Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-22
Incidents in the Remarkable
Career Of the Great Chicago
Merchant
eL,mPsEs OF soYHooD DAYS
How He Traded Jackknizes and an
Experience as Dry Goods Clerk
A Tragic Incident of His First
courtship = Treat His Employees
Fairly-chicaso's Tribute

payer in the United States and per-
haps the third wealthiest citizen in
the United States, was the successful
trader. One who knew him III his
schoolboy days tells this Of him:
.He was born SO. When he was at
school he was trader Of jackknives-
we called them Barlow knives then
and l remember that he never made
trade in which he did not get the best
knife. I have lifted the lid of his desk
and counted as many as fifteen Bar
low knives piled up in one corner. he
was not playful boy at school, as
most boys were. He was generally re-
served in his manner"
Marshall Field" said Chicagoan
to reporter of the Cincinnati Enquir-
er, "was never more delightful than
when he talked about his experience
as dry goods clerk in Pittsfeld. Mr..
Field in his boyhood was clerk for
several years in Pittsleld, and an ex-
cellent clerk he made too. He was
talking one night about temperance.
He said Pittsfeld lady on certain
morning stopped before his counter
very indignant and snapped:
81 consider that have been swim
died. l went to temperance lecture
to hear DIR. Huntley Hawkins, the ia
nous total abstainer, but when DR..
Hawkins got UP to speak he found
that there wasn't man in the audi
ence, and this must have made him
mad, for he launched forth in bitter
onslaught against women
81 never heard women so vilified in
my life,' said the woman. The doc
tor said we were all alike-all painted
and laced and gossiped and ruined our
husbands with our extravagance-real-
", it was scandalous. And not word
about temperance-not word
young Field repressed smile, and,
since the woman hating Hawkins was
to lecture again that night, he decided
that he would go. All the men Of
Pittsfeld, it seemed, must have come
TO the same decision. The hall was
crowded, and the audience was made
up entirely Of males, chuckling and
,winking at one another in anticipation
Of the attack on women that they were
now to hear.
"Dr. Hawkins came forth. There was
applause. De said:
"sHogs! Hogs! I've got you now!
1.-THE audience looked mystified.
"'Aha, hogs! You are trapped nicely,
and do you want to know, you men,
why call you trapped hogs? 1t is be-
cause in the west the hogs run wild,
and when they want batch for bacon
they catch young pig, put strap
under its body and hang him to sap
ling that will just swing him OF the
ground. Dancing up and down, the
pig squeals; he raises frightful rum
pus; the old hogs come from all quar-
tiers to see what the trouble is, and the
farmers shoot them in droves.'
"Dr. Hawkins smiled grimly.
"sLast night, he said, I hung pig
up. hurt it little, and it .squealed.
The old hogs have turned out now to
see the fun. Well, you are going to be
riddled, skinned, roasted
Every body knew Marshall Field, the
dry goods prince of Chicago, but I
doubt If more than select few have
heard of the tragedy which occurred
the day before his marriage to the
belle of Lawrence county, O., many
years ago, says writer in the Pitts
burg Dispatch. The story seems worth
the telling, and as have it from Il gen.
tleman who speaks of what he himself
saw there is no doubt regarding its
truth.
Marshall Field at the time he came
acquiring at Mount Vernon Furnace, a
place twelve miles from Ironton, O.,
was young man, but think that he
had already started in that business in
Chicago which made him many times
q millionaire The lady who had cap
tured his affections was the daughter
Of an ironmaster named Scott. Field
met her in some New England city, in
which she was attending a seminary,
and believe from the first their regard
for each other was strong. When she
went home Field visited her fathers
house. Mr.. Scott was very hospitable
man, and under his roof more revelry
Of an innocent sort took place than be
meath any other in the district.
After an engagement of reasonable
length Marshall Field came to Mount
Vernon Furnace to claim his bride. he
arrived the day before that set for the
wedding That night-that is, on the
eve of the wedding-there was some
sort Of Publication suitable to the oc-
casion, and when the rejoicing was at
its height, as Miss Nan Scott, a young
er sister Of the bride. was passing
through the hail, kerosene lamp ex-
ploded and enveloped the girl at once
and completely in blazing OIL 1t proved
her winding sheet. for. although her
father and others rushed to her rescue,
the unfortunate girl was so badly
burned that she died the same night.
OF course the wedding was delayed,
but eventually Miss Jennie Scott be-
came Mrs. Marshall Field and. as it
turned out, married man who was
afterward the invaluable friend and
guardian of her family. Such friend
the SCOTS cane to need in later years
Tor Gr. Scott became embarrassed dur.