New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-10
JUSTICE FIELDS CAREER.

Stephen Johnson Field the sixth son Of the Rev.
DIR. David D. Field. and the brother OF David
Dudley, Cyrus W. and the Rev. Henry u.
Field wa, born in Haddam, Conn.,, on No
vember 4, 1916. He was descendant OF Zachariah
Field. grandson Of John Field. the English astron-
omer. who came to New-England in 1850. On
him was bestowed the name Of his fathers fifth
son. who died In infancy and was named for a
erable Connecticut minister. When Stephen Field
was three years old his fathers family removed bo
Stockbrdge, Mass. where he passed the next ten
years. the period of his boyhood In 1879 his sister
Emilio married the Rev. Joseph Brewer, a miss on
ary who was about to embark for the East. At ths
suggestion of his brother Dudley, Stephen accom-
panied them, in order to study the Oriental lam
guages and thus qualify himself to be professor
of Oriental literature. For two years and a half
Stephen remained with HIS brother-in-law at
Smyrna learning modern Greek. He soon learned
TO speak modern Greek fuently and kept his Journal
In IT, He also gained some knowledge OF the Italian.
French and Turkish Languages. He was In smyrna
at the time of the plague In 1881, and aided MI
Brewer in minstering TO the sick during the vista
ton of the Aslatic cholera in the autumn OF the
same year. Sailing for home In the latter part OF
1892 he entered Williams College in the fall OF the
next year. and was graduated in 1881. as tho vale
dctorian Of his class. In the next spring he began
the study OF law with his brother David Dudley
Field In New-York. On his recovery from sudden
sickness he went to Albany, where he taught IN
the Female Seminary for year and hail. SPEND
ing his leisure time In the Office OF John Van Buren.
then Attorney General OF the State. In 1871 he en-
tered into partnership with his brother Dudley.
xbicb continued for seven years. In the spring OF
s he visited Europe. spending the following winter
in Paris whero Louis Philippe had just been over
,hrown. and travelling extensively on the Continent
while the war was raging In Hungary. He returned
home In the autumn Of 1919 The Mexican war had
inst been closed by the cesson OF California, which
ID 10 hA Ia
Young lawyer was infected by the fever or excite
ment that was felt throughout the country ana ne
resolved 10 seek his fortune in the new Goconda
This resolve marked the beginning OF life CROWDED
u,ith strange adventures and full OF most dramatic
experiences.
AMONG THE GOLD SEEKERS.
n November. ls,s. Mr.. Field left New-York By
s,eamer for Chagres on the Isthmus OF Panama
Thence by boat and on mulebac he travelled 20
Panama where, In company with l@o eager soo-
seekers. no was packed upon the old steamer Can-
fornia Disease rife, and Mr. f1cid nooy
ac,ed the part of nurse. He landed I'm California
with x0 In his pocket Seven was PAID for carry
,n, his trunks TO an old adobe building, where he
sent on the noor. and he paid two OF his remaining
,hrea dollars the next morning for breakfast New
York papers were In great demand Mr.. f'eid mao
bundle numbering sixty-four. These he gave to
fellow pas ssenger TO SELL S'xty-four dollars was
obtained for them Mr.. Field receiving one-haf the
amount Mr. Fields fortunes were further recruited
by the proceeds Of a note Of over $780, which his
brother Dudley had given him against man 10
San Francisco. With this he opened law Office.
but he had only received his FIRST fee when the ex-
element about gold In the interior attracted him
I'D the Sacramento River to the junction OF tho
Feather and Yuba. where several hundred people
had pitched their tents. Besides the old adobe OF
the original settler there was only one house Ths