Evening journal., 1912-07-06
NEW NrIng nr vrerrnn.v
NEW NLVS UT IESlEnDAE
A Glimpse Of Cyrus W.
Field at Work
By Holland

Cyrus w Field told me, in the fall
Of 1877. that the idea Of the Atlantic
cable occurred to him only a few
weeks after Professor Morse had
demonstrated the commercial prao
ticability OF the Morse electric tele-
operation OF telegraph line operat-
ed between Baltimore and Washing
ton in the spring Of 1S4e.
But said Mr. Field. ut was not
until five or six years had elapsed be-
fore I mentioned my project to any
one, | knew that when / made the
proposition to men Of capital ma
iority Of them would regard It as the
craziest kind OF q chimera But
there were three or four men whom
| knew who we're never frightened by
the word chimera These men I
confidently relied upon. and with
justice They we're Marshall @ Rob
erts. one of New Yorks greatest
merchants, Moses Taylor. New York S
greatest banker and Peter Cooper
who had about as level head as any
business man whom ! ever knew
These men never deserted me
There was one very prominent mer-
chant OF New York. however. who
never seemed 10 have any confidence
in me never could understand
what the trouble with him was. re-
fer to David Dows."
David Dows, was one OF the leading
merchants. one OF the greatest busi-
ness influences Of New York. from
about 1910 10 about 1880 But he was
not associated prominently With
Cyrus W. Field in the promotion OF
the Atlantic cable, the reason for
which was narrated 10 me two or
three years ago by one of Mr Dows's
most intimate business friends, and
incidently this friend gave a vivid
picture Of CYRUS W Field az work
'I had occasion TO call upon Cyrus
W. Field" said this friend, '"st his
ojce which at that time was III an
old building on Cliff street, in the
lower part az New York city Mr.
Field had Just returned from New
foundlard where he had spent some
weeks with the men Of science who
we're employed in taking soundings
OF the bed of the Atlantic ocean for
? good many miles east Of New
Foundland
At that time Mr. Field was man
Of national notoriety Everybody
was talking about Cyrus Fields crazy
idea OF stretching a wire from ew-
foundland to ireland along the bot
tom of the Atlantic ocean
"I expected TO see. when l met Mr
Field at his ONCE. a man of solemn
dignity Of manner-tremendously
thoughtful, ar self-absorbed as col
lege professor
When entered the once in re-
sponse to a nervous. staccato answer
10 my knockZCome in, come in
saw nobody there except a man who
sat upon a high stool, the kind OF
stool clerks nse, before a long-legged
desk used to see that kina Of
desk in country schoolhouses when
I was a boy
This man had on no coat or waist
coat The day was warm. ! noticed
a peculiar kind OF red suspenders
which had left pink streaks on the
back of the mans shirt. His trous-
ers we're somewhat frayed around
the bottom.
"On the desk before him we're
great masses Of papers. Maps hung
around the wall, chiefly maps of the
Atlantic ocean There we're bits Of
wire upon the floor The man seem
ed 70 be working at fever heat, and
10 be somewhat annoyed az the in
terruption caused by my presence.
81 have called 10 sec Cyrus w
Field | said.
Well. you see him. the man re-
piled, What do you want 70 see him
iors
Il was so thunderstruck at this
apparition that ! could not speak
said to myself, What. this man Cyrus
W. Field? He was so Utterly differ
ent from my mental picture of him
that 7 was TOO bewildered for time
70 state my errand Az last, however
I did state II. end MT Field replied
graciously. for n was a matter In
which 7 knew he would be inter
ested
AS turned 70 leave him I said
Mr. Field. this looks like rea
workshop
"'Well, he replied you can't las
an Atlantic cable as you would PLAY
a game Of billiards II is work
shop. have been working eighteer
hours q day for long time on this
matter. II were not a good work
man, I couldn't get rich men to hell
me. do the work they put up tn'
money And ! shall work day ant
night until that cable is laid
"A day or two later I met Davit
pows and I told him OF my exper
fence with Mr Field.
Yes, he said n Field lays tha
cable IL will be because he is ih'
greatest workingman in New York
but can't get along with hin H
is 10 arbitrary. too domineering, to-
impefious for me 7 rather suspect
however. that he will work lon
enough TO make this thing a sue
cess
THAT" concluded Dowss oil
friend. was my first experience y
the gospel Of work
Copyright. 1912. by E. Edward;
All rights reservedl
Snapper lunch tonight Harry
schnepf. PA King street,