The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-01-20
MARSHAL FIELD DEAD,
Greatest Of American Merchants Vie
tim Of Pneumonia.

New York.-Marshall Field. the mil
lionaire Chicago merchant, died at the
Holland house at O'Clock Tuesday af-
ternoon, after an eight-days illness of
pneumonia.
Death came peacefully, while mem
bers Of the family who had been in al
most constant attendance for several
days were gathered around the death
bed. They, as we'll as the dying mer-
chant himself, were prepared for the
end.
For days they had been swayed be-
tween hope and fear. but when the
alarming turn came to-day, after the
remarkable rally of yesterday. it was
recognized that the end had been only
briefly deferred.
Those who were present when the
merchant prince died were Mrs. Mar
shall Field. Mrs. Marshall Field, Jr.,
August n. Eddy, Catherine Eddy, Mrs.
Henry Dibblee, Robert 7. Lincoln and
Mrs. Preston Gibson.
Marshall Field was without question
the greatest and most successful mer-
chant of his generation. and he was
one Of the worlds richest men, his
wealth being estimated at anywhere
from 100000 900 to S20o. 900 900.
He was a native of Conway, Massa-
chusetts, where he was born in 1885.
His father was farmer and Mr.. Field
obtained his education in the public
schools of Conway. At the age of sew
enteen he became a clerk in general
country store in Pittsteld, Massachu-
setts, where he remained for four
years
He went to Chicago in 1856 and be-
gan his career in that city as a clerk
in the wholesale dry good establish
ment of Cooley, Wadsworth & Co.
During the four years that he remained
with this house he showed marked
commercial ability and in 1860 he was
given a Partnership.
The late Levi T. Letter was also con
nected with the firm and in 1865 the
two young men withdrew and in com
pany with the late Potter Palmer, they
organized the firm of Field, Palmer L.
Letter, which continued until 1867.
when Mr.. Palmer withdrew and the
firm became Field, Leither & Co. This
continued until 1881, when Mr.. Letter
retired and the firm became known as
Marshall Field & Co., as it is to-day.
The house forged to the front very
rapidly, and it is now the largest en-
terprise of its kind in the world, having
numerous branches throughout Europe
and Asia. Its remarkable success is at
tributed almost entirely to Mr.. Field
and his methods. He made it rule
never TO borrow money and never TO
iS a He mi cas for
thing he bought. not only in connection
with his dry good enterprise, but for
all his dealings in real estate and other
investments. The great fire in 1871
was the only reverse ever experienced
by the house of Marshall Field & Co
Its losses at that time aggregated over
81 900, 900.
Iu 1872 the wholesale department
was separated from the retail store,
and the latter now covers one city
square and is located in buildings
twelve stories in height.
While building up the dry good
store which has grown to such mann
moth proportions. Mr.. Field. who was
a firm believer in the future Of Chi
cago, invested heavily in real estate
and to the appreciation of this in value
he owed much of his wealth.
At the close of the Worlds Fair in
1898 Mr.. Field endowed with 81 ,000, 900
the museum now known as the Field
Columbian Museum, for which home
valued at $S,000.0o0 is shortly to be
erected in the heart of the city. He
later gave to the University of Chi
cago land valued at $4,000, to be used
for athletic purposes, and portion of
it is known to day as Marshall field. He
gave large sums for public enterprises
and charities.