The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-10
THE LATE STEPHEN j. FIELD.
This Photograph Was Taken by ClVednst WosbDgoD
Before Justice Field Retired From tbe BeDch
December, 1897, and Is Probably the Last
Venerable Jurist sat.
Copyrighted, 1897, by Leslie's Weekly.
- . . O

vice in the American Revolution. If any
father ever had cause to be proud of his
sons it was Rev. David Dudley Field.
-Four of his sons became famous and
three of them have left an impress on
| their times and attained worldwide celeb
rity. The eldest, David Dudley Field,
was a lawyer of great eminence of whom
an English chancellor said that "he had
done more for the reform of laws than
any other man living" His works on
international law have been translated
into the various European languages and
into Chinese. Cyrus West Field, the
third son, conceived and carried out the
project of the Atlantic cable, and John
Bright pronounced him 1.-The Columbus
of modern times. who, by his cable, had
Tnoored the New World alongside the
Old" Henry Martyr Field. the fourth
son, was eminent as a clergyman and
historian. Stephen ]. Field was the sec
ond son and his name will live as that
of one of the leading jurlsts Of the CEN
tury
When Justice Field was only Is he went
to Smyrna to visit his sister, the mother
of Justice Brewer. He visited Athens and
studied there the modern Greek and
learned to speak it fluently. He had a
lot of experiences during cholera times in
Asia Minor and came back to New York
He was graduated at Williams College
in 1897, standing first in his class; and he
then went to New York, studied law in
the office of his brother, David Dudley,
and after his admission to the bar be-
came a member Of the firm.
Next he went to Paris, and while there
read the news that gold had been discov-
cred in California. He struck a bee line
for America and took a ship for the
Golden Gate. He landed in San Francisco
with $40 in his pockets and had to pay
out seven of these to have his trunks
taken up from the wharf He slept on
the floor that night in room for which
he was to pay $35 week rent, and his
breakfast the next morning the cheapest
he could find, cost him g. The result was
that his first day in California was begun
with 81 in his pocket. He was then 80
years old and he says that, notwithstand-
ing his lack of funds, he felt happy and
hopeful. He had, however, only 81 left
and he needed money at once His first
earnings came from lot of old newspa-
pers which he had Brought along to read
on the voyage. He had sixty-four of these
and gave them to man to sell, with
the understanding that he was to
divide the profits. New York pa
pers were then worth 81 apiece in
San Francisco, and the man ped
died them out, getting $e4 for the lot.
He gave the future Supreme Court JUS
tice half and when young Field found
that jurymen got IS a day and that the
average workman was often paid as much
as SIG day, the prospects seemed
brighter. His next step was to collect a
note of $4OO which belonged to David Dud-
ley Field. He saw the sign of the maker
of the note and learned that the man had
grown rich in California. He called upon
him and began to talk about the country,
without saying anything about the note.
'Ah," said the map, you will like it out
here; this is a glorious country. 1 have
already made 5000 0oO.'
"Is that SOP" said Mr.. Field. 81 am