The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-25
FIELD GREATLY BELOVED

had hoped his son might become law
yer; Eugene himself had yearnings for
the stage. He went to Edwin Forrest.
the tragedian. for advice and job
Forrest turned to him. ali majestic
gloom
Boy" he rumbled, return to your
friends ana bid them apprentice you
to a woodsawyer rather than waste
your life on precarious profession
whose successes are few and whose re-
wards are bankruptcy and ingratitude.
CO. study and learn of Coriolanus"
In spite of the warning, Field started
a small transforming company. He wrote
the plays, and, with his friend, Marvin
Eddy, played all the principal parts. A
Nine. Saunders was the orchestra, while
her husband painted the poster. The COM
pany played a few Missouri towns among
them carrollton and Richmond; then 1t
succumbed.
Fields father had died two years before
Gene left college. As 500 mas the young
man was able to obtain money from the
sale of some land he started for En-
rope with Edgar V. Comstock. a college
chuin. The prodigal son had nothing on
comstock and Field, and when Mi. Gray
finally cabled that Eugene's s money $500.
was exhausted. the young. men had to sell
an expensive collection of travel menen-
toes to get home. Field returned to St
New York and christened "McSweeney."
Before leaving for Europe the poet had
become engaged to Miss Julia Comstock
OF st. Joseph, Mo-. the 1i-year-old sister
of his chum.r He had agreed to wait un-
til she was 1S before marrying her but
four years seemed like 40 to the impatient
Eugene, and shortly after his return from
Europe he married Miss Comstock. She
was then 16. They went east for their
wedding trip. and Field took keen delight
in showing his unsophisticated bride the
wonders of New York. He almost caused
a waiter in Delmonico's to have heart
failure when he blandly ordered boiled
pigs feet a la st. joe
Having taken untoShimself wife, Field
was now reduced to the painful necessity
Of earning a living. and he went to work
on st. Louis newspaper He was sent
out to report the campaign of Carl Schurz
who was stumpng the state as a candl-
date for reelection to the United States
Senate. One night a German band came
to Schurzs hotel to serenade him. The
senator was changing his clothes, and
Field stepped out on the veranda, waved
his hand for silence and began to address
the crowd in broken English The real
Schurz had trouble in saving Field from
the wrath of the German audience when
they found out they had been trifled
with. They resented Fields broken Eng
ish more than they did his garbled doc
trines
In 1850 Field became the managing edi-
tor Of the old, Kansas City Times. There
are a score of stories about his sojourn
here; none perhaps better than the story
of George CASTOR. CASTOR was cour-
teous old Frenchman who ran a saloon
and cafe. which was a rendezvous for
writers and theatrical folk. Field was
continually in his debt and was continual
" winning Gaston's gratitude by some
kindly bit printed In the Times. One
Christmas Fields bar bill had reached
total of slS5. 80. CASTOR, touched by
piece in the paper receipted it in full
and handed it to the editor
"IIow's this. George?' asked Field.
"oh. that's all right said the FRENCH
man.
do I understand" inquired Field with
gravity, "that l have paid this bill?''
That's what replied George.
well, sir" said Field, "is 1t not GUS.
tomary in Missouri when one gentleman
pays another gentleman in full to sci. up
the wine?"
And everybody had one ON the house.
From Kansas City Field went to Dem
yer. then to Chicago. IT was while in
Denver that he wrote speech OF intro
duction for negro deacon who was to
Introduce Wolfe Londoner, a friend OF
Fields, to an audience Here's the send
off Londoner received:
II now take great pleasure in intfo-
ducng to you our friend and brother, the
Hon. Mr.. Wolfe Londoner. who has al
ways been our true friend and brother.
who always advises us to do the right
thing and stands ready at all times to
help US in the good fight. Although he
has white skin. his heart is as black as
any of ours.
. For more than 20 years Field was the
author of column entitled, 'Sharps and
Flats. which appeared inf the old Chicago
Record verse; fanciful bits of news ana
49,
(C6nflnueN o1> 1pxes as1Rs 1,.i,