The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-08-26
HOW CYRUS FIELD CONCEIVED
Ill ATLANTIC CABLE IDA

early fall of the year I>-- ! called By
appointment upon Cyrus W Field a,
his home. which vas then directly
across Cramercy Park. New YORK
city, Rom the home of samuel ]. TIL
den.
Mr. Field had Just returned from
trip TO Europe The maid who an
nounced to Mr.. Field that | had called
returned with d message from him re-
questing me 10 come to his dressing
room
he was apparently getting ready
for some evening entertainment II
was Just about dusk. in fact twilight
was So rapidly changing into dark
ness that Mr.. Field lighted the sas
when / entered. He said
Il nave talked with a good many
men IN this room while | dressed be-
cause my tim X SO occupied that |
have to make available every mo-
ment. You will excuse me. | know.
while ! brush my hair and adjust my
collar and scarf"
His manner was quick and nervous.
and every movement betrayed a Ger
tain muscular agility which seemed
t, be in perfect sympathy with the
normal operations of his min
| wanted TO ask 1ir. Field some
things about the early agitation for
and the original promotion OF the Al
lantic cable.
The q came To- me as quickly
As that" said he, swapping his fingers
TO indicate how suddenly the thought
had been impressed upon him.
There vas a man whom | knew
slightly who proposed 70 sink a teie-
/ ~ ~ :,
and the mainland. | think at Prince
Edwards Island, possibly at Cape
Breton. He came To see me because
| made his chance acquaintance q
year or two earlier and had told him
how interested | was in Professor
Morse'S invention.
He had some kind Of financial
slp-up so that he was unable to
complete his plans and | suspect that
he came to me for the purpose of see
ing whether | would not assist him.
| 1t wss only a few hours after my
conversation with this man that il
{ suddenly popped into my min that
1 if it We're possible to sink a telegraph
> cable from Newfoundland To the
mainland why wasn't it possible to
lay "A cable from the east coast Of
: Newfoundland to the west coast Of
ireland? | said to myself, 1t is only
about a thousand miles across from
view lOuilOlalQ u 1ItldlU, ana ! If-
membered having read or heard that
; charts Of the ocean at that point
showed that the main bed of tn.
ocean was comparatively level.
Il couldn't get the idea out Of NY
mind. | was completely carried away
/ by it. The first thing TO be done Wa
to take a few friends who had inan-
cial ability and plenty of courage int,
\ my confidence.
I "tAy ro,Ripo orI ox,or-,o ,.,
II me that all really great achievements
n are only the conSummation of Il thou.
r sand and one little things, j said l.
a them. If we can lay a cable acros.
8 the Atlantic from Newfoundland t.
n Ireland that will simply be the china,
not only of Professor MorSe's ant
Professor Joseph Henrys teaching,
e and experiments in the utilization D.
electricity for carrying intelligibl,
symbols for long distances. but i
e would also represent the achievement
y of the great men who charted tn,
e bottom of the sea.
We'll. sir, do you know that / hat
no more than suggested the idea y
my neighbor, Peter Cooper. and IN,
friend. Marshall Roberts, than the,
IS were instantly carried away with ]
l. exactly as | was. 1t was agreed tina
We should have a meeting at Pete
Cooper's house, just around the cor
IL ner from where We are now. "
= had just four meetings. They wer
sufficient for these men to pledg
their credit and their resources. an
i" so almost in the twinklinS Of an ey,
the Atlantic cable project was agree,
y to, and was authorized TO 20 L
Newfoundland TO begin the neccssar,
preparations for a landing place 70
: the cable there. ] think there neNe
was a finer exemplitication Of cour
age and faith involving a sreat *
II penditure of money and an 1ntrie,
experiment Of colossal proportion
y than nat shown by Peter Cooper
Marshall Roberts and one or tw
other gentlemen in the -four meeting
IN which il was decided To go ahea,
with the Atlantic cable project
Copyright. 1913, by /. j.. Edwards