Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-01-19
Story Of the Life
Of Marshall Field

= hoic tuuu SiVusVVVsV"v, uuu " Hu
'even been estimated that his wealtl
!. reached the enormous aggregate o
$20O,0 600 100. II Is certain that h.
: was the greatest individual taxpaye
in the United States. the great bull
OF his wealth being In such shap,
that 1t was easily reached for assess
ment purposes, Last year he paid II
the city Of Chicago alone taxes OF
$4,000 900 worth OF property. Of
which 5000 o 900 was real estate and
Sl0,0 900 900 personal property.
Mr.. Field was scarcely known &c
the great western puolic except
through the connection Of his name
with the great stores OF Chicago, He
had no yearning for fame or publici
~. and repeatedly deciined all over,
lures TO draw him into public life,
At the same time he took an active
interest in all that concerned the
great western metropolis and lis
welfare and, though his b%enefactions
were never advertised, 1t Is known
tuut PUbllN ulIu HItNutO SltS
amounted to millions Of dollars.
Mr.. Field was born seventy-two
year ago on a farm near Conway,
Mass. which town in later years he
endowed with a memorial chapel
costing 500, 900. He went to Chicago
when a young man. The city then
had a population OF about $4,000. and
Mr., Field was a Woodworking, careful
managing clerk. He had been born to
labor, but not to the strictest poverty.
His early success lay In his spirit Of
economy. In the course Of time he
became a partner In a Chicago bust.
ness house. That was a short time
before the outbreak Of the civil war.
The real foundation of his vast wealth
was laid In the times Of soaring war
prices, and the development o. the
structure came with the natural and
amazing growth Of the west. The
business Of which he became the
head developed into the largest retail
stores In the world, with 10000 EN-.
ployes on Its payroll. But besides
being a seller at Wholesale and retail,
the Arm of Marshall Field & COM
pany, Is a manufacturers on a large
scale. The great output from the
stores Is made in the firms own fac.
tories. In England, Ireland and
Scotland, In China, Japan and India.
in Germany, Austria and Russia. and
in Italy, France and Spain, the Arm
has factories.
Mr. Field himself, IN addition to his
stores. vas n Of the largest stock
holders of the United States Steel
corporation, and his holdings in rail
reads were very great. He was also
largely interested in the vast iron
mines of northern Michigan.
He had many peculiar ideas regard
ing the conduct OF his stores and 9TH
err business. 1t is said by his clos.
est business friends that Mr.. Field
never borrowed money. gave a
note or a mortgage. never dealt In
margins on stocks or grain, always
bought goods for cash, sold on short
time, and narrow margins and insist
ed to the last letter On the fulfllment
Of every contract between him and
his customers.
Mr.. Field was not publicly identi-
fed with church matters. as are J..
Pierpont Morgan and John .. Rock
e~feller, but the expression Of his
religion was in the literal observance
Of the old Puritan spirit. He was
the only great merchant In Chicago
who did not carry his advertising into
the Sunday newspapers. In politics
he took comparatively little part,
from the viewpoint Of the public, but
he was believed to be a democrat Of
the Cleveland school,. At the same
time he was a warm friend and ar
dent aamirer OF the late President
Mckinley.
A fact not generally known Is that
no fewer than ten multi-millionaires
made their fortunes as members Of
the firm Of Marshall Field and com.
pany. Among them were the late
Levi z Letter, Potter Palmer and
Harry g. Seldridge.
Though his name was on the mem.
bership roll Of most Of the leading
cubs of Chicago and New York, Mr..
Field preferred the retirement Of his
own home and the companionship Of
members Of his family to the society
to be found in the clubroom. He was
twice married. The wife who sur
wives him was Mrs. Arthur Cation %
Chicago. Their wedding took place
in London In September last. Mr..
Fields only son. Marshall Field. Jr.,
met with an accidental death on No
vember q last. Besides his widow.
Mr.. Fields heirs include an only
daughter and several grandchildren.
The bulk Of the Field fortune will
probably go to Marshall t.eld ILL.,. the
oldest child OF Marshall Field. Jr.
Some time ago this was said Of Mr.
Field: "Hc has reached his goal
through strict adherence to honest
business principles. and he has
amassed his vast wealth without hav-
ing engendered the antagonism Of any
class OF people. There is no faint