflowers and holly
hooks and decked out the horses
with plumes and gay coverings.
He went to a costumer's and rig
ged himself out in a velvet, be.
spangled gown, and great flaxen
wig, like the lord chief justices
used to wear. He lay low in side
street until the train pulled in, and
then he appeared before the crowd,
his appearance fully justifying the
most ardent anticipation. He sat
we'll forward on the seat, and was
In plain view between the carriage
windows. One hand was raised to
his face and hung loosely at the
wrist. In the other he held a great
book, opened, and held
it before his eyes, while his face
took on that drooling, wearied look
absolute ennui.
1t was a great success. The
crowd followed his carriage in
mingled wonder, admiration and
derision. He passed slowly up
the principal street and stopped in
front of the "Tribune" office. Edi-