Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-07-19
THE FIELD MILLIONS
NONE OF HIS HEIRS TRAINED TO
BUSINESS CAREERS.
HIS INTENTIONS UNKNOWN
Merchant Prince of the World Thrives
on Hard Work, Seeks no Outside
Advice, Is not Chubby, and Every
thing He Touches, Midas-like Turns
to Gold.

merchant, dies, who will get his
money?
He is worth more than any man in
the west. even topping p. ID. Armour,
and can draw his check for several
million dollars whenever he has a
mind.
Just after young Joseph Letters
wheat corner broke, his father, Levi
Zachariah Letter, father OF Lady Cur
zon, wife of the present viceroy of In
dia, was forced to sell several cherished
and favorlte pieces of real estate in
the very center of the retail business
district, and Mr. Field paid s1,000,000
in cash for the southeast corner of
State and Madison streets.
Mr.. Field could have paid out ten
times that much without crippling
himself
His yearly sales from his wholesale
and retail dry goods houses now ag
gregate more than the most prosperous
year Alexander I. Stewart, once of
New York, ever knew His banner
year was $35,000,000 and had he lived
he would have exceeded that by far,
but he was old and had to die. Mr..
Field sells s50,000,000 worth of goods
every year.
Marshall Field is not as old at the
present time as was Mr.. Stewart
when he grudgingly yielded up his
life in the marble palace at the north
west corner of Fifth avenue and Thir-
tyfourth street, in New York, in 1876,
but he is getting on, and it will not
be many years ere he reaches the al.
lotted limit OF three score and ten
years. Then he must die
Who will succeed him?
Who will get the s75,000,000 he will
leave behind him when he crosses the
Styx?
He has son, MarsnalI Field, Jr.,
now, as he has been for several years
past, resident at Nice, in the south of
France, but he has no business train
ing. 1t was his fathers wish that he
would not go into business at all, and
the son obeyed. The latter did not
care for professional life, and there
fore he has done nothing but breathe,
eat sleep and pass away the time. He
is married to the daughter Of Chi
cago maitster named Huck, and has
children, but they are not old enough
to learn anything about business.
Mrs. Marshall Field died at Nice a
few years ago. after having been an
invalid for long time while the sons
health Is not good nor robust by any
means. He is not capable of managing
the gigantic business his father, ad-
mittedly the greatest merchant in the
world, has brought into life and being.
Therefore, the son and the sons
children can be counted out of the
game.
Miss Ethel Field only daughter of
the dry goods prince, beautiful and
dashing, was married at an early age
to Arthur Tree, only son of Lambert
Tree, former minister to Russia, hav-
ing been appointed by Mr.. Cleveland
during the latter's first term. Mr.. and
Mrs. Arthur Tree live in bennington,
England, and visit the United States at
infrequent intervals.
1t is stated on good authority that
Miss Ethel Fields dowry was SO 600 900
in cash, which was paid over to the
husband just after the marriage cere-
mony was performed
Mr.. Field was always noted for his
generosity to his children, for he gave
his only son and namesake $1,000, 600
in cash when he became OF age, on con-
ditlon lLat he would not seek to pur-
sue a business career, and has since
added large sums to this royal amount.
Mr.. and Mrs Arthur Tree nave chill
dren. but they are young and are not
in the line OF succession to the bust
ness The son-in-law Is not a business
man and does not care to become one.
His tastes. like those Of his father, run
TO literature, art and beautiful things
generally, and beside this his father
viii leave him more than million
dollars when he dies Ii Is no wonder,
then, that Mr., Arthur Tree does not
aspire to the Marshall Field millions,
as he has all the money he wants, and
is not eoyetous in the least.
May Give Them Away.
Perhaps Marshall Field viii give his
surplus millions away when the time
comes FOR him TO drop this mortal coll
to assume the white robes Of immor-
tality.
Then again, perhaps he won't
There is no complaint On the score |
that he boards his millions. for he does |
~ IA m UDH