The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-02-03
HE is THE WORLDS
GREATEST MERCHANT

| Richard Linthicum in Ainslces
IN THE LONG list Of American multi.mil.
ltonaircs are few names that have little OF
L no significance to the average reader. Incon.
| spicuous among these is tho nanc OF Marshall
| Field. IT is seldom heard outside Of Chicago,
except in mercantile circles. Yet Marshall Field
Is the greatest merchant in thc world. and, pos.
sibly, the third richest man in the United States.
The supreme achievement Of Marshall Fields
lie has been the accumulation of an immense
fortune. When the variety and magnitude OF his
business operations are considered, it is marvel.
ous that one man in his waking moments can
| exercise even n general supervision of them.
His wholesale and retail dry goods business Is
in excess Of $50, 100000 u year lie manufactures
large percentage Of the goods he sells, and the
rattle OF his looms is heard in the manufacturing
ccnters OF both hemisphercs. lie has factories
in England, Ireland and Scotland in France,
Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria and Russia, in
China Japan and India. Ills woolpn mills fur.
nish local market for the Australian wool
grower, and the revolutions Of his spndlcs in
South America run races with the governments
OF that part Of the world
When j. Pcrpont Morgan organized the United
Steel corporation. commonly known as the Steel
trust, there was no public mention Of the name
of Marshall Field, although he is one OF the
largest stockholders in that corporation
The extent of his holdings in the great lines
OF railroads is not definitely known. 1t has been
stated with some color of authority that lie has
SlO,OOO,0O0 invested in Baltimore and Ohio, and
his holdings in Milwaukee and St. Paul and the
Northwestern are known to be large In the
Pullman Car company lie is the largest indi
vidual stoCholder, and has controlled the affairs
OF that great corporation for number of years
In real estate alone his wealth exceeds that Of
many multi.millionarcs who are more widely
known than himself. A conservative estimate OF
the real estate owned by Marshall Field in Chi.
cago alone, including land i'll the vicinity of
tile Calumet river, peculiarly adapted for manu-.
featuring purposes, places IL at S30,0OO000. In
addition TO this he has a great deal of valuable
iron mining land in the northern peninsula of
Michigan.
Although not known by the titles of banker
and fnancier, his banking and purely financial
interests are large.
Conscryativcly stated, Marshall Fields wealth
exceeds hundred millions Of dollars; how
much in excess can only be sirmiscd, and it is
doubtful whether lie himself knows.
In this age of enormous individual fortunes,
it is not so marvellous that one man should have
acquired this great sum, it is that it is all
clean money, made honestly, i'll legitimate bus.
iness. 70 credit it solely to the ability and busi
ness methods of its owner would be an error,
though Mr.. Field takes pride in the belief that
the basis OF his business success is CASH His
entire business is conducted upon a cash basis.
There is no evidence that he owed Il dollar,
and it is certain that lie never borrowed one. lie
never gave note or a mortgage never bought
or sold dollars worth Of stock margins.
His nearest approach to speculation has been in
mining investments.
Although a heavy investor in stocks, Wall
street methods are obnoxious to him as are those