Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-10

l
Marshall Field is the largest indi-
vidual employer of labor in the world
today. That is strong statement
To make. but il is absolutely correct.
/ Not only is he the largest merchant
of dry goods on the globe, but he is
the largest manufacturer of dry
goods in existence.
In the British Isles alone there are
factories by the score. employing
thousands of hands, owned and oper-
ated by this Chicago merchant. Not
only in England. Scotland and Ire
land, but i'm France, Spain, Italy, Aus
tria, Russia and Germany. One can
not go into any manufacturing dis
trict but he will find large factories
whose ownership and product are
centered absolutely in Marshall Field.
Turkey i'm Europe, Turkey in Asia,
| Persia. Hindoostan, China, Japan.
Mexico and Brazil each contain fac
tories wholly his. In Australia he
owns huge wooden mills employing
an army of people.
In Chicago there are borne on the
books the names of 3,22S employees
of Marshall Field, and when the new
store, now nearing completion, is fin
! iShed. the number will be increased
to fully 5000 names.
Probably the one enterprise most
Familiarity known in this country and
| in England, indeed wherever rail-
way cars run, is the Pullman Palace
! Car company. Since the beginning
of that wellknown company, Marshall
| Field has been the largest individual
holder of its stock, holding fully &C
per cent of ii. II controlling interest,
and more than ten times as much as
George NJ. Pullman ever owned, he
being quite content to let Pullman
have the name and the fame, while
he owned the stock and drew the divi-
dCnds.
Huge blocks of stock in the Chi
cago. Milwaukee 81 ST. Paul, tire Chi
cago K Northwestern. and the Bal
timore & Ohio, are i'm his ownership.
Lands by the hundreds of acres in
Cook county, some of il worth thous-
ands of dollars an acre, and city real
estate worth into the millions, are
the property of this man. His per
sonal property tax, not counting real
estate. last year i'm Chicago alone,
was 5000. and he paid il with
never wink. Banks, corporations
and railroads, many times numbered.
count him among their stockholders.
and have his name in their directory.
He owns thousands of acres in iron
mine lands. and he is a powerful fac
tor in the production of manufacture
ed steel and iron. Of his wealth bur
few know the exact amount, and
they won't tell. but what is known.
foots up over $2OO,OOO.000.
What is his personality? y man
above average height; straight as an
Indian: broad. well knit frame; hair
and muStache as white as snow; |
clear. rosy cheeks; blue eyes; Il kind |
ly. IoveabIe. approachable man. al
ways well dressed; clean and well |
groomed: beloved of boys and chill |
dren: silent mostly. and sad faced |
when in repOSe. for the angel of the |
darkening wing has passed over him |
and taken from him some of his dear
~ beloved. Some day when you are |
in Chicago, if you will go into the |
Art Institute, at the foot of Adams
street. you will see one whole room
filled with wonderfully beautiful
works of art. loaned it by Henry |
Field. brother. long since dead. |
whose widow has since become Mrs.
Thomas Nelson Page.
Mr. Field lives in a large home
where comfort and few friends are
more valued than much style and a
host of fawners. 1t is adorned with
some rare works of art, but il is in
no sense of the word museum.
1t is considered an exceptional
L.,
of Marshall Field. The requirements
are high. but so is the pay. the priv
lodges. and opportunities. l recall
some of them. Besides the thirty |
minutes for noon lunch. every wo-
man. young and old, in the establish
ment. has an hour and half per day
to rest.
This is taken in two parts, fore
noon and afternoon, no matter how
busy the season or rush. Two weeks
vacation, with full pay and car fare
to reasonable distance, is given
once a year to every employe. All
overtime is fully paid for. The hours
are from a. IN. to $50 p. m. and no
deduction is ever made on account of
sickness. Mr.. Field does not consider
any of these as charity or philan-
thropy, but as profitable investments.
Since Mr.. Field began to work in a
store. at the age of Is, to the present
time. he would not work on the Sab
bath, nor will he allow any of his |
employees to work on that daS, not |
even may letter be opened or Il con-
sultation on business Of any char
acter be held, either with himself or
among each other by any of his en-
ployes. The window shades of all
his stores are drawn on that day.
Neither will he allow any kind of an
advertisement to appear in Sunday
newspaper. In the erection of any
store or factory or any structure for
him there is always n clause forbid