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diff --git a/43753.txt b/43753.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a3af04b..0000000 --- a/43753.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,14218 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Cyrus W. Field; his Life and Work, by -Isabella Field Judson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Cyrus W. Field; his Life and Work - -Author: Isabella Field Judson - -Release Date: September 16, 2013 [EBook #43753] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CYRUS W. FIELD; HIS LIFE AND WORK *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -[Illustration: Portrait signed of Cyrus W. Field.] - - - - - CYRUS W. FIELD - - HIS LIFE AND WORK - - [1819-1892] - - EDITED BY - - ISABELLA FIELD JUDSON - - ILLUSTRATED - - [Illustration: colophon] - - NEW YORK - - HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS - - 1896 - - Copyright, 1896, by ISABELLA FIELD JUDSON. - - _All rights reserved._ - - [Illustration] - - - TO - - MY FATHER'S FAMILY AND FRIENDS - - THESE PAGES - - Are Dedicated - - - - -CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER PAGE - - I. PARENTAGE AND EARLY HOME LIFE (1819-1835) 1 - - II. EARLY LIFE IN NEW YORK (1835-1840) 14 - - III. MARRIAGE AND BUSINESS LIFE (1840-1853) 27 - - IV. OUT OF DEBT--A VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA - (1853) 42 - - V. THE FIRST CABLE (1853-1857) 59 - - VI. THE FIRST CABLE (CONTINUED) (1857) 74 - - VII. A FLEETING TRIUMPH (1858) 86 - -VIII. FAILURE ON ALL SIDES (1858-1861) 122 - - IX. THE CIVIL WAR (1861-1862) 131 - - X. CAPITAL RAISED FOR THE MAKING OF A NEW - CABLE--STEAMSHIP "GREAT EASTERN" - SECURED (1863-1864) 154 - - XI. THE FAILURE OF 1865 182 - - XII. THE CABLE LAID--CABLE OF 1865 GRAPPLED - FOR AND RECOVERED--PAYMENT OF DEBTS - (1866) 199 - -XIII. THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD (1867-1870) 232 - - XIV. INTERNATIONAL POLITICS--RAPID TRANSIT - (1870-1880) 267 - - XV. THE PACIFIC CABLE--THE GOLDEN WEDDING - (1880-1891) 303 - - XVI. LAST DAYS AND DEATH--IN MEMORIAM (1891-1892) 321 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - -CYRUS W. FIELD _Frontispiece_ - -SUBMIT DICKINSON FIELD _Facing page_ 2 - -DAVID DUDLEY FIELD " 6 - -THE PARSONAGE, STOCKBRIDGE, MASS. " 10 - -VALENTIA: LANDING THE SHORE-END OF - THE CABLE, 1857 " 94 - -CYRUS W. FIELD, 1860 " 124 - -LAST TWO PAGES OF LETTER FROM MR. - GLADSTONE, DATED NOVEMBER 17, 1862 " 148 - -ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLE CHART, 1865 " 188 - -THE NIGHT-WATCH " 194 - -ARDSLEY, IRVINGTON-ON-HUDSON " 264 - -CERTIFICATE OF DISCHARGE FROM THE MERCANTILE - MARINE SERVICE " 296 - -THE ANDRE MONUMENT, TAPPAN, NEW YORK " 302 - - - - -CYRUS W. FIELD - -HIS LIFE AND WORK - - - - -CHAPTER I - -PARENTAGE AND EARLY HOME LIFE - -(1819-1835) - - -CYRUS WEST FIELD, the eighth child and seventh son of David Dudley -Field, was born in Stockbridge, Mass., November 30, 1819. He took his -double name from Cyrus Williams, President of the Housatonic Bank (in -Stockbridge), and from Dr. West, for sixty years his father's -predecessor in the pastorate of the old Church of Stockbridge. He was -the sixth in descent from Zachariah Field, the founder of the family in -this country, who was the grandson of John Field the astronomer. -Zachariah was born in the old home in Ardsley, Yorkshire, England. He -came over in 1630 or 1632, seemingly from Hadley, Suffolk, and settled -first in Dorchester, Mass., afterwards making his way through the -wilderness to Hartford, Conn. Then followed in the direct line his -oldest son Zachariah Junior, Ebenezer, David, and Captain Timothy, who -was born in the north part of Madison, Conn., in 1744. He served in the -Continental Army under Washington, and was in the battle of White -Plains. - -David Dudley Field, Captain Timothy's youngest son, was born May 20, -1781. In 1802 he graduated from Yale, the next year was ordained a -minister of the Congregational Church, and a month later, October 31, -1803, was married to Submit Dickinson, daughter of Captain Noah -Dickinson, of Somers, Conn., who first served under Putnam in the French -War and afterwards in the War of the Revolution. Submit Dickinson was -called "The Somers Beauty." - -[Illustration: SUBMIT DICKINSON FIELD - -Born October 1, 1782 - -(From a Crayon by Lawrence)] - -David Dudley Field was first settled in Haddam, Conn., and remained as -pastor of the Congregational Church for fourteen years. Seven of his -children were born while he lived there: David Dudley was the eldest; -then followed Emilia Ann, Timothy Beals, Matthew Dickinson, Jonathan -Edwards, Stephen Johnson 1st (who died when he was six months old), and -Stephen Johnson 2d. Cyrus West, Henry Martyn, and Mary Elizabeth were -the three children born in Stockbridge, Mass. Among the reminiscences of -his sojourn in Haddam is that it fell to him to preach the execution -sermon of Peter Long. The grim Puritanical custom still survived, -according to which a prisoner convicted of a capital crime, on the day -on which he was to be hanged was taken by a body-guard of soldiers to -church to be publicly prepared for his ending. He was placed in a -conspicuous pew, where he was obliged not only to listen to a long and -harrowing sermon, but when addressed by name to stand up facing the -preacher and receive the exhortation as he had received the sentence. -Dr. Field addressed the victim directly for some minutes, and closed -with these words: "Before yonder sun shall set in the west your -probationary state will be closed forever. This day you will either lift -up your eyes in hell, being in torment, or, through the rich, -overflowing, and sovereign grace of God, be carried by the angels to -Abraham's bosom. If in any doubt about your preparation, you may yet -find mercy. He who pardoned the penitent thief on the cross may pardon -you in the place of execution. Pray God, then, if perhaps your sins may -be forgiven you. Cry to Him, 'God be merciful to me, a sinner!' and -continue those cries till death shall remove you hence. May the Lord -Almighty support you in the trying scene before you, and through -infinite grace have mercy on your soul." - -From the church the prisoner was led, clothed in a long, white robe, to -the scaffold. It is said that on this occasion the rope was cut by the -militiamen in attendance as a guard. - -In May, 1819, Dr. Field accepted the call to the church in Stockbridge, -and on August 25th he was settled there as a pastor. In those days the -moving of a household from Haddam to Stockbridge was a formidable -undertaking. Teams were sent to Connecticut, a journey of several days, -to bring on the household furniture, and, most important of all, heavy -boxes piled with the volumes that comprised the pastor's library. The -clearest statement of the impression made upon the youth of his flock by -the ministry of Dr. Field is furnished in these words, written nearly -fifty years after his settlement in Stockbridge, and a fortnight after -his death, by the venerated president of Williams College: - -"WILLIAMS COLLEGE, _April 30, 1867_. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq.: - - "_My dear Sir_,--On my return I comply at once with your request to - write out the remarks I made at your father's funeral. In writing - to me, Mr. Eggleston simply said he should like to have me take - some part in the services, but he did not say what, and under the - circumstances I did not think it best to attempt anything but a few - remarks bearing on my personal relation to him. I give them below - as well as I can. - - "'On coming here I was not aware what the order of exercises was to - be, or what part I was expected to take in them; but as I am drawn - here by a deep personal regard to the departed, the few words that - I shall say will have reference to him chiefly in that relation - through which this regard was awakened. - - "'It was under the ministry of Dr. Field that I first united with - the Christian Church. By him I was baptized in this place. - - "'For a long period my mind was in a state of solicitude and - careful inquiry on the subject of religion, and during much of that - time I sat under his ministry. Well do I remember his sermons and - his prayers; we worshipped in the old church then, and the whole - town came together. His sermons were lucid, logical, effective, and - his prayers remarkably appropriate and comprehensive. One of his - texts I remember particularly. It was this: "Lord, to whom shall we - go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are - sure that Thou art that Christ, the son of the living God." From - these words he preached several discourses of great power showing - that Jesus was the Christ, and that there was no one else to whom - we could go. I regarded them then, and still do, as among the - ablest discourses I ever heard. They had a powerful effect upon my - mind. - - "'In respect to feeling he was not demonstrative, and some thought - him cold. No mistake could have been greater. On sitting near him I - remember to have been struck by noticing the big tears rolling down - his cheeks when he came to the more touching parts of his - discourse, while there was scarcely a sign of emotion in his voice - or in the lines of his face. Perhaps intellect predominated. - Probably it did; but he was a man of deep feeling, and under the - impulse of it, as well as of principle, he was a faithful, earnest, - laborious pastor. It was in that relation that I feel that his - character and life and preaching and prayers were an important - formative influence with me for good, and I have never ceased to - regard him with affectionate veneration, and never shall. - - "'And what he did for me he doubtless did for multitudes of others. - There is no higher educating power than that of a pastor thoroughly - educated and balanced, earnest by proclaiming God's truths from - Sabbath to Sabbath and dealing fairly with the minds of men. This - he did, and in doing it was eminent among a body of men who have - done more to make New England what it is than any other. In clear - thinking, in able sermons, and in earnest labors, he was altogether - a worthy successor of the eminent men who had preceded him. - - "'I see some here who will remember those earlier times. I am sure, - my friends, you will verify all I have said, and that with me you - do now and will continue to cherish with respect and with love the - memory of our former pastor. It only remains to us now to emulate - all in him that was good, and in deep sympathy with these mourning - friends to aid in placing his dust where it will rest with so much - other precious dust that makes this a hallowed valley, and where it - will await the resurrection of the just.' - - "In reading over what I have written I can only say that it seems - to me altogether inadequate as an expression of the sense I have of - your father's worth and of the benefit he was to me, but having - promised to do so I send it. - -"With great regard, yours, -"MARK HOPKINS." - - - -[Illustration: TABLET IN THE CHURCH IN STOCKBRIDGE] - -[Illustration: DAVID DUDLEY FIELD - -Born May 20, 1781 - -(From a Crayon by Lawrence)] - -The recollection that his grandchildren have of him is of a quiet, -dignified old gentleman, who seemed quite lost when his call for "Mis' -Field" was not answered at once by his energetic wife, upon whom he was -very dependent. Occasionally he would gather his children's children -about him, and seemed to enjoy showing them how "the lady's horse goes," -and the tumble that followed "and by-and-by comes old hobble-de-gee," -was looked upon as great fun. He would also delight his youthful -audience by repeating a few of Mother Goose's Melodies, and they never -tired of hearing him. - -Life in New England in those days, and especially the life of a pastor's -family, was earnest, with an earnestness that to the young, with the -eagerness of youth for enjoyment, may well have seemed repulsive. The -Puritanic rigor that has been so much relaxed during the past -half-century was then much what it had been in the earliest colonial -times. - - +------------------------------------------+ - | IN MEMORY OF | - | David Dudley Field, | - | Pastor of this Church. | - | | - | Born in Madison, Conn., May 20, 1781. | - | Settled in Haddam, 1804-1818. | - | In Stockbridge, 1819-1837. | - | | - | Recalled to his Charge, he Preached | - | again in Haddam till 1851, | - | When he returned here | - | To spend his last days. | - | | - | Died April 15, 1867, | - | Aged nearly 86 years. | - | | - | The Hoary Head is a Crown of Glory | - | when found in the way of | - | Righteousness. | - +------------------------------------------+ - -Morning and evening the entire family gathered in the sitting-room for -prayers, each one with a Bible, and all were required to join in the -reading. A chapter was never divided, and in turn the verses were read; -often comments were made. Afterwards came the long prayer, when all, -except Dr. Field, knelt; he stood, with his hands on the back of his -chair, and one of his favorite expressions, and one which greatly -impressed the younger members of his family, the more because they did -not understand it, was that the Lord would "overturn, overturn, overturn -... until he come, whose right it is." - -That the Puritanic atmosphere was no harsh and unmirthful thing in this -parsonage is shown by the story told by one who was a boy in Stockbridge -at the time. A hen was sitting in a box in the woodshed; each morning -Cyrus looked for the little chickens. One day in an adjoining box he -found the family cat with a number of kittens. These he placed with the -hen, and then with a very straight face asked his father to come and see -the chickens. - -The controversy as to the scriptural limitation of the Sabbath, whether -it began at sunset on Saturday or at midnight, was then very active. -When Dr. Field was questioned as to which evening was the one to be -observed, he always advised those in doubt to keep both. - -Once in speaking of the curious texts that he had known clergymen of his -generation to choose, he instanced: "Parbar westward, four at the -causeway and two at Parbar"; but he failed to give the lesson that was -drawn from the words. - -In those old days in western Massachusetts cooking-stoves were unknown. -The pots were hung above the fire, the meats were broiled over the -coals or before them, and the baking was done in a brick oven. Neither -were there ice-closets nor travelling butchers. The winter's stock of -meat was laid in with the first cold weather; the chickens were killed -and packed in snow in the cellar, to be brought out as they were needed; -and pies were made in large quantities, and frozen and put away for -future use; and the foot-stove was taken down from the shelf. This was a -small iron box with holes in the top, and into it were put live coals. -The box was carried in the hand, and used in place of a footstool in -"meeting"; but even with this mitigation the cold was felt intensely. - -The conflict in a conscientious pastor's mind between his sense of duty -and his kindness of heart was often severe and painful. Mrs. Field used -to say that the most difficult act her husband was ever called upon to -perform was to refuse church membership to those who had accepted Dr. -Channing's views. She was naturally more pitiful than he. A revivalist -who had come to the village in the course of his mission took occasion -at a service publicly to arraign one of the prominent men of the town -for drunkenness. Mrs. Field strongly disapproved of the time and place -chosen for the rebuke, and on her way home from the meeting expressed -her disapproval, and when she reached her gate said, "Wait, Cyrus, and -when Mr. ---- passes bring him to me and I will pick his bones for him" -(Micah iii. 2). She would not have approved of the method adopted, -according to a story current in her son Cyrus's family, by a pious man -in Connecticut who, when he thought himself imposed upon by his -neighbors, would say, with a long drawl, "Leave them to the Lord, leave -them to the Lord--he'll smite them hip and thigh." - -Her son always remembered, as one of the strongest impressions of his -childhood, the deep and lasting grief of his mother at parting with her -eldest daughter, who married and went to Smyrna, Asia Minor, as a -missionary, when he was but ten years old. - -An old lady in Stockbridge tells to his niece this story of him at about -the same age. "Your grandmother had been very ill. I watched with her; -many of us watched. I thought to keep her from talking by coming up -behind her to give her medicine, but she found out who I was and talked -a great deal. After she was better she still needed some one to sleep in -her room, keep up the fire and give her medicine. Your uncle Cyrus did -this one whole winter when he was a little boy, I should think not ten. -It was lovely of him." And it was just like him. He always remembered -that during this same illness his mother called him to her and said, -"Cyrus, the doctor says I am very ill, but I shall be up to-morrow." And -he would add, "She was." - -By all Stockbridge tradition he was the hero of another tale, although -he himself always gave the credit of it to one of his brothers. A -certain rat-trap (perhaps of new and efficient style) had been lost. -After much search and questioning the minister gave orders that whenever -found it should be brought at once to him. So one day at a service, when -the sermon was in full progress, there came a clanging noise up the -aisle, and the missing article was set down in front of the pulpit with -the words, "Father, here is your rat-trap!" - -Another laughable reminiscence occurred at the burning of the parsonage, -which took place about 1830. In 1822 or 1823 Dr. Field had bought a -small house in the village and had moved there. The fire was first seen -as the children were coming from school, and very soon after it was -discovered all hope of subduing it was given up, and the first thought -was to save the study furniture and books, and the study table was -thrown from the window. Imagine the surprise of the crowd and the -consternation of their pastor as the drawers of this, his private -repository, came open, and a shower of playing-cards fluttered forth and -whitened the grass. They had been found in the possession of his -children and confiscated. - -It is remembered of Cyrus Field as a child that his dealings with his -playmates were most exact. He paid punctually all that he owed, and -required the same punctuality in return. He was the chosen leader in all -the games, and he was the victor in a race around the village green, one -of the stipulations being that a certain amount of crackers should be -eaten on the way. - -His half-holidays were passed in roaming over the country-side, and he -has often said that the meal he enjoyed the most in his life was one -gotten on a Saturday afternoon when he had stopped, tired and hungry, at -a farm-house, and was given a plate of cold pork and potatoes. He was -obliged to be at home before sunset on Saturday, as every member of the -family was required to be in the house by that time, and all work to -cease; and as the children entered their father greeted them with the -words, "We are on the borders of holy time." Sunset on Sunday was -watched for most anxiously, for they were then again quite free to come -and go. - -[Illustration: THE PARSONAGE, STOCKBRIDGE, MASS. - -(As rebuilt after the fire)] - -The simple life of the Massachusetts village was not without its -pleasures. There lies before me a yellow programme, printed sixty years -ago, which commemorates what was very likely at once the first -appearance of Cyrus W. Field on any stage and his last appearance in his -native village, and forms a fitting conclusion to the story of his -childhood. - -=EXHIBITION.--STOCKBRIDGE ACADEMY=, - -MARCH 26-27, 1835. - -=THURSDAY EVENING.= - -ORDER OF EXERCISES. - -1. MUSIC. - -2. Prologue.--United States Speaker. JOHN HENRY ADAMS - -3. Burr and Blennerhasset.--Wirt. ESSEX WATTS - -4. Bernardo Del Carpio.--Mrs. Hemans. RALPH K. JONES - -5. Death of the Princess Charlotte.--Campbell. HENRY W. DWIGHT, JR. - -6. MUSIC. - - 7. "Hail to the Land."--Author unknown. PHINEHAS LINCOLN - - 8. Extract from Robert Treat Paine - on French Aggressions. DAVID L. PERRY - - 9. Parody of "The Young Orator."--Anonymous. GEORGE W. KINGSLEY - -10. A Dandy's----What?--Independent Balance. WILLIAM STUART - -11. MUSIC. - -12. Patriotic Stanzas.--Campbell. THOMAS WELLS - -13. Injustice of Slavery. JAMES SEDGWICK - -14. Question Answered.--Ladies' Magazine. GEORGE LESTER - -15. Fall of Missolonghi.--E. Canning. THEODORE S. POMEROY, Jr. - -16. MUSIC. - -17. The Rich Man and the Poor Man.--Khemnitzen. LEWIS BURRALL - -18. Man, the Artificer of His Own Fortune. EDWARD SELKIRK - -19. Pleasures of Knowledge. MARSHALL WILLIAMS - -20. Extract from an Oration by Wm. R. Smith. EDWIN WILLIAMS - -21. Running Dover, a Boaster.--Anonymous. GEORGE W. KINGSLEY - -22. MUSIC. - -23. Influence of Intemperance - on our Government.--Sprague. BRADFORD DRESSER - -24. Bunker Hill Monument.--Webster. GEORGE W. PARSONS - -25. Extract from Webster on the Slave Trade. JOHN ELY - -26. Parody of "Lochiel's Warning."--Edward Selkirk. - Advocate of Temperance, {EDWARD SELKIRK - Vender of Ardent Spirits, {THEODORE WILLIAMS - -27. A Wife Wanted.--A Bachelor EDWARD CARTER - -28. MUSIC. - -29. The Instability of Human Government.--Rutledge. JOHN VALLET - -30. Parody of "Brutus's Address to the - Roman Populace."--Anonymous. GEORGE W. BURRALL - -31. Peter's Ride to the Wedding.--New Speaker. GEORGE LESTER - -32. Tragical Dialogue.--Columbian Orator. - - Indian Chief, CHARLES POMEROY - American Officer, LEWIS FENN - Son of the Chief, CYRUS FIELD - Soldiers, {CHARLES DEMING - {JOHN VALLET - -33. Petition of Young Ladies.--United States Speaker JOHN HENRY ADAMS - -34. MUSIC. - -FRIDAY EVENING. - -ORDER OF EXERCISES. - -1. MUSIC. - -2. _"SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER."--Goldsmith._ - -A COMEDY IN FIVE ACTS. - -DRAMATIS PERSONAE. - - Sir Charles Marlow, S. G. JONES - Hardcastle, H. C. FAY - Young Marlow, H. TREMAIN - Hastings, E. ROCKWELL - Tony Lumpkin, H. GARDNER - Diggory, C. POMEROY - Jeremy, T. WILLIAMS - Stings, L. FENN - Mrs. Hardcastle, C. W. FIELD - Miss Hardcastle, F. FOWLER - Miss Neville, J. STEPHENS - Maid, J. ELY - Fellows of the Ale-house, Servants, etc. - -ACT THE FIRST. - -Scene 1.--A Chamber in an Old-fashioned House. - -MUSIC. - -Scene 2.--An Ale-house Room. - -MUSIC. - -ACT THE SECOND. - -Scene 1.--A Room in Hardcastle's House, supposed by Marlow and -Hastings to be a Room in an Inn. - -MUSIC. - -ACT THE THIRD. - -Scene 1.--A Room in Hardcastle's House. - -MUSIC. - -ACT THE FOURTH. - -Scene 1.--The same Room. - -MUSIC. - -ACT THE FIFTH. - -Scene 1.--The same Room. - -MUSIC. - -Scene 2.--The back of the Garden. - -MUSIC. - -Scene 3.--A Room in Hardcastle's House. - -MUSIC. - -3. Epilogue.--United States Speaker. THEODORE S. POMEROY, Jr. - -MUSIC. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -EARLY LIFE IN NEW YORK - -(1835-1840) - - -It was on Wednesday, April 29, 1835, and only a few weeks after "She -Stoops to Conquer" had been performed in the village academy at -Stockbridge, that Cyrus Field, having persuaded his parents that he was -old enough to go out into the world and seek his fortune, left his home. -For three years before he had kept the family accounts, and had most -carefully entered every item of expense in a small paper book, and he -was well aware that it was only with strict economy that the eight -dollars given to him by his father at parting could be spared from the -family purse. Stockbridge in April lies bare and brown in the valley of -the Housatonic, and the tops of the mountains that are near are at that -season often still white with snow, and his heart was in harmony with -the scene as he looked back for the last sight of his beloved mother's -face. His first letter is dated - -"NEW YORK, _May 12, 1835_. - - "_Dear Father_,--I received yours, Henry's, and Mary's kind letters - of the 7th on the 9th by Jonathan, and I assure you that it did me - good to hear from sweet home. - - "I stopped at Mr. Moore's, in Hudson, and they had not seen - mother's handkerchief. - - "Your account of the Field family I was glad to receive, but I - wish to know also from whom we are descended on my mother's side. - - "Tell Stephen, Henry, and Mary that I intended to write them all a - long letter, but as I have not been very well for the last two - days, and have a good deal to do to-day, it is impossible. - - "The purse which Mary mentioned in her letter Jonathan says that he - did not bring. - - "I have seen R. Maclaughlin, and he sends his love to Henry. Tell - George Whitney that the store boy sends his love to him. I do the - same, and also to Edwin Williams, Mr. Fay, S. and A. Hawkings, and - all the good people of old Stockbridge. - - "Uncle Beales and his daughter arrived here last night. - - "Mr. Mark Hopkins came from Stockbridge this morning. No letters. - - "Take good care of mother, and tell her she must not get overdone. - - "All send their love. Love to all. - -"From your affectionate son, -"CYRUS." - - - -He does not speak of his loneliness, although we know that it was great, -for his mother's last words to another son, who was going to New York a -few weeks later, were, "Bring Cyrus home if he is still so homesick." - -It was on one of his first Sundays in New York that, after he had been -to church, and gone to his brother David's for dinner, his unhappiness -was apparent to the family and also to Dr. Mark Hopkins, their guest, -whose sympathy was never forgotten, nor his words, "I would not give -much for a boy if he were not homesick on leaving home." He has said -that many of the evenings during the long summer that followed his -coming to New York were passed on the banks of the Hudson watching the -boats as they sailed northward, and as he lay by the riverside he -pictured himself as on board of one of the vessels, and the welcome -that he would receive on reaching Stockbridge. - -Towards the end of his life Mr. Field began the preparation of his -autobiography. From so much of this as serves the purpose of this -narrative, extracts will be made from time to time without express -credit. - -In 1835 it took twenty-four hours to go from Stockbridge to New York, -and first there was a drive of fifty miles to Hudson on the river, and -then a long sail by boat. - -Almost immediately on reaching the city he entered as an errand-boy the -store of A. T. Stewart, which had already a more commanding reputation -than any mercantile establishment possesses or perhaps can attain at -present. - -His home was in a boarding-house in Murray Street near Greenwich, where -he had board and lodging for two dollars a week, a fact which is in -itself eloquent of the difference between life now in New York and life -sixty years ago. Stewart's was then at 257 Broadway, between Murray and -Warren streets. There the young clerk received for his services the -first year $50, and the second the sum was doubled. Even so, and with -what would now be the incredible frugality of his living, it is plain -that he could not have supported himself by his earnings. Of his life at -that time he said in after-years, "My oldest brother lent me money, -which, just as soon as I was able, and before I was twenty-one, I -returned to him with interest." The letter that follows tells how his -first money was spent: - -"NEW YORK, _June 12, 1835_. - - "_Dear Father_,--I received by Mr. Baldwin five nightcaps, a - pin-cushion, and some wedding-cake, for which I am very much - obliged to mother and Mary. - - "Mary wrote to me to know of what color I would have my frock-coat; - tell mother instead of having a linen frock-coat that I would - prefer another linen roundabout, as they are much better in a - store; I am not particular about the color. - - "When you write to me, direct your letters to Cyrus W. Field, at A. - T. Stewart & Co., No. 257 Broadway, New York; if you do so, they - will come to me quicker than in any other way. There is in the - store besides the firm twenty-four clerks, including two - book-keepers, one of whom is Mr. Smith, of Haddam; he says that he - remembers you, mother, David, Timothy, and Matthew very well. Give - my love to mother, brothers, sister, Mr. Fay, George Whitney, and - other friends. - -"From your affectionate son, -"CYRUS. - - "P.S.--On the other side you will find a list of my expenses. - - From the 29th of April to the 12th of June.--Cyrus W. Field, - expenses. - - From Stockbridge to New York $2 00 - - Paid to David for Penny Magazines 2 00 - (I am not agoing to take them any longer.) - - To hair cutting 121/2 - - To one vial of spirits of turpentine (used to - get some spots out of coat) 61/4 - - To get shoes mended 183/4 - - To one pair of shoe-brushes 25 - - To one box of blacking 121/2 - - To get trunks carried from David's to my - boarding-house 25 - - To two papers of tobacco to put in trunks to - prevent moths getting in 121/2 - - To one straw hat (the one that I brought from - home got burned and was so dirty that David - thought I had better get me a new one.) 1 00 - - To one steel pen 121/2 - - To small expenses, from time to time, such as - riding in an omnibus, going to Brooklyn, - etc., etc., etc. 1 25 - ------ - Total, $7 50 - - "When I left home I had $8, $7 50 of which is expended, leaving in - my hands 50 cents. I do not know of anything that I want, but I - think you had better send to me $4 more." - -In all his letters of this period he calls his eldest brother by his -first name, David, and it was not until many years later that his second -name, Dudley, is added. - -At first Mr. Field was obliged to be at his work between six and seven -in the morning, and after he was promoted from errand-boy to clerk the -hours for attendance at the store were from a quarter-past eight in the -morning until into the evening. "I always made it a point to be there -before the partners came and never to leave before the partners left. -Mr. Stewart was the leading dry-goods merchant at that time. My ambition -was to make myself a thoroughly good merchant. I tried to learn in every -department all I possibly could, knowing I had to depend entirely on -myself." - -In his simple country home a theatre had always been thought of and -spoken of as an entrance to hell, but being of an inquiring mind he -determined, as so many country lads have done before and since, upon -giving one of his first evenings in the city to finding out for himself -what hell was like. The kindred desire to see a large fire was also soon -gratified, and the ardor of his curiosity on this subject was at once -cooled, for, as he stood watching the blaze, the hose was turned for a -moment in the wrong direction, and he was drenched. - -The subject of the next letter is the "great fire of 1835," which took -place on December 16th, and destroyed 600 warehouses and $20,000,000 of -property. - -"NEW YORK, _December 25, 1835_. - - "_Dear Father_,--Last week, on Wednesday night, a fire broke out in - a store in Merchant Street which proved to be the largest that was - ever known in this country. It burned about 674 buildings, most of - which were wholesale stores, and laid waste all of thirty acres of - the richest part of this city. - - "I was up all night to the fire, and last Sunday was on duty with - David as a guard to prevent people from going to the ruins to steal - property that was saved from the fire and laying in heaps in the - streets. - - "The awful state that the city was in can be better imagined than - described. - - "Mr. Brewer has arrived, and will take to Stockbridge some parcels, - one of which is for Mrs. Ashburner. - -"In haste, from your affectionate son, -"CYRUS. - - "P.S.--I wish mother would make for me a black frock-coat (she - knows the kind that I want) and a plain black stock. - - "Perhaps you had better send me the $6 that you were to let me - have. - -"C. W. FIELD." - - - -On July 25, 1836, he writes to his father: - - "I shall leave New York on Thursday evening the 11th of August, in - the steamboat _Westchester_, which goes no further up the river - than Hudson, and be at that place on Friday morning, the 12th, - where I shall want to have some one to meet me and Mr. Goodrich - with a good horse and wagon to take us immediately to - Stockbridge.... I want to have some one be at Hudson rain or shine, - and I would like to have you write to me and let me know who is - coming, and where I shall find him if he is not at the wharf.... - Mr. G. and myself will pay the expense of coming to Hudson." - -And in another letter: - - "The fare in the steamboat to Hudson is only 50 cents." - -A month later, in a letter to his mother, dated New York, August 29th, -he says: - - "I arrived here on Thursday morning with Goodrich, in good health - and fine spirits. I have sent to you by Mr. Platner, of Lee, - - 10 yds. of fine long cloth, at 25 cents per yd. $2 50 - 15 yds. not fine long cloth, at 121/2 cents per yd. 1 871/2 - 1 muslin collar ----- - 1 remnant of merino, 41/2 yds., for 4 00 - ------ - Total, $8 371/2 - - "If Mary should like the merino for a cloak I will obtain another - remnant for a dress. - - "Father has let me have $25 00 since I have been in New York, and - if he wishes me I will pay the above amount, and then I shall be - indebted to him $16 621/2. I will send the balance in money or obtain - that amount worth of goods for him here at any time.... - - "I wish you would all write to me by every opportunity, and tell me - of anything and all things that happen at home and in good old - Stockbridge. - - "Give my love to all friends. In haste. - -"From your affectionate son, -"CYRUS. - - "_To my dear mother._" - -He wrote to his mother again on October 31, 1836, and in the postscript -says: - - "Tell father that I have read through the _Pilgrim's Progress_ - which he gave me when at home, and that I like it very much; and - also that Goodrich and myself take turns in reading a chapter in - the Bible every night before we go to bed, and that we have got as - far as the 25th chapter of Genesis." - -His indebtedness to his father seems to have weighed heavily upon him, -for on November 25th he again alludes to it: - - "I am now in debt to you $4 75, which I will pay to you at any time - you wish, or will obtain things for you here." - -The thought that his home in Stockbridge is to be given up causes him -pain. On January 24, 1837, in a letter to his mother, he says: - - "I am sorry that father is going to leave that beautiful place - Stockbridge, but when you do move to Haddam I hope that you will - take everything, even the old and good dog Rover." - -In a letter written to his father on April 15, 1837, he mentions various -articles he has sent to him, and then adds: - - "And also a silk handkerchief, which I wish you to accept for the - interest on the $25 you lent me." - -Towards the end of the letter is this sentence: - - "The election has closed and the Whigs have elected Aaron Clark - their candidate for Mayor by a majority of nearly 5000 votes. - Good." - -His clothes were all of home manufacture. On May 1, 1837, in a letter to -his mother, he writes: - - "I wish you would make for me, as soon as convenient, a black - broadcloth _coat with skirts_, and covered buttons, and as I wish - it for a dress-coat the cloth must be _very fine and made extremely - nice_. You cannot be too particular about it." - -In his letter written from New York on July 15, 1837, he says: - - "David arrived on Monday, July 10th, in the packet ship _Oxford_, - from Liverpool. He had a passage of thirty-seven days. He is in - very good health. The Ladies' Greek Association of Stockbridge held - their fair the 4th of July on Little Hill, and raised one hundred - and twenty-seven dollars ($127). Well done for old Stockbridge." - -The Mercantile Library in Clinton Hall, at the southwest corner of -Nassau and Beekman streets, proved an attractive place to him, and -whenever it was possible he went there in the evening to read; and he -also joined an "Eclectic Fraternity," to which Mr. Jackson S. Schultz -belonged. The Fraternity met for debate every Saturday evening in a -fourth-story room over a leather store in the Swamp. - -Mr. Stewart's rules were strict. One of them was that every clerk must -enter in a book the minute that he came in the morning, left for dinner, -returned from dinner, went to supper and came back; and if he was late -in the morning, at dinner over an hour, or required more than -three-quarters of an hour for supper, he must pay twenty-five cents for -each offence. The fines thus collected, Mr. Stewart told his clerks, -would be kept and given to any charity that they should select. This -went on until September 30, 1837, and then this paper was drawn up: - -"NEW YORK, _September 30, 1837_. - - "We, the undersigned, hereby nominate and appoint Cyrus W. Field - treasurer to receive the fines of the young men _paid_ during the - month of September to Messrs. A. T. Stewart & Co.: - - EDWARD K. SHED, - J. R. MCELROY, - JAMES SHOND, - H. T. SELDEN, - CHARLES ST. JOHN, - WEBSTER THOMPSON, - C. ZABRISKIE, JR., - JNO. K. WALKER, - E. B. WILLIAMS, - HENRY RUTGERS PRALL, - THOMAS H. SELBY, - JAMES BECK, - J. B. SMITH, - GEO. HAYWOOD, - D. R. PARK, - M. GOODRICH, - JOHN WM. BYRON, - A. MATTHEW, - T. JONES, - S. H. MAYNARD, - C. AUSTIN, - PAUL BURDOCK, - P. FELLOWS, - EDMUND S. MILLS, - JAMES MACFARLAN, - A. SAHTLER, - R. WHYTE." - - - -The clerks were paid at the beginning of each month, and on the 1st of -October the paper was presented, and the cashier was asked for the -money, which he declined to give. An appeal was taken to Mr. Stewart, -who ordered it to be given to the young men. - -"I took the funds, and all of the clerks left the store that night in a -body and proceeded up Broadway to the corner of Chambers Street. We then -agreed to go into a large, well-known oyster-saloon in the basement. The -clerks at once voted unanimously that we should have an oyster supper, -and that the treasurer should pay from this fund the expense of the -supper, which was done. Then there was a long debate as to what charity -the balance should be given to. At last it was unanimously resolved that -there was no such charity in the city or State of New York as the clerks -of A. T. Stewart & Co., and that Mr. Field, the treasurer, should return -to each clerk the exact amount of his fines, less his proportion of the -supper. This occupied until nearly or quite daylight. - -"Some one of the clerks or waiters told Mr. Stewart of what had -occurred, and we were all requested to remain at the store the next -evening after business hours, when Mr. Stewart called me up and asked me -to give him an account of what had been done with the funds paid to me -the previous evening. I told him the exact truth in regard to the -matter, when he dismissed us, saying that in the future he should be -very careful that the firm selected the object of charity that this fund -was given to." - -At a dinner at the Union League Club on October 26, 1881, Jackson S. -Schultz, the beginning of whose acquaintance with Mr. Field has just -been referred to, related this incident: "Perhaps I cannot do better -than tell you an anecdote that was told me by Mr. Stewart at the great -celebration which we had at the Metropolitan Hotel after the laying of -the Atlantic cable. He said to me, 'Perhaps you don't know that I have -taught Mr. Field all the art of telegraphing he knows.' 'No, I am not -aware of that, Mr. Stewart.' He said, 'It is quite notorious in our -house.' Mr. Field was for a long time a clerk in that establishment, and -Mr. Stewart said Mr. Field was in the habit of watching the old -gentleman, and by a sort of tick, tick, giving notice to his -fellow-clerks of the fact that he was coming, so that every man was in -his place, and from that simple idea Mr. Field got the idea of -telegraphing, which had made his fortune." - -The first intimation we find of his having decided to leave Mr. Stewart -is in a letter to his father, written on January 8, 1838: - - "I expect to go to Lee to live with Matthew on the 1st of March. He - will give me two hundred and fifty dollars ($250) the first year, - and my board and washing." - -And again, on February 25th, he refers to the proposed change that he -intends making: - - "I have been very busy for the last five or six weeks in the - evening attending Mr. Wheeler's school to obtain a thorough - knowledge of book-keeping by double entry, so as to be able to keep - Matthew's books when I go to Lee.... I have made arrangements with - Matthew so that I shall not commence my year with him until the 1st - of April." - -He arrived in Lee, Mass., on Friday evening, March 30th. - -It was early in this year that Mr. Stewart, having heard that Mr. Field -intended giving up his place as clerk after his three years' -apprenticeship to business, sent for him and urged him to agree to -remain with him for several years, and made him a very liberal offer if -he would do so. On the 2d of March Mr. Bunours, one of Mr. Stewart's -partners, sent him this note: - - "_Dear Field_,--You will accept the accompanying trifle as a token - of esteem and sincere friendship, and whatever be your future - pursuits, to know that they are successful will be a source of much - gratification to - -WILLIAM H. BUNOURS. - -_March 2, '38._" - - - -"The trifle" was a small diamond pin that the recipient of it wore for -over twenty-five years. Upon the same occasion this invitation was -received: - - "The undersigned, anxious to show their respect and esteem for - their fellow-clerk, Cyrus W. Field, do hereby agree to give him a - complimentary supper on Friday evening, March 2, 1838. - - HENRY RUTGERS PRALL, - JAMES MACFARLAN, - RICHARD MCELROY, - JOHN WM. BYRON, - PAUL BURDOCK, - R. WHYTE, - P. V. MONDON, - JNO. K. WALKER, - CHARLES B. ST. JOHN, - JAMES BECK, - W. THOMPSON, - M. GOODRICH." - - - -A letter written on March 6, 1838, by his brother David to his parents -ends with these words: - - "Cyrus has, as you will see from his letters, etc., left Stewart's, - with the best testimonials of esteem from all his employers and - associates. He is a noble young man--and I am proud of him." - -His father had said on parting from him in 1835: "Cyrus, I feel sure you -will succeed, for your playmates could never get you off to play until -all the work for which you were responsible was done." - -These few words tell us briefly how the following eighteen months were -passed: - -"On leaving New York I went as far west as Michigan on business for my -brother Dudley. I went up the Hudson in a boat to Albany, from thence -to, I think, Syracuse in the cars, thence by stage to Buffalo, from -Buffalo by steamer to Detroit, and from there to Ann Arbor. On my return -East I went to Lee, Mass., as an assistant to my brother, Matthew D. -Field. He was a large paper manufacturer; he often sent me on business -to Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, and New York." - -From this account of Mr. Field's beginnings in New York it is evident -that his subsequent success was not a matter of chance; the foundations -of it were laid in the character which commanded the confidence of his -employer and of his associates. This will be shown even more strikingly -in the pages that are to follow. His own narration of his early -experiences has an additional interest in the incidental and almost -unconscious disclosure of the vast difference between the conditions of -beginning a business career in New York now and sixty years ago. It -seems worth while to secure an authentic memorial of a life that already -seems so remote and is wellnigh forgotten. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -MARRIAGE AND BUSINESS LIFE - -(1840-1853) - - -"In the spring of 1840 I went into business for myself in Westfield, -Mass., as a manufacturer of paper, and on October 1st of that year I was -invited to become a partner in the firm of E. Root & Co., of No. 85 -Maiden Lane, New York. I was not yet of age when I entered as a junior -partner in this house; the business of the firm was managed chiefly by -my senior partner. My part was to attend to the sales and manage the -business, principally away from New York, in Philadelphia, Baltimore, -Boston, Washington, and other places, making contracts and attending to -the business generally. On November 30, 1840, I was twenty-one, and two -days afterwards I was married to Mary Bryan Stone, of Guilford, Conn." - -Mrs. Field's father, Joseph Stone, died of yellow-fever at Savannah, -Ga., July 9, 1822. He left a widow and three little children. Mrs. Stone -returned to her home and lived with her parents, and it was from their -home that her daughter was married. Mr. and Mrs. Fowler had been married -in 1776, and their house was built in 1784, and it was on account of -their age and to avoid all excitement for them that Mr. and Mrs. -Field's wedding was very quiet. The invitations were informal. - -"NEW YORK, _November_ 25, 1840. - -"_My dear Parents_,--I have only time to write a few lines, and will -come to the point at once. - -"The writer of this intends to be joined in the bands of matrimony to -Miss Mary B. Stone one week from this day, that is, on next Wednesday -morning, December 2, 1840, at 10 o'clock A.M., and requests the pleasure -of meeting you both, with sister Mary, at the house of Mr. A. S. Fowler -in Guilford, at the above-mentioned time. David and Stephen will be -there. We expect father will perform the ceremony. I shall leave here -Tuesday in the New Haven steamboat, and you will find me Wednesday -morning at Bradley's Hotel in Guilford, where you had better all stop. - -"There will be _only a very_ few friends at the wedding. Shall leave -immediately after the ceremony is over for New Haven, and from there -come to this city. - -"If Henry is at home bring him with you, and send to Middletown for -Mary. - -"With much love to all at home, -"I remain your affectionate son, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - -A cousin writes: "It is a long time to remember what passed fifty years -ago. It was a lovely morning, the 2d of December, 1840. Your dear father -came to our old home in Guilford. My memory says ten o'clock was the -hour for the ceremony, and it took place in the north room, now the -parlor. Your grandfather, Dr. Field, was the clergyman. I was -bridesmaid. Your dear mother and I wore dresses made alike of gray -cashmere. Lunches were an unheard of arrangement in those days; the -refreshment was three kinds of cake and wine. Then we drove to New -Haven; your uncle, Joseph Stone, lived there. I went to visit some -cousins; your parents went to a hotel, and came and spent the evening -with us." - -Mr. Justice Field of the United States Supreme Court was groomsman for -his brother. Fifty years after this same group stood once more together -at the Golden Wedding on December 2, 1890. The married life thus begun -was singularly happy. It is impossible for the children of this marriage -to recall a word of unkindness as having been spoken by either father or -mother. Their little son's death in 1854 drew them closer to one -another. He writes that during his business troubles his wife was -perfectly calm, and that she looked upon the loss of money as but slight -in comparison to the happiness that had been left to her. - -On December 3d Mr. and Mrs. Field left New Haven and came to New York by -boat; immediately on their arrival they drove to the house of Mrs. Mason -in Bond Street, and it was there that they boarded for the next two -years. - -"In six months" (that is, on April 2, 1841) "E. Root & Co. failed, with -large liabilities, and though I was not the principal of the firm, yet -on me fell the loss and the burden of paying its debts. Such was the -condition in which I started in life, without capital or credit or -business, and with a heavy load of debt upon me. We were for many months -afterwards getting the affairs settled. I dissolved the firm immediately -and started on my own account. Some of the creditors came to see me, and -those that did not come I went to see, and on the best terms I could -settled and compromised and got released. - -"My office at this time was in Burling Slip, and it was in 1842 or 1843 -that the partnership of Cyrus W. Field & Co. was formed, the company -being my brother-in-law, Joseph F. Stone." - -With characteristic regularity the home life as well as the business -life went on. I have on the table before me two account-books, which -show both how methodical were the young merchant's habits and how simple -was his life at the outset of his career. - - "No. 1, Cyrus W. Field, 1840, '41 and '42," and - "No. 2, Cyrus W. Field, 1843." - -The following are extracts from No. 1: - - "EXPENSES ACCOUNT - - 1840 Dr. - Dec. 2, to carriage to New Haven $ 7 00 - " 2, to 50 newspapers 1 00 - " 2, to gate fee 25 - " 3, to expenses at the Pavillion 9 50 - " 4, to porter 25 - " 4, to New Haven to New York 4 00 - " 4, to newspapers 12 - " 4, to hack 1 00 - " 4, to cartage 44 - - 1841 - Jan. 15, to bill for board for 2 months 120 00 - " 29, to bill for vaccination 1 00 - " 31, to figs and crackers 17 - " 31, to oysters and laudanum 22 - Feb. 7, to doctor's bill--one visit 1 00 - " 18, to one box of pencil-leads 5 - May 25, to one umbrella 1 00 - " 28, to repairing silk hat 88 - Sept. 8, to letter from Mrs. Field 13 - Oct. 20, to paid Dr. Catlin in Haddam 5 00 - Nov. 13, to Mrs. Nolan's bill 27 50 - " 15, to one willow cradle 2 00 - --------- - Dec. 1 $1,467 12 - - "The above are our expenses for one year, from December 2, 1840, to - December 2, 1841. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -From this time until 1842 the accounts were kept with the same -exactness; some of the items for this latter year are: - - "1842 - June 13, to cutting coat, vest, 2 pair pants $ 1 75 - " 15, to soap, 8 cents; pepper, 5 cents; tobacco and linen 32 - July 4, to Niblo's Garden, M. E. F., M. S., and C. W. F. 1 50 - " 6, to Dr. Paine, $1; pill, 6 cents 1 06 - Aug. 7, to letter to and one from Mrs. Field 25 - Oct. 1, to W. H. Popham, 7 tons coal 37 75 - Nov. 18, to shoestrings, 5 cents; tacks, 19 cents 24 - " 22, to _Tribune_, 2 weeks 18 - --------- - Dec. 1 $1,482 79 - - "The above were our expenses for one year, December 2, 1841, to - December 2, 1842. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -And on December 1, 1843, at the end of the book we read: - - --------- - "1843 $1,654 91 - - Less - Dec. 1, boarding ---- from October 8, - 1842, to date, 59-6/7 weeks @ - $3 $179 57 - " 1, cash over to date[A] 6 30 185 87 - --------- - $1,469 04 - - [A] This amount is for sundries sold, and entered the past year in our -expenses, and for which I refund back the money. - - "The above are our expenses for one year, from December 2, 1842, to - December 2, 1843. - - "CYRUS W. FIELD." - -In 1842 he rented a house in East Seventeenth Street, No. 87, and his -brother Dudley questioned the wisdom of his living so far up-town, and -said that he must not look for frequent visits from him, that he could -only go to him on Sunday. He lived in this house for ten years, and in -the interval his brother Dudley moved to one immediately in the rear, -and Mrs. Robert Sedgwick and Mrs. Caroline Kirkland were near neighbors -and dear friends. - -For many years Mr. Field took his breakfast by lamplight, and his dinner -and supper down-town. His children saw him only on Sunday. At this time, -he wrote long afterwards, "I was an ardent admirer of Henry Clay, and in -politics a Whig," and accordingly he took a warm interest in the -election of 1844. - -"In 1844 I was not worth a dollar. What money I had made had all gone to -pay the debts of the old firm. My business was conducted on long credit; -we did a general business all over the country. I built up a first-rate -credit everywhere. All business intrusted to me was done promptly and -quickly. I attended to every detail of the business, and made a point of -answering every letter on the day it was received." - -Mr. Schultz said of him at the dinner already referred to: - - "But, sir, I do recall the early days of Mr. Field. I remember him - when he was first a clerk and then a merchant.... He had - peculiarities then as he has always had. One I recollect was, he - had over his desk 'Are you insured?' For no one that was not - insured could get credit of him. He could not afford, he said, to - insure himself and others too. Thus in all his transactions he had - ideas and principles to carry out, but always good principles and - ideas. I well remember when he came into the Mercantile Library - Association; he had his own ideas, which did a great deal to add - to the dignity and usefulness of that institution. In all his early - life he was what he has been since--useful, practical." - -It seems odd now to be reminded by the sight of old letters that at this -time envelopes were not in use. The sheets of paper were large, of -letter size; three sides were closely written on, and then it was folded -into nine, and it was not permitted to enclose even a slip of paper in -this sheet; the postage was usually thirteen cents. The currency was -puzzling; there was the short or "York" shilling of eight to the dollar -(that is, twelve and a half cents), and the New England or long shilling -of six to the dollar (sixteen and two-thirds cents). So rooted was each -kind of currency in its own section as often to cause travellers -annoyance and confusion. - -The first and part of the second page of the New York _Tribune_ for -August 26, 1844, is most interesting. There is given an account of "The -Berkshire Jubilee," held at Pittsfield, Mass., on August 22d and 23d. -The paper mentions among those present, Dr. Orville Dewey, of New York, -William Cullen Bryant, Miss Catherine Sedgwick, Dr. Mark Hopkins, Mr. -Macready, the actor, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mrs. Fanny Kemble, Dr. -D. D. Field, and David Dudley Field. This "Jubilee" lasted for two days. -There were forty-four vice-presidents appointed, and forty-four tables -were laid to accommodate the three thousand people who dined together. -On the first day, at two o'clock in the afternoon, Dr. Hopkins preached -a sermon on Jubilee Hill, west of the village, and Dr. D. D. Field -"offered up an eloquent prayer." - -After dinner on the 23d there were speeches and singing. - -"A young lady, as amiable as she is beautiful, and as intelligent as she -is both amiable and beautiful, gave the following sentiment by proxy: - - "'You scarce can go through the world below - But you'll find the Berkshire men, - And when you rove the world above - You'll meet them there again.' - -"At the close of Dr. Holmes's speech he read the poem that appears in -his works under the title of 'Lines recited at the Berkshire Festival,' -beginning: - - "'Come back to your mother, ye children, for shame, - Who have wandered like truants for riches or fame; - With a smile on her face and a sprig on her cap - She calls you to feast from her bountiful lap." - -And it appears from the report that "the recitation of this poem was the -most popular exercise of the day." - -We have a book of French exercises with page after page written by Mr. -Field. They begin with "Avez vous le pain?" and the last sentence is, -"Votre ami a-t-il le miroir que vous avez ou celui que j'ai? Il n'a ni -celui que vous avez ni celui que j'ai, mais il a le sien." He never -spoke French, but one can fancy that these exercises were written before -he went to Europe, in April, 1849, and in preparation for the exigencies -of intercourse with the natives that might arise. - -Mr. and Mrs. Field sailed for England in a packet-ship commanded by -Captain Hovey. They were eighteen days in crossing, and landed at -Plymouth, and posted through Cornwall. This journey was taken by the -advice of his physician. The excitement and work of the past fourteen -years had told very decidedly upon him, and perfect rest was imperative. -Their four little girls were left under the care of an aunt in New -Haven, Conn., and on arriving in England the parents' first thought was -of their children; and great was the joy with which these hailed the -advent of a box of toys, and in it was a blue-and-white tea-set which -gave unusual happiness. Here is one of the messages that came back -across the sea: - - "_Precious Little Isabella_,--What are you about just now? Can - mother guess? - - "Well, Belle is singing her German song. - - "No. Does Belle say no? She is rocking her doll to sleep, and she - is making a nice dress for dolly. - - "I have put up a little bundle of pieces for Grace, Alice, and - Isabelle, and now you can make a great many dresses. Mother wishes - much to see her little Belle and Fanny, and to give them a good - number of kisses. Mother always wished to kiss all her little girls - before she went to bed, but now she cannot reach them. - - "Will Belle kiss her sister for her mother and will she kiss her - cousins, too? - - "Mamma hopes Belle will always mind her aunt, Miss Oppenheim, her - cousins, and Anne. - - "Anne loves Belle and is very kind to her and does all for little - Belle that she can. - - "Now, dear little Belle, good-bye, and do not forget - -"MAMMA. - - "Mother sends Belle her bird in the cage." - -Some of the reminiscences of this journey come back quite distinctly. -One of them was the indignation of an Irishman at being asked the name -of the river they were passing, which, unluckily for the questioner, -happened to be the Boyne. Another was of a service at a kirk in -Scotland, during which an old lady said to Mrs. Field, "Remember that -you are in the house of God." Her offence was that she had offered to -share her book of psalms with her husband. Indeed it must have seemed -impossible for those who did not know to believe that they were husband -and wife and that they had been married nine years, for both looked very -young at this time. - -They travelled rapidly during the following five months. They visited -Manchester, York, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, and London, -Paris, Geneva, and from there to Milan over the Simplon, to Leghorn, -Florence, Rome, Naples, Venice, Vienna, Dresden, Berlin, from Frankfort -down the Rhine to Cologne, to Brussels, back to England and Liverpool, -and from there by the steamship _Europa_ to Boston, and to their home in -New York in September. - -They had been interested spectators of the events succeeding the great -uprising of the people in France, Germany, and Italy, and of their -failure to free themselves and obtain self-government. - -Mr. George Bancroft was a fellow-passenger on the voyage home. He had -made an engagement to dine in Boston on a certain day, and while at sea -was troubled lest he should not arrive in time; but as Mr. and Mrs. -Field drove to the train they passed Mr. Bancroft on his way to dinner, -and he waved his hand to them. On his return to New York, Mr. Field -amused his friends by stating the characteristic fact that the first -word he learned of each new language, as he crossed from one country to -another, was "faster." - -Mr. and Mrs. Field lived simply. The summer outings were short, -sometimes for only a few weeks were they and their children away from -the city, but their children look back with pleasure to the drives that -they took, during the long summer days, to Hoboken (the Elysian Fields), -to Astoria, to Coney Island, all very different places from those of the -present time. And the family cow was driven each morning to pasture on -land that is now known as Madison Square. - -January 24, 1850, a son was born. Dr. Field, supposing that he was to be -named Cyrus, addressed the following letter, superscribed: - -"Master Cyrus W. Field, Jr., -"Of the Firm of Cyrus W. Field & Co., -"No. 11 Cliff Street, -"New York." -"HIGGANUM, _January 28, 1850_. - -"MASTER CYRUS W. FIELD, Jr.: - - "_Dear Grandson_,--We were happy in hearing of your safe arrival - last Thursday morning, and hope you will be a great honor and - blessing to your parents and to your delighted sisters. Your - grandmother sends you much love, and says she hopes you will make - as good a man as your father. - - "Give our love to your parents, to Grace, etc., etc., and by-and-by - come up and see whether Higganum pleases you as well as New York. - The Lord bless you and all your friends. Tell them that we are well - and happy. - -"Your affectionate grandfather, -"DAVID D. FIELD." - - - -And Mrs. Kirkland sent a note beginning: - - "A boy! a boy! - I wish you joy!" - -She also wrote: "The pleasantest thing I have to tell you is that Miss -Bremer promises me a visit, and will probably be here in two or three -weeks." The visit was paid and gave great pleasure. Mrs. Field told of -one evening passed at Mrs. Kirkland's, when the Swedish novelist was -quite unconscious that from her cap hung a paper on which was written -2/6. - -The autumn of 1850 was long remembered by parents and children. Early in -September the two-seated covered wagon and buggy were filled by the -entire family, who left New York for a drive of four weeks; first to -Guilford, Conn., then to Stockbridge, returning from Hudson to New York -by the night boat. - -It was Mr. Field's custom to give an annual supper to his clerks. That -which took place in December, 1850, was signalized by the proceedings -thus officially recited: - - A meeting of the salesmen in the employ of Messrs. Cyrus W. Field & - Co. was held December 20, 1850. S. Ahern was appointed to preside. - After the objects of the meeting were made known by the chairman in - a few brief and appropriate remarks, the following resolutions were - unanimously adopted: - - _Resolved_, That in consideration of the innumerable acts of - kindness manifested towards us by Cyrus W. Field, Esq., we deem it - expedient to acknowledge them, not alone in expressions of - gratitude, but by tangible proof of our appreciation of them. - - _Resolved_, That a committee of three be appointed to decide upon - an appropriate testimonial of our esteem, to be presented to Cyrus - W. Field; and that Augustus Waterman, John Seaman, and James Barry - be appointed said committee. - - _Resolved_, That Augustus Waterman, in view of his long services to - Cyrus W. Field, be deputed in behalf of himself and fellow-salesmen - to make such presentation as the committee shall decide on. - - _Resolved_, That a copy of the foregoing resolutions accompany the - presentation, and that said presentation and resolutions be - presented on the occasion of the annual supper given by Cyrus W. - Field to his employes, and that they be accepted by him as a faint - token of our esteem. - -AUGUSTUS WATERMAN, -JAMES BARRY, -SIMEON J. AHERN, -ANDREW CAHILL, -JOHN CAHILL, -JOHN SEAMAN (per A. W.). - - - -The testimonial took the form of a silver pitcher suitably inscribed. - -Early in June, 1851, Mr. and Mrs. Field left New York, and made quite an -extended journey over the then Southern, Western, and Northern States. -First to Virginia, where they had the pleasure of staying with Mr. and -Mrs. Hill Carter at their plantation, Shirley, on the James River; then -to the Natural Bridge, and it was while there that Mr. Field asked Mr. -Church to make a sketch for a picture, and suggested that it would be -wise to take a small piece of the rock back to New York. This Mr. Church -did not think necessary, but Mr. Field was so intent upon having the -color exactly reproduced that he put a bit in his pocket. When the -oil-painting was sent to his house he found the piece, and there had -been no mistake made in the color. From Virginia the party went to the -Mammoth Cave of Kentucky. It was in the course of the trip either up or -down the Mississippi, on one of the famous high-pressure boats of those -days, that the stewardess coolly remarked, when some of the passengers -expressed alarm at the racing, that it made no difference whether or not -the boat they were on happened to blow up, since it was in any case her -last trip. In the ardor of the race the fires were fed with any fuel -available: even the hams that formed part of the cargo were sacrificed. -At St. Paul they heard that a treaty was to be made with the Indians, -and Mr. Field immediately hired a boat for $400 to take him to the -scene. As many others were anxious to go he allowed the captain to sell -tickets at $10 to as many people as the boat would accommodate, and the -captain made a handsome profit, as he was required merely to reimburse -Mr. Field for his outlay. The Indians were frightened at the advent of -the party and at the noise of the whistle, and the treaty had to come to -a standstill until the boat could be sent out of sight. - -Mr. Field was again at St. Paul in 1884, when the changes he found -seemed to him marvellous. Mr. F. E. Church, the artist, who had -originally been of the party, but had left it before the arrival at St. -Paul, wrote early in August: - - "I am delighted that you were able to be at the Indian treaty, - which, from the description in your letter and the numerous letters - published in the daily prints, convinces me that the occasion must - have been one of extraordinary interest.... - - "I am telling marvellous stories here of our adventures to gaping - audiences, and exhibiting my blind fishes with tremendous - effect.... - - "All accounts from the children in Stockbridge bring alarming - intelligence; it is said that they are getting fat, and nothing - which has been tried has succeeded in stopping the spread of the - complaint. I recommend a month on a Western steamboat in hot - weather." - -One of the party, a lady, was not at all times a pleasant travelling -companion. The stage drive, one morning in Kentucky, began at four, and -by six o'clock the sun poured down against the side of the coach in -which the lady was seated. As the heat increased, in the same degree her -irritability was manifested. At last she asked a Southern gentlemen who -was by her to let down the curtain. His answer was: "With pleasure, -madam, if you won't look so damned sight cross." This proved to be the -remedy required; from that time she was good-natured. - -From a letter written to a New York paper this is copied: - -"NIAGARA FALLS, _August 11, 1851_. - - "Among the recent arrivals at the Clifton House are Mlle. Jenny - Lind and Cyrus W. Field and family.... - - "Jenny Lind arrived yesterday from New York by way of Oswego. She - keeps strictly private, and has her meals served in her own room. - Last evening she was amusing herself by singing, accompanied by Mr. - Scharfenberg, in her own rooms, with closed doors. Soon a crowd of - a hundred had gathered round her door, without a whisper being - heard. She sang for about half an hour, when, suddenly opening her - door, she stepped in the hall for a candle, and then you would have - laughed outright to see the people scamper, she looking so - indignant." - -When Mr. Field built the house on Gramercy Park, which was at first -numbered 84 East Twenty-first Street, that and the one next to it were -the only ones between Lexington and Third avenues, and the east side of -Gramercy Park was a large vacant lot. This house was afterwards known as -123 East Twenty-first Street, and there forty happy years were passed. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -OUT OF DEBT--A VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA - -(1853) - - -Although upon the failure for which he was not responsible of the firm -of which he was a member Mr. Field had effected a compromise with the -creditors of the firm which had procured his release from all legal -obligations, and which satisfied them as the best that they could hope -for, it did not satisfy him. He felt that in reality he was still their -debtor, and one of the chief incentives to his intense devotion to -business in the years following his fresh start was the hope of clearing -off the debt, so that no man should have lost by trusting him. In this -he succeeded. He himself says in the incomplete autobiography already -cited: - -"There was no luck about my success, which was remarkable. It was not -due to the control or use of large capital, to the help of friends, to -speculations or to fortunate turns of events, it was by constant labor -and with the ambition to be a successful merchant; and I was rewarded by -seeing a steady, even growth of business. I had prospered so that on the -1st of January, 1853, I was worth over $250,000. I then turned to my -books for a list of the old claims which I had settled by compromising -ten years before, found the amount which my generous creditors had -deducted from their claims, added to each one interest for that time, -and sent to every man a check for the whole amount principal and with -seven per cent. interest, a sum amounting in all to many thousands of -dollars." - -The letters that follow tell their own story and how the money was -received. Two of them indicate that he made use of his prosperity to -release his own debtors at the same time that he was paying in full his -creditors: - -"HARTFORD, CONN., _2d March, 1853_. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq., New York: - - "_Dear Sir_,--Your favor of yesterday's date was duly received, and - we would now acknowledge the same, and with no ordinary feeling of - satisfaction, for in these degenerate days it is in truth a rare - occurrence to find men who like yourself--as is evidenced by this - act--are honest from principle, and who never consider themselves - morally quit of a just debt, even though legally released, until - the debt is paid in full. We would now express to you our thanks - for the sum enclosed, not so much for the value thereof in currency - as for the proof it affords that 'honesty still dwells among men.' - With our best wishes for your continued prosperity and an assurance - of our high regard, - -"We are truly your friends, -"WOODRUFF & CO., -"By Sam. Woodruff." - - - -"LOWELL, _March 3, 1853_. - -"C. W. FIELD, Esq.: - - "_Dear Sir_,--Yours of the 1st inst. was duly received, with check - enclosed for $114 41, for which please accept my grateful - acknowledgments. - - "I congratulate you upon the success of your business pursuits, - which has enabled you thus honorably to liquidate your by-gone - pecuniary obligations, and I hope your life and health may be long - continued in the enjoyment of the well-earned fruits of your - persevering enterprise. - - "It will always give me great pleasure to see you at my house in - Lowell, and I hope to find opportunity during the coming season to - visit the Empire City and the World's Fair and to avail myself of - that occasion to call upon you. - -"With much regard, I remain -"Yours truly, -"JOHN WRIGHT." - - - -"PITTSFIELD, _March 3, 1853_. - - "_My dear Friend_,--The many and various exhibitions of kindness - and good-feeling from you heretofore have placed me under very - great obligations. - - "Language fails me to express my feelings on the receipt of your - letter of the 1st, and this morning with your check for $317 20 for - a claim amicably and satisfactorily adjusted about ten years since, - and for which I have no legal or moral claim on you, nor, indeed, - had it entered my mind for several years. - - "This act, entirely voluntary on your part, exhibits moral honesty, - that all fair men approve, but few make known by their acts. I - value it the more because it exhibits in my friend a conscience - alive to right. You have made this present (for I have no claim) - not because you considered I needed it, but because the ability - that did not exist in 1843 does exist in 1853, and the act itself - would be carrying out the principles of the Golden Rule. Please - accept my warmest thanks for this token of love and friendship. May - peace, prosperity, and happiness attend you all your days. - -"I am truly your friend, -"WALTER LAFLIN. - - "To CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq., New York." - -"SPRINGFIELD, MASS., _March 5, 1853_. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq., New York City: - - "_Dear Sir_,--Allow me hereby to acknowledge the receipt of yours - of March 1st with its contents. - - "We are perfectly conscious that in a legal point of view we had no - claim upon you for this very unexpected document, but to your - personal high sense of honor we are indebted for it, and for this - act of honesty and fairness you have our very grateful - acknowledgments. - - "With the best wishes for your future prosperity and good health, - we remain, - -"Dear sir, very respectfully, -"Your obedient servants, -"PARKER, DOUGLASS & CO. -"Per O. O. Parker." - - "P. S.--I shall be in your city soon and will be pleased to call - upon you. - -"S. PARKER. -"Per O. O. Parker." - - - -"HOUSATONIC BANK, _March 7, 1853_. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq.: - - "_Dear Sir_,--At the request of the Board of Directors of the - Housatonic Bank I enclose resolutions passed by them this day. - - "Allow me to add, individually, my sincere thanks; and I am - requested to ask if you will allow us to make mention of it, to - show that such high moral principles in business have much to do - with a man's prosperity. - -"With great respect I remain, -"Your obedient servant, -"J. D. ADAMS, Cashier." - - - - "At a meeting of the directors of the Housatonic Bank, held at - their banking-house on the 7th day of March, 1853, the cashier laid - before the board a letter from Cyrus W. Field, Esq., dated 1st of - March instant, enclosing a check on the Union Bank, New York, for - seven hundred 62-100 dollars, being an unpaid balance and the - interest in full on a note against the late firm of E. Root & Co., - due in 1841, which note had long since been given up to Mr. Field, - the firm having become insolvent. Whereupon it was unanimously - - "_Resolved_, That the conduct of Mr. Field in voluntarily paying a - debt for which the bank had no claim evinces a high degree of moral - integrity, alike honorable to him as a merchant and gentleman. - - "_Resolved_, That such an instance of high-minded magnanimity - should be held up as an example worthy of the more commendation - because of rare occurrence. - - "_Resolved_, That we tender to Mr. Field our congratulations in - view of his present prosperity, and our best wishes for its - continuance. - - "_Voted_, That the foregoing resolutions be entered on the records - of the board, and a copy signed by the president and cashier - transmitted to Mr. Field. - -"C. M. OWEN, President. -"J. D. ADAMS, Cashier." - - - -"LEE BANK, _March 7th, 1853_. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq.: - - "_Dear Sir_,--Your favor of 1st inst. was duly received, with draft - on Union Bank, $1142 49. - - "I have been delaying acknowledging receipt of same, hoping to get - our directors together and lay the matter before them, that I might - communicate to you their feelings, but have not as yet been able to - do so; shall have an opportunity soon. - - "Our stockholders will appreciate your generosity, and permit me to - thank you in their behalf, as well as my own, for your magnanimity - exercised towards us. - -"I remain -"Truly yours, -"L. A. BLISS." - - - -"LEE BANK, _March 8th, 1853_. - - "At a meeting of the directors of the Lee Bank held at their - banking-house this day the following resolutions were unanimously - adopted: - - "_Whereas_, During the last week, a draft was received by the - cashier of this bank from Cyrus W. Field, Esq., of New York, - amounting to eleven hundred forty two 49-100 dollars, it being the - balance with principal and interest due upon a draft given by E. - Root & Co. in 1841 of fifteen hundred dollars; and - - "_Whereas_, The Lee Bank had given Mr. Field a full discharge of - the above debt by his paying the sum of nine hundred forty-two - 7-100 dollars in the year 1845; therefore - - "_Resolved_, That the full payment of a debt by the junior partner, - having been contracted in the commencement of his business life and - by misfortunes which rendered him unable to pay the same, is a - mark of strict honesty and integrity, and is worthy of all - commendation. - - "_Resolved_, That the foregoing resolutions be entered upon the - records of this board, and a copy sent to Mr. Field. - -"LEONARD CHURCH, President." - - - -"HUDSON, _March 8th, 1853_. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq.: - - "_Sir_,--Yours of 7th February conveying your check on the Union - Bank for three hundred eleven 68-100 is received. The receipt of - the above is especially gratifying to me as an evidence that there - are some honorable exceptions to the rule that legal obligations - are the only ones binding on the community. If in the course of any - of your business transactions I can be of any service to you, it - will be a sincere gratification to me to render to you any personal - favors in my power. - -"Truly your friend, -"SAM. R. MILLER." - - - -"WESTFIELD, MASS., _April 4th, 1853_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--Yours of the 1st inst. was received this morning. - The time is so short before you leave the country that I shall not - probably have time to see all the persons to whom your letters with - the checks were enclosed. There is to be a town meeting this - afternoon, when perhaps I may see them all. I understand, however, - on inquiry at the post-office, that all the letters have been - received and duly distributed, and that all of the persons - interested have felt very grateful to you for your kindness and - generosity, and the reason why they have not answered your letters - and acknowledged the receipt of the money was probably that they - have been consulting as to the best _mode_ of acknowledgment, and, - I believe, have been preparing a public acknowledgment to be - published in our Westfield papers, but which has not as yet been - quite matured. - - "I think you may, however, leave the city with a full assurance - that your good intentions in regard to these persons have been - fully accomplished and gratefully received, so that in various ways - much good will thereby have been done. Captain S. S. Amory has been - dead about two years, and his only son is now in California, but - his widow, a very worthy woman, is still living, and, I am very - sure, feels deeply grateful for this act of kindness, which will - aid her very much in her lonely state. - - "With my own and Mrs. Fowler's best regards to yourself and wife, - and many wishes for your safe and happy return to your family, - -"Truly your friend, -"I. S. FOWLER." - - - -"MILL RIVER, _April 17, 1853_. - -"MR. CYRUS W. FIELD: - - "_Dear Sir_,--Your kind favor of March 1st was duly received, also - yours of the 1st inst. within sixteen days from date, and my - apology for not answering and acknowledging your first, with the - enclosed check which it contained, is that I supposed Mr. Brett - would do so, or had done so. I need not tell you that it was - thankfully received, and that we feel truly grateful to you for the - favor, and also feel happy that prosperity has smiled upon you. - - "Accept, dear sir, my best wishes for your prosperity and welfare, - and believe me ever - -"Truly yours with respect, -"EDWIN ADAMS, -"One of the firm of E. C. Brett." - - - -"SO. HADLEY FALLS, _March 7th, 1853_. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq.: - - "_My dear Sir_,--I have received your very kind favor of 1st inst. - Your offer to cancel the judgment which you hold against me is - conferring a favor which it is out of my power in any form to - reciprocate. Please accept my sincere thanks. Your untiring energy - and perseverance have been crowned with great success. You have an - ample estate, and no one deserves it more. - - "In reply to some taunts of John Randolph, Henry Clay said his only - patrimony was a widowed mother with nine children. - - "Your only inheritance was a load of debt, cast upon you at the - commencement of your business life, which was not caused by lack of - foresight or fault on your part. You bore up under this heavy - burden and paid it as not one in thousands could or would have - done, and by this very act you laid broad the basis of your - subsequent success. Should I ever again visit your city nothing - there will afford me so much pleasure as to meet your cordial - greeting and to accept your kind invitation. - - "May your efforts be crowned with all the good-fortune you may - desire, even if it be to place you side by side with the biggest of - the big merchant princes of the Empire City, is the sincere prayer - of - -"Your friend, -"WELLS LATHROP." - - - -"SPRINGFIELD, MASS., _March 8, '53_. - - "_My Dear Sir_,--Your very kind favor of the 7th is just received. - - "I enclose a satisfaction or discharge of the judgment you hold - _vs._ H. & L., which, when you have dated and signed in presence of - a witness, will become perfect. - - "If the pleasure of giving is greater than receiving then you are - far more happy than President Pierce or any of his Cabinet. - -"Most sincerely, your friend, -"C. HOWARD. - - "C. W. FIELD, Esq., New York." - -"SPRINGFIELD, _March_ 10, '53. - - "_My dear Sir_,--Your letter of the 9th with its highly prized - contents is received. I have no words to express my feelings for - your unsolicited gift and your kind offer to serve me in any way in - your power. This world is a wheel, and I rejoice that the spoke you - are on is so nearly at the highest point, though mine is nearly the - reverse. I hope that I shall never again be the direct or indirect, - innocent or guilty cause of loss to you; but most earnestly hope - that I may yet have it in my power to make some small return. - - "There is no _legal_ claim against me of that enormous amount of - debt in which, seven years since, I most unexpectedly found myself - involved. Nevertheless, it is all as justly due as it was before - the Commissioner discharged me, and it would be the greatest - happiness I could enjoy in this world to pay every farthing. But - of this I have no hope. I have a small income from property - belonging to my wife, which, with great prudence and economy, will - just about pay for our bread and salt, and I can hardly expect to - ever earn another dollar. - - * * * * * - - "Pray pardon this long yarn of myself and accept the enclosed one - thousand dollars, being the same amount which I requested our - friend, Mr. Ashburner, to offer you three years ago, though he did - not, I believe, only _half_ do it. Accept also my most hearty good - wishes for your continued health and prosperity, a long life and a - glorious reward hereafter, and believe me, - -"Most sincerely your friend, -"CHARLES HOWARD. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq., Merchant, New York." - - - -"I now wished," the autobiography goes on, "to retire from business -altogether, but at length I yielded to the solicitations of my junior -partner so far as to agree to leave my name at the head of the firm and -to leave in the business a capital of $100,000. But this was done with -the express understanding that I was not to be required to devote any -time to it." - -His lot now seemed altogether enviable. He had retrieved the losses -incurred at the outset of his career; he could - - "Look the whole world in the face, - For he owed not any man." - -Not only this, but he was a rich man, as riches were counted forty years -ago. At all events, those who were dear to him seemed to be put beyond -the reach of want. His home life was, as it always had been and always -was to be, serene and untroubled. At the age of thirty-four, with his -energy and his faculties of enjoyment unimpaired, he found himself able -to retire from business, and to lead, if his nature had permitted him to -lead, a life of leisure. The first use he made of his release from the -cares of business was to project a long journey with his friend, -Frederick Church, the distinguished landscape-painter. He left New York -in April, 1853, for Central and South America. They took passage early -in the month in a sailing-vessel. - -On the morning of the sailing he had said good-bye to his family, and -they were imagining him as already far down the bay, when a sudden ring -at the door was so like the one he was accustomed to give that one of -his children exclaimed, "There is papa!" and to the surprise of all he -walked into the room. The vessel had been detained in the harbor, and he -could not remain contentedly on board almost in sight of his home, and -so he came back to pass a few hours. - -They sailed as far as Savanilla, New Granada (now Colombia), at the -mouth of the Magdalena, and from there up that river for six hundred -miles. Disembarking at the head of navigation, they passed four months -in mountain travel on mule-back, traversing the table-lands south to -Bogota, following the Andes to Quito, and crossing the equator and -Chimborazo, at last reaching the Pacific at Guayaquil. From Guayaquil -they were able to take steamers to Panama, but the railroad across the -isthmus was but partly built; for the rest of the crossing they had -again to resort to mules. This would be a difficult and toilsome journey -even now, and it was far more so forty years ago. But it had memorable -results, for it was at this time that Mr. Church made the sketches for -some of his most famous tropical landscapes. Before Mr. Field left New -York he had drawn the accompanying map and this paper, from which it -will be seen that he made most careful calculations of his expenses: - - CYRUS W. FIELD'S ESTIMATE OF EXPENSES TO SOUTH AMERICA IN 1853. - - Outfit $150 00 - New York to Savanilla, per vessel 60 00 - Savanilla to Barranquilla, per horse 10 00 - Barranquilla to Honda, per steamer 90 00 - Honda to Bogota, per mule 20 00 - Bogota to Popayan, } - Popayan to Pasto, } - Pasto to Quito, } mule 200 00 - Quito to Mount Chimborazo, } - M. C. to Volcano of Cotopaxi, } - Cotopaxi to Guayaquil, } - Guayaquil to Lima, per steamer 75 00 - Lima to Valparaiso, per steamer 110 00 - Valparaiso to Santiago, per carriage 20 00 - Santiago to Valparaiso, per carriage 20 00 - Valparaiso to Panama, per steamer 190 00 - Panama to Aspinwall, per mule, railroad, - and steamer 30 00 - Aspinwall to New York, per steamer 65 00 - Sundries, say for 180 days @ $2 00 360 00 - Extra premium on life-insurance 100 00 - Sundries 100 00 - --------- - $1,600 00 - -On another paper was written: - - PLACES OF INTEREST TO VISIT. - - Emerald mines of Muzo. - Bogota 8,700 feet. - Falls of Tequendama 574 " - Bridges of Icononzo 320 " - Lake of Buga. - Gold mine. - Popayan. - Pasto. - Quito 9,500 feet. - Mount Chimborazo (Kun) 21,400 " - Volcano of Cotopaxi 18,900 " - Guayaquil. - Lima. - Potosi silver mines. - Valparaiso. - Santiago. - Panama. - Gold mines. - -This page of directions was given to his family: - - All letters to Cyrus W. Field by first steamer _via_ Aspinwall, - care of - - 1. Messrs. Hamburger Battis, - Barranquilla, - New Granada, S. A. - April 6th to 13th. - - 2. Hon. Yelvert P. King, - Charge d'Affaires of the United States, - Bogota, - New Granada, S. A. - April 13th to 28th. - - 3. Charge d'Affaires of the United States, - Quito, - Ecuador, S. A. - April 28th to May 20th. - - 4. United States Consul, - Guayaquil, - Ecuador, S. A. - May 20th to 28th. - - 5. Messrs. Alsop & Co., - Lima, - Peru, S. A. - May 28th to June 20th. - - 6. Messrs. Alsop & Co., - Valparaiso, - Chili, S. A. - June 20th to July 5th. - - 7. Messrs. Garrison & Fritz, - Panama, - New Granada, S. A. - July 5th to August 13th. - - 8. A. M. Hunkley, Esq., - Agent Messrs. Adams & Co., - Aspinwall, Navy Bay, - New Granada, S. A. - August 13th to September 5th. - - These two sketches were made by Mr. Church and sent to Mrs. Field; - across the back of the larger one is written, "Mr. Field and Mr. - Church in the procession." - -There is a Spanish proverb, "Never leave a river before you or your -baggage behind." One evening Mr. Field and Mr. Church forgot this, and -crossed, leaving the mules with their packs to follow in the morning. -During the night the river rose, and three weeks passed before it was -possible to bring over the baggage train, the weary travellers meanwhile -ruefully contemplating from day to day, from the opposite bank, their -inaccessible possessions. - -In an Aspinwall paper of October, 1853, this was printed: - - "Among the passengers arrived yesterday in the steamship _Bogota_ - from Guayaquil are Messrs. Cyrus W. Field and F. E. Church, of New - York, who have been travelling for the last six months in South - America. - - "They say that the scenery in some parts of the Andes is grand and - beautiful beyond description; and that words cannot express the - kindness and hospitality with which they have been treated; that - gold in large quantities can be obtained in Antioquia, and from the - beds of many of the small streams that run down the Andes into the - Pacific or the Amazon; and that the soil on the plains of Bogota - and in the valley of the Cauca is very rich; and that they have - been so much pleased with their journey that they intend soon to - return to the land of beautiful flowers and birds, and to the - continent for which the Almighty has done so much and man so - little. - - "The following are some of the places of interest that they have - visited: Falls of Tequendama, Natural Bridge of Icononzo at Pandi; - silver mines of Santa Ana; emerald mines of Muzo; volcanoes of - Purace, Pichincha, and Cotopaxi; cities of Mompox, Bogota, Ibaque, - Cartago, Buga, Cali, Popagan, Pasto, and Quito. - - "They left Quito on the 9th of September. Stopped two days at - Cotopaxi, four at Chimborazo, and eight at Guayaquil, and will - leave in the next steamer for the United States." - -Of the sail from Aspinwall to New York it was written: - - "The voyage was pleasant, but every day's run was studied with - nervous anxiety by Mr. Field. He had hurried home in order to be in - Stockbridge on October 31st, the day on which his father and mother - were to celebrate their golden wedding; the steamer was delayed by - stormy weather, and he did not arrive in New York until late in the - afternoon of the 29th." - -His family had watched almost as eagerly for his coming. Not only were -they anxious to see him, but their going to Stockbridge depended upon -it, and that could not be delayed beyond the morning of the 30th. - -Mr. Field brought back a very miscellaneous assortment of the spoils of -travel; among them were some of the grass cloaks worn in South America. -He often amused his children by putting on these cloaks, and one day -they suggested that their father should show himself in this novel -costume to his sister, then living in the old home in Seventeenth -Street. Without thinking of the effect this might produce on the way, he -at once left his house, and had gone but a short distance when he found -that he was followed by a number of persons that soon swelled into a -crowd and gave chase, until at last he was obliged to take refuge in the -home of a friend. - -He brought back also a live jaguar, specimen of a South American tiger, -and twenty-four living parroquets. The most interesting of all, however, -was an Indian boy of fourteen, whom he intended to have taught in the -United States, with the view of ultimately sending him back to his -native land as a missionary. The idea was good, but to carry it out was -quite impossible. Marcus was an imp. It was with almost magical rapidity -that he could plan and execute mischief. He succeeded in breaking the -collar-bone of the cook living in the family of Mr. David Dudley Field, -and his delight was to lay snares in dark halls and passages, and if he -was opposed he did not hesitate to seize a carving-knife and flourish it -frantically about. A civilized life was not attractive to him; and while -Mr. Field was in England in 1856, his relations, who had tried in vain -to Christianize the boy, decided to return him to his father, a -bull-fighter in South America. - -But Mr. Field's special desire for returning home by an appointed day -was gratified. On October 31, 1853, all the descendants of Dr. and Mrs. -Field excepting their son Stephen and one grandson met in Stockbridge. -Thirty-nine of the family dined together in the old home, and that -afternoon all the friends and neighbors came to congratulate the former -minister and his wife. The house had, the year before, been bought by -their sons David Dudley and Cyrus, and had been put in perfect order, -and the younger son had had it completely furnished for his parents. - -In writing to his mother on October 31, 1835, Mr. Field said: "Brother -Timothy sailed the day that I got back from Southwick; I received a -letter from him a few days ago. He sent his love to you, father, and all -friends, but had time to write only a few words as they passed a vessel. -He says the captain is a pious man, and that they have prayers morning -and evening." Later in the year came the news that Timothy had sailed -from New Orleans in the ship _Two Brothers_, and that vessel was never -heard from. For many years the family entertained the hope that he would -return, and his brother Cyrus spent "hundreds of dollars" advertising in -newspapers and offering a reward for tidings of him. About 1847 or 1848 -a captain reported that he had had a shipmate named Field, whose father -was a clergyman, and who had many brothers who were not sailors. He also -said that his shipmate had married in South America, and was living -there a very wealthy planter. He gave these particulars to relieve the -anxiety felt by the family, and refused to take any reward. The news -caused great excitement among the brothers, and had a steamer sailed -that day one of them would probably have gone in her. But, failing that, -they consulted together and agreed to write. They not only sent letters -to their brother, but to the officials of the place. The letters were -returned, and the officials made answer that no such person lived there. -It was, however, with the same end in view that when rest was ordered -for Mr. Field, South America was chosen to be the country visited. The -search was a fruitless one, and no tidings were obtained. His mother did -not give up all hope of hearing from her son Timothy until she was told -that her son Cyrus had come home and had brought no news of him. - -After Mr. Field's return to New York in November, 1853, he tried to -interest himself in work outside of his old business, and for one week -succeeded in staying away from his office in Cliff Street. - -It was of this time that one of his brother's wrote, "I never saw Cyrus -so uneasy as when he was trying to keep still." - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE FIRST CABLE - -(1853-1857) - - -The last sentence of the last chapter is a true indication of character. -Mr. Field had doubtless expected, when he retired from business, to -retire permanently, and to spend in ease not only the evening and the -afternoon but the meridian of his life. But it was not to be, and one -may well imagine that his previous experiences had been a providential -preparation for the great work of his life, the great work of his time. -It matters little who first conceived as a dream the notion of electric -communication across the Atlantic. To realize that dream there was -needed precisely the qualities and the circumstances of Cyrus W. Field. -Here was a man whose restless energy had not yet begun to be impaired by -time, but who was already a successful man. In virtue of his success he -was able not only to devote himself to a work which he was convinced was -as practical as it was beneficent--he was able also to enlist the -co-operation of wealthy men, whom the project of an Atlantic cable would -have left quite cold if it had been propounded to them by a mere -electrician. They could not have helped regarding the scheme as -chimerical and fantastic if a purely scientific man had approached them -with it, even with the most plausible figures to prove its -practicability and profitableness. To give it a chance of success with -them, it must be presented and believed in by one whose previous life -and whose personal success forbade them to regard him as a visionary, -and who by force of his position as well as of his qualities was able to -infect them with some part of his own confidence and enthusiasm. Mr. -Field was that unique man, and hence it is that he must be regarded as -the one indispensable factor in the execution of a transatlantic system -of telegraphic communication, inevitably soon to become a world-wide -system, and far to outrun in actual fact the poet's daring dream of -putting "a girdle round about the earth in forty minutes." - -It was on Mr. Field's return from Washington late in the month of -January, 1854, that his brother Matthew asked him to have a talk with -Mr. Frederick N. Gisborne, who was stopping at the Astor House. Mr. -Gisborne was an engineer and telegraph operator, and his desire had been -to connect St. John's, Newfoundland, with the telegraphic system of the -United States. - -In the spring of 1852 the Legislature of Newfoundland had passed an act -incorporating the Newfoundland Electric Telegraph Company, and had given -to Mr. Gisborne the exclusive right to erect telegraphs in Newfoundland -for thirty years, with certain concessions of land by way of -encouragement to be granted upon the completion of the telegraph from -St. John's to Cape Ray, and on his return to New York he formed a -company, and in the spring of 1853 set vigorously to work to build the -line. He had successfully completed some thirty or forty miles when his -work was suddenly brought to a standstill by the failure of the company -to furnish the means to carry it on. - -"He returned to New York from his difficult and unaccomplished task -utterly disappointed and beggared, and at this time was waiting for -something to turn up." Mr. Field saw Mr. Gisborne, heard what he had -done and what he had failed to do, and became at once interested in the -work. This meeting was followed by many others, and after they had -parted late one evening, as Mr. Field stood studying intently the large -globe that was in his library, it flashed across his mind that, if it -were possible to connect Newfoundland with the United States, why not -Ireland with Newfoundland? - -The idea once conceived, he lost no time in putting it into execution, -and the next morning's mail took letters to Professor Maury at -Washington and Professor Morse at Poughkeepsie. He also consulted his -brother, Mr. David Dudley Field, and his neighbor, Mr. Peter Cooper. - -More than twenty-five years after Mr. Cooper told of the meeting: - - "It fell to my lot to be one of the first, if not the first, to - whom Mr. Field applied to join him in the enterprise which has so - much interested us this evening. It was an enterprise which struck - me very forcibly the moment he mentioned it. I thought I saw in it, - if it was possible, a means by which we could communicate between - the two continents, and send knowledge broadcast over all parts of - the world. It seemed to strike me as though it were the - consummation of that great prophecy, that "knowledge shall cover - the earth, as waters cover the deep," and with that feeling I - joined him and my esteemed friends, Wilson G. Hunt, Moses Taylor, - and Marshall O. Roberts, in what then appeared to most men a wild - and visionary scheme; a scheme that many people thought fitted - those who engaged in it for an asylum where they might be taken - care of as little short of lunatics. But believing, as I did, that - it offered the possibility of a mighty power for the good of the - world, I embarked in it." - -As soon as he obtained the co-operation of the men mentioned by Mr. -Cooper, Mr. Field asked them to meet in the dining-room of his house, -and for four nights they sat around the table examining the records of -the old company, studying maps, and making estimates. On the 10th of -March, 1854, the Electric Telegraph Company formally surrendered its -charter, and it was decided that if the government of Newfoundland would -give the new company a liberal charter they would carry forward the -work, and, if possible, extend it. On the 14th of March Mr. Cyrus Field -and Mr. Chandler White, and Mr. David Dudley Field as legal adviser, -left for Newfoundland; they took the steamer at Boston for Halifax, and -on the 18th left Halifax in the steamer _Merlin_ for St. John's. In his -speech at the Cable Celebration in the Crystal Palace on September 1, -1858, Mr. David Dudley Field said: - - "Three more disagreeable days voyagers scarcely ever passed than we - spent in that smallest of steamers. It seemed as if all the storms - of winter had been reserved for the first month of spring. A - frost-bound coast, an icy sea, rain, hail, snow, and tempest were - the greetings of the telegraph adventurers in their first movement - towards Europe. In the darkest night, through which no man could - see the ship's length, with snow filling the air and flying into - the eyes of the sailors, with ice in the water, and a heavy sea - rolling and moaning about us, the captain felt his way around Cape - Race with his lead, as a blind man feels his way with his staff, - but as confidently and safely as if the sky had been clear and the - sea calm. And the light of the morning dawned upon deck and mast - and spar coated with glittering ice, but floating securely between - the mountains which formed the gates of the harbor of St. John's." - -The little party was welcomed warmly by Mr. Edward M. Archibald, then -attorney-general of the colony, and for many years afterwards British -consul-general in New York, and by the governor, Ker Barley Hamilton; -Bishop Field, of Newfoundland, and the Roman Catholic bishop, John -Mullock, were among their entertainers, and became their warm friends. - -On November 8, 1850, Bishop Mullock had written to the editor of the St. -John's _Courier_: - - _"Sir,_--I regret to find that in every plan for transatlantic - communication Halifax is always mentioned and the natural - capabilities of Newfoundland entirely overlooked. - - "This has been deeply impressed on my mind by the communication I - read in your paper of Saturday last, regarding telegraphic - communication between England and America, in which it is said that - the nearest telegraphic station on the American side is Halifax, - 2155 miles from the coast of Ireland. Now, would it not be well to - call the attention of Europe and America to St. John's as the - nearest telegraphic point? - - "It is an Atlantic port, lying, I may say, in the track of the - ocean steamers, and by establishing it as the American telegraph - station, news could be communicated to the whole American continent - forty-eight hours sooner than by any other route. But how will this - be accomplished? Just look at the map of Newfoundland and Cape - Breton. From St. John's to Cape Ray there is no difficulty in - establishing a line, passing near Holy Rood, along the neck of land - connecting Trinity and Placentia bays, and thence in a direction - due west to the cape. You have then about 41 to 45 miles of sea to - St. Paul's Island, with deep soundings of 100 fathoms, so that the - electric cable will be perfectly secure from icebergs; thence to - Cape North in Cape Breton is little more than 12 miles. Thus it is - not only practicable to bring America two days nearer to Europe by - this route, but should the telegraphic communication between - England and Ireland, 62 miles, be realized, it presents not the - slightest difficulty. Of course we in Newfoundland will have - nothing to do with the erection, working, and maintenance of the - telegraph, but I suppose our government will give every facility to - the company, either English or American, who will undertake it, as - it will be of incalculable advantage to this country. I hope the - day is not far distant when St. John's will be the first link in - the electric chain which will unite the Old World to the New. - -"I remain, etc., -"J. I. M." - -_November_ 8, 1850. - - - -Shortly after the arrival of the gentlemen from New York the Legislature -of Newfoundland repealed the charter of the Electric Telegraph Company, -in which it had been expressly stated that the line of this company is -designed to be strictly an "inter-continental telegraph," and a charter -was given to the "New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company." -Not only was the title of the new company suggestive, but the first -sentence expressly stated, "It is deemed advisable to establish a line -of telegraphic communication between New York and London by the way of -Newfoundland." And at the same time there was granted to the company an -exclusive monopoly for fifty years to lay submarine cables across the -Atlantic from the shores of Newfoundland. - -When this work was begun the longest submarine cable in the world was -that between England and Holland, and one had never been laid in water -one hundred fathoms deep. - -The party of three returned to New York early in May, and on Saturday -evening, the 6th, the charter was accepted, and the New York, -Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company was organized; at six o'clock -in the morning, on May the 8th, the papers were signed and fifteen -hundred thousand dollars subscribed. This meeting lasted just fifteen -minutes. - -Late in the spring of 1854 Mr. Field was obliged to take his old place -at the head of the firm of Cyrus W. Field & Co., his brother-in-law and -partner, Joseph F. Stone, having died on the 17th of May. The following -August his only son died, and it was with a heavy heart that he began -this double work. - -On January 25, 1855, he sailed for England to order the cable to connect -Cape Ray and Cape Breton. And while he was away his children received -this letter: - -"MORLEY'S HOTEL, -"LONDON, _February 25, 1855_. - - "_My dear, dear Children,_--Many thanks for your affectionate - letters, which I received last week in Paris. - - "I wish that you would tell your good uncle Henry that I am much - obliged for his letter of January 30th, and give my warmest love to - your dear grandfather and Aunt Mary, and thank them for writing to - me, and tell them that if I do not get time to answer their letters - I think a great deal about them, and hope that we shall soon all - meet in health, and that then I shall have much to tell them of - what I have seen and heard in the few weeks that I have been in - Europe. - - "I hope at some future day to visit Europe again with your dear - mother, and then, perhaps, we shall take all of our children with - us. - - "I am sure that you would be very happy to see the many beautiful - things that can be daily seen in London, Paris, and other parts of - Europe. - - "When do you think it would be best for us to sail? - - "I am sure that you will be very kind to your mother and - affectionate to each other, and do all in your power to make each - person in our house very happy. - - "I hope that you will go very often to see your dear grandfather, - grandmother, Aunt Mary, and Cousin Emilia; and whenever you see - dear little Freddy kiss him many times for me. - - "It is one month to-day since I left home, and on the 24th of March - I hope to leave Liverpool for New York. - - "In Paris I purchased some things for you, and the one that has - been the best child during my absence shall have the first choice. - - "Good-bye, and may God bless you all, is the constant prayer of - -"Your affectionate father, -"CYRUS W. FIELD. - -"The Misses Field, New York." - - - -On the 7th of August, 1855, a party sailed from New York on the steamer -_James Adger_ to assist at the laying of the cable across the Gulf of -St. Lawrence. To quote again from Mr. Cooper's speech: - - "We went along very pleasantly until we came to Port au Basque, and - there we waited several days for the arrival of the ship that - contained the cable, and when she came we directed the captain to - take her in tow. Unfortunately he had taken umbrage at the action - of Mr. Lowber, who, acting as a master of ceremonies, had placed - Rev. Dr. Spring at the head of the table instead of the captain. So - offended was he that he became as stubborn as a mule thereafter. - - "Four several attempts were made to get hold of the ship having the - cable; and the darkness of night coming on, we had to go into Cape - Ray. There we got the end of the cable to the telegraph-house after - much labor; and when we had it fastened to the shore and properly - connected we gave the captain orders to tow the ship across the - gulf. In starting he managed to run into the ship, carrying away - her shrouds and quarter-rail and almost making a wreck, so that we - had to lay up, for in dragging the cable the connection was - destroyed. We joined it again, and after some delay departed, - directing the captain to take the ship in tow. We had taken the - precaution to bring two very long and thick cables to tow her - across the gulf. He started, and again had the misfortune to get - the larger line entangled with the wheel of his vessel. In the - confusion that followed the ship that had the cable by his orders - parted her anchor; the line was cut, and she drifted towards a reef - of rocks. We entreated the captain to get hold of her as quickly as - possible, but before he did so she was almost on the reef. It was - then found necessary to go back and have the machinery fixed, which - took several days before we were ready to start again. At length, - one beautiful day we got off. Before starting our engineer, who had - charge of laying the cable, gave the captain instructions to keep - constantly in view a flag placed upon the telegraph-house and bring - it in range with a white rock upon the mountain, which would give - him the exact lines upon which to steer. As soon, however, as we - got off, I saw the captain was going out of the way, and, as - president of the board, I told him so. The answer was, 'I know how - to steer my ship; I steer by my compass.' I said, 'Your - instructions were to steer for the flag and the rock on the - mountain.' 'I steer by my compass,' was all I could get out of him. - He went on steering in that manner until I found he was going so - far out of the way that I told him I would hold him responsible for - all loss. This had no effect. I then got a lawyer who was on board - to draw up a paper warning the captain that if he did not change - his course we should hold him responsible for the loss of the - cable. He then turned his course, and went as far out of the way in - the other direction. We soon after encountered a gale, and had to - discontinue; and when we came to measure the cable, we found we had - laid twenty-four miles of cable, and had got only nine miles from - shore. That is only a sample of the trials we had to encounter in - this enterprise, and I mention it to say that it was in great - measure due to the indomitable courage and zeal of Mr. Field - inspiring us that we went on and on until we got another cable - across the gulf." - -In July, 1856, a cable eighty-five miles in length was successfully laid -across the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting Newfoundland with Cape -Breton, and also one of eleven miles from Prince Edward Island to New -Brunswick. The lines, one hundred and forty miles in length, had also -been built across Cape Breton. The telegraph system of the United -States had thus been connected with the most eastern port of -Newfoundland. - -How this work was done was told by Mr. Field on November 15, 1866. - - "It was a very pretty plan on paper. There was New York and there - was St. John's, only about twelve hundred miles apart. It was easy - to draw a line from one point to the other, making no account of - the forests and mountains and swamps and rivers and gulfs that lay - in our way. Not one of us had ever seen the country or had any idea - of the obstacles to be overcome. We thought we could build the line - in a few months. It took two years and a half, yet we never asked - for help outside our own little circle. Indeed I fear we should not - have got it if we had, for few had any faith in our scheme. Every - dollar came out of our own pockets. Yet I am proud to say no man - drew back. No man proved a deserter; those who came first into the - work stood by it to the end.... - - "It was begun and for two years and a half was carried on solely by - American capital. Our brethren across the sea did not even know - what we were doing away in the forests of Newfoundland. Our little - company raised and expended over a quarter million pounds sterling - before an Englishman paid a single pound. Our only support outside - was in the liberal charter and steady friendship of the government - of Newfoundland." - -But it was now thought wise to enlist English co-operation. For this -purpose Mr. Field left New York by the steamship _Baltic_ on Saturday, -July 19, 1856. His work in London was begun at once, and John Brett, -Michael Faraday, George Parker Bidder, Mr. Statham, of the London -Gutta-percha Works; Mr. Brunel; Mr. Glass, of Glass, Elliott & Co.; -Charles T. Bright, and Dr. Edward O. W. Whitehouse were soon among his -friends and strongly impressed with the idea that a cable could be -successfully laid across the Atlantic. It was at this time that in -response to a note from his wife, Mr. Glass wrote, "Mr. Field is in -London," and that showed that no longer was his time his own. - -Once when with Faraday, Mr. Field asked him how long a time he thought -would be required for the electric current to pass between London and -New York. His answer was brief and to the point: "Possibly one second." - -Brunel was also as clear-sighted; he pointed to the _Great Eastern_ that -he was then building, and said, "Mr. Field, there is the ship to lay the -cable." Eight years later it was used for that purpose. - -Before a company was formed he addressed a letter to Lord Clarendon, -then Foreign Secretary, and the answer to it was a request for a -personal interview. Professor Morse was in London, and he went with Mr. -Field to the Foreign Office, where they remained for over an hour. - -Lord Clarendon seemed to be at once interested, and among the questions -asked was, "But suppose you do not succeed, that you make the attempt -and fail, your cable lost at the bottom of the ocean, then what will you -do?" "Charge it to profit and loss and go to work to lay another," was -the answer. Lord Clarendon on parting desired that the requests made -should be put in writing, and spoke words of encouragement. - -The Atlantic Telegraph Company was organized December 9, 1856. It was -decided that for this work $1,750,000 must be raised. Mr. Field put his -name down for $500,000 (100 shares). He counted upon aid from America, -and did not intend to hold this large amount of stock individually. As -more money was subscribed than had been called for, but eighty-eight -shares were allotted to him. This was fortunate, for on his return to -New York he was able to dispose of but twenty-one shares. - -Mr. George Saward wrote to _The Electrician_ on the 28th of March, 1862: -"Mr. Field in starting the Atlantic Telegraph Company took upon his own -account eighty-eight shares of L1000 each. Upon all of these he paid -into the coffers of the company in cash the first deposit of L17,600, -and upon sixty-seven of them he paid the entire amount of calls, -amounting to L67,000. This I am in a position to verify. A great number -of these have been sold at a loss; but Mr. Field is still the largest -holder of shares in the company paid up in cash." Among the original -subscribers in England were Lady Byron and Thackeray, and in America -Archbishop Hughes. - -Mr. Field sailed for America on December 10th, and arrived in New York -on Christmas Day. - -On December 23d the Senate had requested President Pierce, "if not -incompatible with the public interest, to communicate such information -as he may have concerning the present condition and prospects of a -proposed plan for connecting by submarine wires the magnetic telegraph -lines on this continent and Europe," and on December 29th Mr. Pierce -sent to the Senate the letter that had been addressed to him on December -15th by the New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company. The -substance of this letter was that "The contracts have been made for the -manufacture of a submarine telegraphic cable to connect the continents -of Europe and America." ... That "it is the desire of the directors to -secure to the government of the United States equal privileges with -those stipulated for by the British government." ... That "the British -government shall have priority in the conveyance of their messages over -all others, subject to the exception only of the government of the -United States, in the event of their entering into an arrangement with -the telegraph company similar in principle to that of the British -government, in which case the messages of the two governments shall have -priority in the order in which they arrive at the station." ... - -"Her Majesty's government engages to furnish the aid of ships to make -what soundings may still be considered needful, or to verify those -already taken, and favorably to consider any request that may be made to -furnish aid by their vessels in laying down the cable." ... "To avoid -failure in laying the cable, it is desirable to use every precaution, -and we therefore have the honor to request that you will make such -recommendation to Congress as will secure authority to detail a -steamship for this purpose, so that the glory of accomplishing what has -been justly styled 'the crowning enterprise of the age' may be divided -between the greatest and freest governments on the face of the globe." - -The bill was drawn by Mr. Seward, and was "An act to expedite -telegraphic communication for the uses of the government in its foreign -intercourse." The great contest over its passage was not until early in -the next year, 1857. - -The suggestion made to the St. John's _Courier_ in 1850 by Bishop -Mullock, and which Mr. Gisborne had tried to carry out, had not been -lost sight of, as the following letter shows: - -"TREASURY CHAMBERS, _19th November, 1856_. - - "_Sir,_--With reference to your letter of the 6th instant - requesting that directions should be given for permitting British - mail packets between Liverpool and the United Stales to receive and - throw overboard off Cape Race and off Queenstown cases containing - telegraphic dispatches, to be picked up by the telegraph company's - own vessels, I am commanded by the Lords Commissioners of her - Majesty's Treasury to acquaint you that their lordships have stated - to the Lords of the Admiralty that after communicating with Mr. - Cunard as to the feasibility of the plan, and receiving from him an - assurance that it might be carried into effect without in any way - retarding the regular mail service, they are of the opinion that - the necessary directions may be given for this purpose, subject to - the following conditions: - - "1. That the mail steamers shall not be delayed. - - "2. That they shall not be required to alter the course they would - otherwise have taken. - - "3. That no responsibility shall attach to their ship or to the - government. - - "4. That the companies shall make such arrangements in reference to - the receipt and dispatch of messages as shall be satisfactory to - the Treasury, in order to secure equal advantages to all persons - using the telegraph. - -"I am, sir, -"Your obedient servant, -"C. L. TREVELYAN." - - - -In a New York paper of July 12, 1857, is this telegram: - -"From the steamship _Persia_, -"OFF CAPE RACE, NEWFOUNDLAND, -"_Saturday_, July 11th, P.M. - - "We have thus far had a very pleasant passage and expect to reach - Liverpool next Friday. All well and all in good spirits. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -And below the telegram this was added: - - "This feat would seem to demonstrate the entire practicability of - obtaining news from the Atlantic steamers as they pass Cape Race, - and should the Atlantic telegraph cable fail from any cause, we - understand that the telegraph company will make effective - arrangements to carry something of this kind into operation." - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE FIRST CABLE (CONTINUED) - -(1857) - - -The following cable message was sent to Mr. Field by Sir James Anderson -on March 10, 1879, the twenty-fifth anniversary of "ocean telegraphy": - - "It cannot fail to gratify you, and should astonish your guests, to - realize the amazing growth of your ocean child; sixty thousand - miles of cable, costing about twenty million pounds sterling, - having been laid since your energy initiated the first long cable. - Distance has no longer anything to do with commerce. The foreign - trade of all civilized nations is now becoming only an extended - home trade; all the old ways of commerce are changed or changing, - creating amongst all nations a common interest in the welfare of - each other. To have been the pioneer _par excellence_ in this great - work should be most gratifying to yourself and your family, and no - one can take from you this proud position." - -It would have seemed a strange prophecy if the above had been predicted -in 1856, when it was declared that the object of the Atlantic Telegraph -Company was "To continue the existing line of the New York, -Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company to Ireland, by making or -causing to be made a submarine telegraph cable for the Atlantic." At the -close of the year the contracts for the manufacture of the cable were -signed. Messrs. Glass, Elliott & Co. agreed to make one-half, and R. S. -Newall & Co., of Liverpool, the other. Both sections were to be finished -and ready to be laid on June 1, 1857, although the time fixed upon for -the sailing of the fleet was to be as nearly as possible at the end of -July, in accordance with the advice contained in a letter written in -March, 1857: - - "Perhaps it would be wise for the steamers not to join cables until - after the 20th of July. I think between that time and the 10th of - August the state of both sea and air is usually in the most - favorable condition possible; and that is the time which my - investigations indicate as the most favorable for laying down the - wire. I recommend it and wish you good-luck. - -Yours, -M. F. MAURY." - - - -The English government had responded at once to the request of the -Atlantic Telegraph Company, and a ship was promised with which to help -lay the cable, and on Mr. Field's return home he asked the American -government for the same aid. - -He landed from the steamship _Baltic_ on the 25th of December; on the -26th he went to Washington; next we hear of him in Newfoundland, and -then back in Washington early in the new year. - -Mr. Seward referred to this time in his speech at Auburn in August, -1858: - - "It remained to engage the consent and the activity of the - governments of Great Britain and the United States. That was all - that remained. Such consent and activity on the part of some one - great nation of Europe was all that remained needful for Columbus - when he stood ready to bring a new continent forward as a theatre - of the world's civilization. But in each case the effort was the - most difficult of all." - -The more liberal men in both Houses at Washington were from the -beginning in favor of the cable bill, and worked untiringly for its -passage. The President and Secretary of State, desiring to remain -friendly to both sides, took no active part in the discussion. - -Mr. Field talked with almost every member of Congress, and tried to -persuade those who were opposed to him to drop their petty objections -and think only of the greatness of the work. - -Extracts from a Washington newspaper of January 31, 1857, give some idea -of other trials to which he was subjected. On the arrival of the -steamship _Arago_ it was published that "great dissatisfaction exists in -London at the manner in which the Atlantic Telegraph Company has been -gotten up," and that "a new company has been formed to construct a -submarine telegraph direct to the shores of the United States." - -He answered: - - "To this I may add that the object of this movement at this time is - well understood by those who know the parties promoting it. I - believe no such company can have been really organized in London as - represented, because none of my letters by the same steamer from - directors and parties largely interested even allude to such a - movement, which must of necessity have been made public and well - known to them if true. It cannot be believed that capitalists in - London or elsewhere can now be found to take stock in a submarine - line of telegraph of over three thousand miles in length, passing - over the banks of Newfoundland or across the deep waters of the - Gulf Stream, when it was by great exertion that subscriptions were - obtained to a line of little more than one-half of that length, and - that, too, upon a route the practicability of which had already - been fully demonstrated by actual survey to be possible. - -CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -On the 19th of February the Atlantic telegraph bill passed the House by -a majority of nineteen; but it was not until the 3d of March that it -passed the Senate, by a majority of but one, and then it was said to be -unconstitutional. Mr. Field sought Caleb Cushing, the Attorney-General, -and begged him to examine the bill and give his opinion. It was -favorable. - -The date affixed to the bill is the 3d of March, but it was not until -the morning of the 4th at ten o'clock that the President put his name to -it as Mr. Field stood by his side. This was, therefore, one of the last -official acts of President Pierce. - -The government at Washington had now united with that of Great Britain -in agreeing to give all that was asked. The frigate _Niagara_, the -largest and finest ship of our navy, was ordered to England. The New -York _Herald_ of Saturday, April 25th, says: - - "The performance of the vessel and of her machinery has fully come - up to the most sanguine expectations. She is now on her way to - London. By the recent news from England we learn that the British - authorities have detailed three steamers to assist in laying the - submarine cable and make soundings along the route. The - _Agamemnon_, a ninety-gun ship, in connection with the Niagara will - take the cable on board." - -Very little rest was allowed him on his return from Washington--but two -weeks at his home. He sailed for Liverpool on the 18th of March, leaving -his wife with a baby four days old. He remained in England barely a -fortnight; he was at home on the 22d of April, and on the 8th of July he -was a passenger on the steamship _Persia_, once more bound for England. - -Early in July the _Niagara_ had received her share of the cable from the -manufactory of Messrs. Newall & Co., and the _Agamemnon_ hers from the -works of Messrs. Glass, Elliott & Co. - -Almost immediately on his arrival he was a guest at a _fete champetre_ -given by Sir Culling Eardley, at Belvidere, near Erith. Following is the -card of invitation: - - _Sir Culling Eardley requests the Company of_ - - =Cyrus W. Field, Esq.,= - - _at Belvidere, on Thursday, July the 23d, on the occasion of the - departure of The Electrical Telegraph Cable for the Atlantic Ocean. - - Messrs. Glass, Elliott & Co., the Contractors for the Cable, also - request the honor of_ =Cyrus W. Field, Esq.'s= _Company at Dinner - with the Directors and Friends of the Atlantic Telegraph Company, - the Officers and Crew of H.M.S._ Agamemnon,_ and the Artisans of - the Cable_. - - _An early answer is requested to Sir Culling Eardley, Belvidere, - Erith._ - -It was at this _fete_ that he read this note: - -"WASHINGTON, _3d July, 1857_. - - "_My dear Sir,_--Accidental circumstances which I need not detail - prevented your kind letter of the 19th ultimo from being brought to - my notice until this morning. I now hasten to say in reply that I - shall feel myself much honored should the first message (as you - propose) sent across the Atlantic by the submarine telegraph be - from Queen Victoria to the President of the United States, and I - need not assure you he will endeavor to answer it in a spirit and - manner becoming the great occasion. - -"Yours very respectfully, -"JAMES BUCHANAN. - -"TO CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq." - - - -The following account is copied from a letter written to the London -_Times_ on August 3, 1857: - - "During the progress of the _Agamemnon_ to the Downs the mechanical - appliances for regulating the delivery of the cable into the sea - were kept continually in motion by the small engine on board, which - is connected with them; the sheaves and gearing worked with great - facility and precision, and so quietly that at a short distance - from them their motion could scarcely be heard. - - "The strength of the girders which carry the bearing of the entire - apparatus, and which to the eye of a person unskilled in the - practical working of this description of machinery may seem at - first to be unduly ponderous, was found to contribute greatly to - the easy motion and satisfactory steadiness of this most important - agent in the success of the undertaking. So soon as the _Agamemnon_ - had passed the track of the Submarine Company's cable between Dover - and Calais in order to avoid the possibility of its being injured - by the laying or hauling up of another line at right angles to it, - the experiments commenced. A 13-inch shell was attached to the end - of a spare coil of the Atlantic cable for the purpose of sinking it - rapidly with a strain upon it to the bottom, and was then cast into - the sea, drawing after it a sufficient quantity of slack to enable - it to take hold of the ground, and so set the machinery in motion. - - "The paying out then commenced at the rate of two, three, and four - knots an hour respectively. The ship was then stopped, and the - cable was hauled up from the bottom of the sea with great facility - by connecting the small engine to the driving pinion geared to the - sheaves. When the end was brought up to the surface it was found - that the shell had broken away from the loop by which it had been - fastened for the purpose of lowering it. - - "The exterior coating of tar had been completely rubbed off by - being drawn through the sandy bottom of the sea, and attached to - the iron coating of the cable were some weeds and several small - crabs which came up with it to the surface. - - "On the following day a length of cable was run out and hauled in - with perfect success opposite the Isle of Wight. - - "The speed was increased in this case to four knots. During the - afternoon of the same day a length was run out, having fastened to - the end of it a log of timber, and having been towed with a mile - and a half of cable, was coiled in again with success. - - "On Wednesday about half-way between the Land's End and the coast - of Ireland another length was run out at the rate of six and a half - knots per hour, and subsequently hauled in. The _Agamemnon_ then - steered for Cork, and reached Queenstown Harbor at four o'clock on - Thursday morning, all on board being more than ever satisfied at - the success of the enterprise." - -The New York _Herald_ of August 28th published a letter from its -special correspondent on board the _Niagara_, and from it these extracts -are made: - - "From the deck of our ship we can see a small, sandy cove which has - been selected as the place for the landing of the shore end of the - cable, and a hundred yards from which a temporary tent has been - erected for the batteries and other telegraphic instruments. In - front of it is displayed an attempt at the Stars and Stripes; but - it is only an attempt, and it would require one of the most - shrewd-guessing Yankees that ever lived in or came out of - Connecticut to tell what it was intended for. It will soon be - replaced by another of a more unmistakable kind, however, and that - ought to be sufficient to satisfy the most exacting patriot.... - - "We arrived and anchored in Valentia Bay on the evening of the 4th, - but at too late an hour to commence operations other than I have - described. The work of landing the shore part of the cable was - deferred, therefore, until the following morning at eight - o'clock.... - - "On the shore there were about two thousand persons, the whole - population of the place and large contributions from miles around, - waiting there from seven in the morning till seven in the evening - for the arrival of the fleet of cable boats whose progress they had - watched with so much anxiety and impatience. It was five o'clock - when we started, and never before was such a scene presented in - Valentia Bay, and the poorest spectator there, though he could not - tell what strange agency it was that lay in the cable, understood - what it was intended to effect, and his face beamed with joy as he - heard his comrades say that it brought them nearer to that great - land that had so generously stretched out the helping hand to their - starving countrymen.... Among those on shore are the Lord - Lieutenant of Ireland; Lord Morpeth, of anti-slavery proclivities; - Lord Hillsborough; the Knight of Kerry; and nearly all the - gentlemen connected with the enterprise. But here comes the cable - in the hands of the crew of the _Niagara's_ boat, who rush up the - beach with it dripping with water, for in their haste to carry it - ashore they have to wade knee-deep through the water. Mr. Cyrus W. - Field is there beside Lord Morpeth, or, as he is now called, Lord - Carlisle, and as Captain Pennock comes up in advance of his men - with the cable he introduces him. There is no time for the passage - of formalities, and the introduction and the meeting are therefore - free from them. - - "'I am most happy to see you, captain,' says Lord Morpeth, and the - captain most appropriately replies: 'This, sir, is the betrothal of - England and America, and I hope in twenty days the marriage will be - consummated.' - - "The crowd now press around, all eagerness to help in pulling up - the cable; and when the work is through those who have been - fortunate enough to put their hands to it show the marks of the tar - to those who have failed in the attempt, as a proof of their - success. By dint of pulling and hauling they get it into the trench - in which it is to be laid, and take up the end to the top of a - little hill, where they secure it by running it around a number of - strong stakes driven fast into the earth and placed in the form of - a circle. This is the centre of the site marked out for a house in - which the batteries and instruments are to be put, and which will - be used as a temporary station till a better and more substantial - one can be erected. When the cable was placed here and the - enthusiasm of the people had somewhat subsided, the rector of the - parish made a prayer.... - - "The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland closed his speech with these words: - 'And now, my friends, as there can be no project or undertaking - which ought not to receive the approbation and applause of all - people, all join with me in giving three hearty cheers.' - - "Three cheers were given with a will; but it was not enough, and - they cheered and cheered until they were obliged to give up from - exhaustion. 'Three cheers,' said Lord Carlisle, 'are not - enough--they are what they give on common occasions. Now, for the - success of the Atlantic cable, I must have at least one dozen.' The - crowd responded with the full number, and cheered the following: - 'The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland'; 'The United States of America'; - 'Mr. Cyrus W. Field.' Mr. Field spoke as follows: 'Ladies and - gentlemen, Words cannot express to you the feelings within this - heart. It beats with affection towards every man, woman, and child - that hears me; and if ever, on the other side of the water, one of - you present yourself at my door and say you had a hand in this, I - promise you an American welcome. What God hath joined together let - no man put asunder.' - - "And more cheers were given for the following: For 'the sailor'; - for 'Yankee Doodle'; for 'the officers and sailors on board the - ships that are intended to lay the cable'; 'the Queen'; 'the - President of the United States'; 'the American Navy.'" - -The sun set on the evening of August 5th with the shore end of the cable -safely landed, but the ships' anchors were not weighed until early the -next morning. - -Five miles from shore a slight fault occurred, which was soon remedied. - -The Knight of Kerry sent this note to Mr. Field. - -"VALENTIA, _6th August, 1857_. - - "_My dear Sir,_--Fearing I may not be able to get on board the - _Niagara_, I write a line to thank you for the most valuable gift - you made me of the piece of cable, as I have just learned from my - friend Crosby. - - "Yet I must say you owed me some compensation for having stolen the - hearts of my wife and children and of every friend whom I was - guilty of bringing into contact with you. I believe if you were - obliged to make similar compensation for all the delinquencies you - have been guilty of in this way, your whole cable, great as it is, - would scarcely suffice. I know the inroad you have made into the - Lord Lieutenant's affections would require a long bit of it. I was - sincerely sorry to hear from Crosby that you were again suffering, - but I reflect with satisfaction that probably the voyage, even with - its accompanying excitement, is the best remedy within your reach. - -"Yours most sincerely, -"FITZGERALD, Knight of Kerry." - - - -All went most successfully, and although the excitement was still at -fever heat on board the _Niagara_, the probability of soon meeting the -_Agamemnon_ in mid-ocean and following her to the shores of Newfoundland -was most hopefully discussed, and this message was given to the press: - -"VALENTIA, _Monday_, _August 10_, 4 P.M. - - "The work of laying down the Atlantic telegraph cable is going on - up to the present time as satisfactorily as its best friends can - desire. Nearly 360 miles have now been successfully laid down into - the sea. - - "The depth of water into which the cable is now being submerged is - about 1700 fathoms, or about two miles. The transition from the - shallow to the greater depth was effected without difficulty. The - signals are everything an electrician could desire. The ships are - sailing with a moderate fair breeze, and paying out at the rate of - five miles per hour. Messages are being instantly interchanged - between the ships and the shore. - - "All are well on board, in excellent spirits, and hourly becoming - more and more trustful of success. - -"WILLIAM WHITEHOUSE, Electrician. -"GEORGE SAWARD, Secretary." - - - -At nine o'clock the same evening, without any apparent cause, the cable -ceased working. At twelve o'clock the electric current returned, and it -was with a feeling of intense relief that all went to their berths. This -satisfaction was short lived. At a quarter before four came the cry, -"Stop her! back her!" and then the words, "The cable has parted." - -The flags of the ship were put at half-mast, and the fleet returned to -Valentia. - -This expedition had cost the Atlantic Telegraph Company $500,000, and on -August 25th Robert Stephenson wrote: "The Atlantic cable question is a -far more difficult matter than those who have undertaken it are disposed -to believe. The subject has occupied much of my thoughts, and as yet I -must confess I do not see my way through it. Before the ships left this -country with the cable I publicly predicted as soon as they got into -deep water a signal failure. It was in fact inevitable." The first -words of greeting were more cheering: - -"VALENTIA, _14th August, 1857_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--In all our disappointment at the temporary check - of the cable, our first thought has been about you. But I was very - glad to hear yesterday from the officers of the _Cyclops_ that you - were, as indeed I might have judged from your character, plucky and - well. It is a great comfort to think that the experience that has - been obtained in this, the first attempt, must immensely improve - the chances of success on the next occasion. All here desire to be - affectionately remembered to you. - -"Ever yours, very sincerely, -"FITZGERALD, Knight of Kerry." - - - -It was not proposed to abandon the enterprise, but to postpone work for -a year. The ships discharged their freight of cable, and the _Niagara_ -returned to America, and before Mr. Field left England the directors -voted to increase the capital of the company and to order seven hundred -miles of new cable. - -The news that met him upon his arrival at New York was most depressing. - -The panic of 1857 had just swept over the country, and while he was at -sea his firm suspended, owing over six hundred thousand dollars, and -with debts due to it, from firms which had already suspended, of between -three and four hundred thousand dollars. He settled at once with his -creditors, by giving them goods from his store, or notes for the amount -in full at twelve, eighteen, or twenty-four months, with seven per cent. -interest added. The first notes were paid at maturity and the other two -some months before they were due, the holders discounting the interest. - -On the 21st of November, 1857, Professor Francis Lieber wrote: - - "I wish to possess all the materials I can procure regarding the - history and statistics of the subatlantic telegraph. It will be the - most striking illustration of the increasing tendency of all - civilization, that of uniting what was separate, and of the - pervading principle in the household of humanity, that of mutual - dependence. May Heaven bless your undertaking, and may the next - months of June or July bring us the first message from old England, - outrunning the sun by five hours and a half." - -The Secretary of the Navy said to him in parting on the 30th of -December, "There, I have given you all you asked." This was that the -_Niagara_ and the _Susquehanna_ might form part of the cable expedition -of 1858, and that Mr. William E. Everett might again fill the position -of chief engineer. - -On the evening of December 31st Professor Lieber wrote: "This may be the -last letter or note I write in the old year, and I cannot conclude it -without wishing from all my heart that - - MDCCCLVIII - -may be called in the future school chronologies the telegraph year." - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -A FLEETING TRIUMPH - -(1858) - - -In the fall of 1857 the directors of the Atlantic Telegraph Company, -realizing that it would be to their advantage to have Mr. Field take -general charge and supervision of all the arrangements and preparations -for the next laying of the cable, sent him an earnest request to come to -England. It was in response to this that he sailed on the 6th of -January, 1858, in the steamship _Persia_, arriving in England on the -16th. On the 27th the company passed resolutions offering him one -thousand pounds besides his travelling expenses. This he declined, -accepting only his expenses. - -At a meeting of the board on the 18th of February the following -resolution was passed; it was offered by Mr. Samuel Gurney: - - "That the warm and hearty thanks of this company be tendered to Mr. - Cyrus W. Field, of New York, for the great services he has rendered - to the Atlantic Telegraph Company, his untiring zeal, energy, and - devotion from its first formation, and for the great personal - talent which he has ever displayed and exerted to the utmost in the - advancement of its interests." - -In seconding this resolution, which was unanimously passed, Mr. Brooking -told from his own knowledge of what "Mr. Field's most determined -perseverance, coupled with an amount of fortitude that has seldom been -equalled," had done for the company in Newfoundland in securing to it -the exclusive right to land on the shores of that island. - -The report ends with these words: - - "The directors cannot close their observations to the shareholders - without bearing their warm and cordial testimony to the untiring - zeal, talent, and energy that have been displayed on behalf of this - enterprise by Mr. Cyrus W. Field, of New York, to whom mainly - belongs the honor of having practically developed the possibility - and of having brought together the material means for carrying out - the great idea of connecting Europe and America by a submarine - telegraph. - - "He has crossed the Atlantic Ocean no less than six times since - December, 1856, for the sole purpose of rendering most valuable aid - to this undertaking. He has also visited the British North American - colonies on several occasions, and obtained concessions and - advantages that are highly appreciated by the directors, and he has - successfully supported the efforts of the directors in obtaining an - annual subsidy for twenty-five years from the government of the - United States of America, the grant of the use of their national - ships in assisting to lay the cable in 1857, and also to assist in - the same service this year, and his constant and assiduous - attention to everything that could contribute to the welfare of the - company from its first formation has materially contributed to - promote many of its most necessary and important arrangements. He - is now again in England, his energy and confidence in the - undertaking entirely unabated; and, at the earnest request of the - board, he has consented to remain in this country for the purpose - of affording to the directors the benefit of his great experience - and judgment as general manager of the business of the company - connected with the next expedition. - - "This arrangement will doubtless prove as pleasing to the - shareholders as it is agreeable and satisfactory to the directors. - -"By order of the directors. -"GEORGE SAWARD, Secretary." - - - -His friend and pastor, the Rev. William Adams, D.D., wrote to him on the -10th of March: - - "_My dear Friend_,--I do not know whether your homeward thoughts - ever include your minister, but mine very frequently traverse the - sea towards you and your noble enterprise.... We have all watched - with great interest the noble bearing of your good wife in all the - sacrifices which she makes for you and the cause you so gallantly - represent. These are things not so much thought of by the great - world; but after all they are the chief elements in that great - price which we are compelled to pay for everything good and - great.... - - "The _Niagara_ has sailed, and now all eyes are on you and on her. - By-the-way, we all made a visit to the noble ship a week ago, and - filled her full with a cargo of blessings and good wishes.... - - "We watch the papers with great interest to find anything which - bears on the success of your undertaking; and feel a personal and - national pride at every mention which reflects honor on you and - your laudable exertions.... - - "With every good wish for you personally and for your great - undertaking, I am, - -"Yours very sincerely, -"W. ADAMS." - - - -The difficulties encountered by the Newfoundland and the Atlantic Cable -Companies will be best understood by giving part of a letter from Mr. -(later known as Sir) Edward Archibald: - -"NEW YORK, _March 30, 1858_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--I am in receipt of yours of the 11th. I did - not write you by last mail, as I had no further intelligence to - communicate. - - "Since I last wrote Hyde has been here and returned again to Nova - Scotia. I conferred with him, and have been in correspondence with - our friends at Halifax as to what was best to be done to avert the - threatened loss of our exclusive privileges; for the bill is not - _finally_ disallowed, and I do think that if a deputation of your - directors waited on Lord Stanley and brought the matter under the - reconsideration of Her Majesty's government we might yet succeed - in inducing them to confirm the act. The ground on which I based - our claim to the exclusive right in Nova Scotia was that our - project, being in the nature of an _invention_ (for its - practicability is not yet fully tested), an invention of a most - costly nature, in perfecting which an expenditure exceeding perhaps - twice or thrice the _estimated_ cost might have to be incurred, we - were justly entitled to such protection in the nature of a patent - right, for a limited period, as would secure to us the - reimbursement of the outlay and a fair remuneration for risk - incurred, and that others who might lie by until we had, after - repeated failures, achieved success, ought not (availing themselves - of all our experience and expenditure) to be allowed _for a certain - period_ to come into competition with us. Such a privilege as this, - moreover, could not be abused, inasmuch as the public who are to - use the telegraph (represented by the governments of Great Britain - and the United States) reserve to themselves the right to regulate - the tolls. - - "A telegraph under the Atlantic Ocean is vastly different from a - submarine telegraph between England and the Continent. It is _in - effect_ an invention (if it succeeds) and entitled to the same - protection, at least, as would be granted to the invention of a new - mode of propelling ships, or as is granted every day to the - fabrication of such trifles as patent boot-jacks or corkscrews. - - "I really think that, as there is a _locus penitentiae_ and a new - administration, it may be well to have an interview with the - colonial secretary on the subject.... - - "My wife and family are fairly well. They unite in kind regards to - you and ardent wishes for your success. - -"Most truly yours, -"E. M. ARCHIBALD." - - - -This subject seems to have been often agitated during the years that -follow. On April 25th, 1862, Mr. Field writes to Mr. Saward: - - "Allow me to introduce to you my esteemed friend, E. M. Archibald, - Esq., H.M. consul for New York. Mr. Archibald was one of the - earliest, and has proved himself one of the best friends of the - Atlantic telegraph.... Mr. Archibald can give you much valuable - information in regard to Newfoundland and all the British North - American provinces, and be of great service to you in your - negotiations with the English government. - - "Mr. Jesse Hoyt telegraphs me from Halifax that fifty memorials to - Lord Palmerston in favor of government giving aid to the Atlantic - Telegraph Company have already been forwarded from Nova Scotia, and - that more will go. I have been writing yesterday and to-day to my - friends in Canada, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova - Scotia, and Newfoundland, urging them to get up and send petitions - to the English government in our favor.... We can and we will - succeed in connecting Ireland and Newfoundland by means of a good - submarine telegraph cable." - -Shortly after the United States frigate _Niagara_ sailed for England a -New York paper published this short notice: - - "She goes not to assist in the assertion of resisted claims, in the - vindication of outraged rights. Her task is a more peaceful and a - more glorious one. She leaves our shores on a mission of fraternity - and good-will--the harbinger of union and brotherhood amongst - nations, and one of the chief agents in an enterprise which is - destined to do more towards the realization of a millennium of love - amongst men than the efforts of all the diplomatists and - missionaries are ever likely to accomplish." - -April and part of May were spent in preparation and putting the cable on -board the two ships. On May 29th the fleet left for a trial trip in the -Bay of Biscay, and on the 10th of June set sail from Plymouth to meet -again in mid-ocean. - -On November 1, 1856, Mr. Field had suggested: - - "The two ends of the cable having been carefully joined together, - the vessels will start in opposite directions, one towards Ireland - and the other towards Newfoundland, uncoiling the cable and - exchanging signals through it from ship to ship as they proceed. By - this means the period ordinarily required for traversing the - distance between the two coasts will be lessened by one-half, each - vessel having only to cover eight hundred and twenty nautical - miles in order to finish the task assigned to it. It is expected - that the operation of laying the cable will be completed in about - eight days from the time of its commencement." - -On Friday the 25th of June, after encountering gales that at one time -amounted almost to a cyclone, the two ships came together at their -strange trysting place; but the splice was not made nor the parting said -until the afternoon of Saturday, July 26th. In making a splice the ships -were connected by a hawser and lay one hundred fathoms apart; the time -required for the work was usually two hours. - -Three miles only were laid when the cable caught in the machinery of the -_Niagara_ and broke; a new splice was made, and again the ships parted. -Then forty miles were laid and the cable became suddenly lifeless and -was reported broken. On Monday, June 28th, the ships met for the third -time in mid-ocean, and without waiting for any useless discussion they -spliced the cable and once more set sail. - -One hundred, two hundred miles of cable went safely down into the sea, -when again came a break, this time twenty feet from the stern of the -_Agamemnon_. It had been agreed that if after a hundred miles had been -paid out a new mishap should occur, no further splice should be made, -but that both ships should go back to Ireland; and without loss of time -the _Niagara_ turned her head to the east and arrived at Valentia on -July 5th. This agreement had been made on June 28th, and it was a formal -one, and was on account of the small amount of coal carried by the -_Agamemnon_. - -The Board of Directors met in London, and word was sent to Ireland that -it was proposed to "abandon the enterprise." A meeting was called for -July 12th; Mr. Brown (afterwards Sir William), of Liverpool, would not -attend, and sent this note: - -"TRENTON'S HOTEL, _July 12, 1858_. - - "_Dear Sir_,--We must all deeply regret our misfortune in not being - able to lay the cable. I think there is nothing to be done but to - dispose of what is left on the best terms we can. - -"Yours very truly, -"WM. BROWN. - - "The Committee of the Atlantic Telegraph, Broad Street." - - - -Mr. Brooking, who had so warmly upheld Mr. Field at the meeting in -February, resigned his office as vice-chairman, and left the room rather -than listen to the request that another attempt be made. But the counsel -of the majority prevailed, and on the 17th of July, without a parting -cheer or a word of encouragement from those on shore, the expedition -left Ireland. - -On Thursday, July 29th, in latitude 52 deg.9' north, longitude 32 deg.27' west, -with a cloudy sky and a southeast wind, the splice was made at one P.M., -and perfect signals passed through the whole length of the cable. - -Five weeks later Mr. Field described this scene just before the splice -was made: - - "I was standing on the deck of the _Niagara_ in mid-ocean. The day - was cold and cheerless, the air was misty, and the wind roughened - the sea; and when I thought of all that we had passed through, of - the hopes thus far disappointed, of the friends saddened by our - reverses, of the few that remained to sustain us, I felt a load at - my heart almost too heavy to bear, though my confidence was firm - and my determination fixed." - -On the evening of the 29th the _Niagara_ was fairly under way, and -already the 5th of August was the day determined upon for her arrival at -Trinity Bay. Signals alone were used; they were constantly passed from -ship to ship, and were understood by the electricians on board. The -expression "the continuity is perfect" relieved the minds of the -officers and those interested in the enterprise, but not the sailors. -The _Herald's_ special correspondent tells of this conversation: - - "'Darn the continuity,' said an old sailor at the end of a - scientific but rather foggy discussion which a number of his - messmates had on the subject--'darn the continuity; I wish they - would get rid of it altogether. It has caused a darned sight more - trouble than the hull thing is worth. I say they ought to do - without it and let it go. I believe they'd get the cable down if - they didn't pay any attention to it. You see,' he went on, 'I was - on the last exhibition' (expedition, he meant, but it was all the - same, his messmates did not misapprehend his meaning), 'and I - thought I'd never hear the end of it. They were always talking - about it, and one night when we were out last year it was gone for - two hours, and we thought that was the end of the affair and we - would never hear of it again. But it came back, and soon after the - cable busted. Now, I tell you what, men, I'll never forget the - night, I tell ye! We all felt we had lost our best friend, and I - never heard the word continuity or contiguity mentioned but I was - always afraid something was going to happen. And that's a fact.'" - -At twenty-one minutes past two on the afternoon of July 30th the -_Agamemnon_ signalled that she had passed her one-hundred-and-fifty-mile -limit, and at twenty-four minutes of three the same was reported on the -_Niagara_. After this there could be no return for another splice; it -must be either Trinity Bay or Valentia for the _Niagara_. A new -complication was reported. The compasses were playing false. So soon as -the _Gorgon_ was told of this she offered to pilot the _Niagara_, and -she did so unfalteringly to the end, Captain Dayman remaining day and -night on deck. - -At half-past five o'clock on the afternoon of July 31st the forward coil -of cables on the main deck was exhausted and the coil below was -attached. The quiet was intense while this change was made. Only Mr. -Everett, the chief engineer, was heard to speak. - -At other times it was not so: games were played, sales of stocks were -made, and the telegraph stock rose and fell, varying with the reports -received from the electrician's room. At seven A.M. on the morning of -Wednesday, August 4th, came the glad cry, "Land ho!" and at half-past -two in the afternoon the ships entered the "haven where they would be." - -That evening at eight Mr. Field left the _Niagara_ to make arrangements -for the landing that was to take place the next day. At half-past two on -the morning of August 5th he waked the sleeping operators waiting in the -telegraph-house, Bay of Bull's Arms, with the words, "The cable is -laid." This at first the men were unwilling to believe, but when they -saw the lights on the vessels in the distance they dressed and came back -with him to the shore, and two walked fifteen miles with the messages -that were to be telegraphed to the unbelieving world. - -The paying out of the cable from the two ships had been carried on with -such regularity that the one arrived at Valentia and the other at -Trinity Bay on the same day; by noon on the 5th of August this -country was plunged into the wildest excitement. - -[Illustration: VALENTIA: LANDING THE SHORE END OF THE CABLE, 1857 - -(From a Lithograph)] - -These messages were sent to his wife and to his father: - - "TRINITY BAY, NEWFOUNDLAND, _August 5, 1858_. - - "Mrs. CYRUS W. FIELD, 84 East Twenty-first Street, New York: - - "Arrived here yesterday. All well. The Atlantic telegraph cable - successfully laid. Please telegraph me here immediately. - -CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - - - "Rev. Dr. FIELD, Stockbridge, Mass., _via_ Pittsfield: - - "Cable successfully laid. All well. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -It may interest some readers to follow this message to Stockbridge and -see his family at the time of its delivery. His wife and children were -passing the afternoon quietly, when all were startled by the appearance -of his mother. Almost breathless with excitement she exclaimed, - -"Mary, the cable is laid. Thomas, believest thou this?" - -Not a word was spoken, but a silent prayer was the response. - -"To CYRUS W. FIELD: - - "Your family is all at Stockbridge and well. The joyful news - arrived there Thursday, and almost overwhelmed your wife. Father - rejoiced like a boy. Mother was wild with delight. Brothers, - sisters, all were overjoyed. Bells were rung, guns fired; children, - let out of school, shouted, 'The cable is laid! the cable is laid!' - The village was in a tumult of joy. My dear brother, I congratulate - you. God bless you. - -DAVID DUDLEY FIELD." - - - -The _Evening Post_ announced: - - SUCCESS OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLE. - - ARRIVAL OF THE _NIAGARA_ AND _GORGON_ AT - TRINITY BAY. - - 1950 STATUTE MILES LONG. - - NOT A SINGLE BREAK! - - THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLE IS LANDING. - -And its leading editorial of the same day said: - - "Such is the startling intelligence which reaches us just as we are - going to press. We find it difficult to believe the report, for - recent events have prepared us for a very different result, and yet - the despatch comes to us through our regular agent, who would not - deceive us. He may have been imposed upon, but that is quite - unlikely. If the few coming hours shall confirm the inspiring - tidings and the cable is landed and in working condition, all other - events that may happen through the world on this day will be - trifles. - - "To-morrow the hearts of the civilized world will beat to a single - pulse, and from that time forth forevermore the continental - divisions of the earth will in a measure lose those conditions of - time and distance which now mark their relations one to the other. - But such an event, like a dispensation of Providence, should be - first contemplated in silence." - -The message for the Associated Press was: - -"TRINITY BAY, _August 5, 1858_. - - "The Atlantic telegraph fleet sailed from Queenstown on Saturday, - July 17th. - - "They met in mid-ocean on Wednesday, the 28th, and made the splice - at 1 P.M. on Thursday, the 29th. They then separated, the - _Agamemnon_ and _Valorous_ bound to Valentia, Ireland, and the - _Niagara_ and _Gorgon_ for this place, where they arrived - yesterday. - - "This morning the end of the cable will be landed. - - "It is sixteen hundred and ninety-eight nautical or nineteen - hundred and fifty statute miles from the telegraph-house at the - head of Valentia Harbor to the telegraph-house, Bay of Bull's Arms, - Trinity Bay. - - "For more than two-thirds of the distance the water is over two - miles in depth. - - "The cable has been paid out from the _Agamemnon_ at about the same - speed as from the _Niagara_. The electrical signals sent and - received through the whole cable are perfect. The machinery for - paying out the cable worked in the most satisfactory manner, and - was not stopped for a single moment from the time the splice was - made until we arrived here. - - "Captain Hudson, Messrs. Everett and Woodhouse, the engineers, the - electricians and officers of the ships, and in fact every man on - board the telegraph fleet has exerted himself to the utmost to make - the expedition successful. By the blessing of Divine Providence it - has succeeded. - - "After the end of the cable is landed and connected with the land - line of telegraph, and the _Niagara_ has discharged some cargo - belonging to the telegraph company, she will go to St. John's for - coals, and then proceed at once to New York. - -CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -Next in order were the message to President Buchanan and his reply: - -"U.S.S.F. 'NIAGARA,' -"TRINITY BAY, NEWFOUNDLAND, _August 5, 1858_. - -"To the President of the United States, Washington, D.C.: - - "_Dear Sir_,--The Atlantic telegraph cable on board the U.S.S.F. - _Niagara_ and H.M. steamer _Agamemnon_ was joined in mid-ocean, - Thursday, July 29th, and has been successfully laid. - - "As soon as the two ends are connected with the land lines Queen - Victoria will send a message to you, and the cable will be kept - free until after your reply has been transmitted. - -"With great respect, I remain, -"Your obedient servant, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - -"BEDFORD SPRINGS, PA., _August 6, 1858_. - -"To CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq., Trinity Bay: - - "_My dear Sir_,--I congratulate you with all my heart upon the - success of the great enterprise with which your name is so - honorably connected. - - "Under the blessing of Divine Providence I trust it may prove - instrumental in promoting perpetual peace and friendship between - kings and nations. I have not yet received the Queen's despatch. - -"Yours very respectfully, -"JAMES BUCHANAN." - - - -Captain Hudson's telegram is given as it was written; it shows his -simplicity of character and warm heart: - -"U. S. STEAM FRIGATE 'NIAGARA,' -"BAY OF BULL'S ARMS, -"TRINITY BAY, NEWFOUNDLAND, _August 5, 1858_. - - "_My dear Eliza_,--God has been with us. The telegraphic cable is - laid without accident, and to Him be all the glory. - - "We are all well. - -"Your ever-affectionate husband, -"WM. L. HUDSON. - - "Mrs. Captain WM. L. HUDSON, Mansion House, Brooklyn, New York." - -Mr. Saward wrote from England immediately on the receipt of the news: - -"ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY, -"22 OLD BROAD STREET, LONDON, _August 6, 1858_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--At last the great work is done. I rejoice at it - for the sake of humanity at large. I rejoice at it for the sake of - our common nationalities, and last, but not least, for your - personal sake I most heartily and sincerely rejoice with you, and - congratulate you upon this happy termination to the fearful - anxiety, the continuous and oppressive labor, and the - never-ceasing, sleepless energy which the successful accomplishment - of this vast and noble enterprise has entailed on you. Never was - man more devoted, never did man's energies better deserve success - than yours have done. May you in the bosom of your family reap - those rewards of repose and affection which will be doubly sweet - from the reflection that you return to them after having been - (under Providence) the main and leading principle in conferring a - vast and enduring benefit on mankind. - - "If the contemplation of future fame has a charm for you, you may - well indulge in the reflection, for the name of Cyrus Field will - now go onward to immortality as long as that of the Atlantic - telegraph shall be known to mankind. - - "It has been such a shock to us here that we have hardly realized - it at present. - - "I really think some of the people who come here don't believe it - yet.... - -"In haste, yours truly, -"GEORGE SAWARD. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq., Gramercy Park, New York." - - - -Dr. Adams wrote: - -"MEDFORD, _August 7, 1858_. - - "_My dear Mrs. Field_,--What shall I say to you? Words can give no - idea of my enthusiasm. As your pastor I have known somewhat of your - own private griefs and trials, and the sacrifices which you have - made for the success of your noble husband. Now the hour of reward - and coronation has come for him and for you. I wrote to him - yesterday, directing to New York, to be ready for him when he came. - I was at Andover when the news came, in company with several - hundred clergymen. We cheered, and we sang praises to God. I was so - glad that your husband inserted in his first despatch a recognition - of Divine Providence in his success. - - "I sprang to my feet; I told the company that I was the pastor of - Mr. Field, and that the last thing which he had said to me before - starting was in request that we should _pray for him_; and then I - had an opportunity to pay a tribute to his perseverance, his - energy, and his genius, which I did, you may be sure, in no - measured terms. - - "Many doubted the truth of the news. I hastened to Boston, and saw - the superintendent of the telegraph wire, who told me the - despatches had passed from Mr. Field to you and to your father. - This satisfied me that all was right.... - - "We think of nothing else and speak of nothing else. While the - _public_ are rejoicing over the national aspects of this great - success, our joyful thoughts are most of all with those private - delights which are playing through the heart of your husband, his - wife, and her children. - - "Tell Grace that I wish I had been with the boys when they ran to - ring the bell. I would have swung it lustily, and thrown up my hat - with them, as happy a boy as the best of them. - - "Please tell your good father and mother that they are not - forgotten by me in this general rejoicing. Your husband's name will - live in universal honor and gratitude. God bless you and yours in - all times and in all ways; so prays - -"Your affectionate friend and pastor, -"W. ADAMS. - - "A letter I have just received from Professor Smith, in New York, - says: 'Genius has again triumphed over Science in the success of - the Telegraph.'" - -These extracts are made from a speech delivered at -Fishkill-on-the-Hudson, New York, on the evening of August 9th, by the -Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. This meeting was said to have been the first -public celebration of the laying of the cable across the Atlantic: - - " ...We are gathered to express our joy at the apparent - consummation of one of those enterprises which are peculiar, I had - almost said to our generation--certainly to the century in which we - live. Do you reflect that there are men among you to-night, men - here, who lived and were not very young before there was a - steamboat on our waters? Ever since I can remember steamboats have - always been at hand. There are men here who lived before they beat - the waters with their wheels. And since my day railroads have been - invented. I remember the first one on this land very distinctly. It - was after I had graduated from college, and I am not a patriarch - yet. It is within our remembrance that the telegraph itself was - invented, and by a mere citizen of ours in this vicinity. All these - pre-eminent methods of civilization and commerce and economy have - been within the remembrance of young men--all but one within the - remembrance of quite young men. Now this is not so much an - invention as an enlarged application.... - - "I thought all the way in riding down here to-night how strange it - will seem to have that silent cord lying in the sea, perfectly - noiseless, perfectly undisturbed by war or by storm, by the paddles - of steamers, by the thunders of navies above it, far down beyond - all anchors' reach, beyond all plumbing interference. There will be - earthquakes that will shake the other world, and the tidings of - them will come under the silent sea, and we shall know them upon - the hither side, but the cord will be undisturbed, though it bears - earthquakes to us. Markets will go up and fortunes will be made - down in the depths of the sea. The silent highway will carry it - without noise to us. Fortunes will go down and bankruptcies spread - dismay, and the silent road will bear this message without a jar - and without disturbance. Without voice or speech it will - communicate thunders and earthquakes and tidings of war and - revolutions, and all those things that fill the air with clamor. - They will come quick as thought from the scene of their first fever - and excitement, flash quick as thought and silent on their passage, - and then break out on this side with fresh tremor and anxiety. To - me the functions of that wire seem, in some sense, sublime. Itself - impassive, quiet, still, moving either hemisphere at its - extremities by the tidings that are to issue out from it.... - - "We are called, and shall be increasingly so, to mark the - advantages which are to be derived from the connection of these - continents by this telegraphic wire. To my mind the prominent - advantage is this: it is bringing mankind close together, it is - bringing nations nearer together. And I augur the best results to - humanity from this. The more intercourse nations have with each - other, other things being equal, the greater the tendency to - establish between them peace and good-will, and just as they are - brought together will they contribute to advance the day of - universal brotherhood. - - " ...That which is spoken at 12 o'clock in London will be known by - us at 8 o'clock in the morning here, according to our time.... It - is no longer in her own bosom that France can keep her secrets. It - is no longer in her own race that Russia can keep her thoughts and - her plans. It is no longer in the glorious old British Islands that - their commercial intelligence can be confined. It is wafted round - and round the globe. In less than an hour, whenever this system - shall be completed, the world will be enlightened quicker than by - the sun; quicker than by the meteor's flash. What is known in one - place will be known in all places; the globe will have but one ear, - and that ear will be everywhere.... - - "I scarcely dare any longer think what shall be. I remember the - derision with which Whitney's plan for a railroad to the - Mississippi was hailed. I remember there was scarce a paper in the - country that did not feel called upon to talk of the advisability - of sending him to the lunatic asylum. I remember the time when the - project of a steamer crossing the Atlantic was scientifically - declared to be impracticable.... I remember when the first steamer - crossed the Atlantic, and I have been told, though the story may be - too good to be true, that the first steamer that made the passage - to New York carried with her the newspaper containing the news of - the impossibility of making the voyage, by Dr. Lardner.... - - "While thus we are enlarging the facilities of action, let us see - to it that we maintain, at home, domestic virtue, individual - intelligence--that we spread our common schools, that we multiply - our newspapers throughout the land, that we make books more plenty - than the leaves of the forest trees. Let every man among us be a - reader and thinker and owner, and so he will be an actor. And when - all men through the globe are readers, when all men through the - globe are thinkers, when all men through the globe are actors--are - actors because they think right--when they speak nation to nation, - when from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same there - is not alone a free intercourse of thought but one current of - heart, virtue, religion, love--then the earth will have blossomed - and consummated its history." - -Archbishop Hughes sent this note: - - "LONG BRANCH, _August 26, 1858_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--Under the blessing of Almighty God you have - accomplished the work. But your merit, if not your human glory, - would have been the same in my estimation if you had returned to us - what they would call a disappointed man in whose scales of judgment - enthusiasm had preponderated over 'common-sense.' - -"Yours faithfully, -"JOHN, Archbishop of New York." - - - -The letters which follow do not require explanation; the one from George -Peabody & Co. shows that Mr. Field did not profit largely by the success -of the cable: - -"ST. JOHN'S, _August 9, 1858_. - - "_My dear Sir,_--Allow me, among many more worthy, to offer you my - very sincere congratulations on the successful completion of the - great enterprise which you have labored with so much and such - admirable perseverance to carry through, in the midst of so many - hinderances and discouragements. - - "It would give me very great pleasure if you would, during your - stay in St. John's, make my house your home or place of abode. I am - aware that you have many friends and engagements, but as I have no - family you could have two rooms entirely at your disposal, and I - would make my hours suit your convenience.... - -"I am, my dear sir, -"Very truly yours, -"EDWARD FIELD, -"Bishop of Newfoundland." - - - -"ST. JOHN'S, _August 18, 1858_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field,_--Allow me to congratulate you most sincerely - on the accomplishment of the wonderful work you so nobly carried - out in the midst of almost insurmountable difficulties. - - "God from time to time sends men like you and Columbus for the good - of humanity, men with the head to conceive and the heart to execute - the grand ideas with which He inspires them. Human energies alone - never could surmount the difficulties and disappointments you - encountered in the projection and execution of this gigantic - enterprise. God destined you for the work and made you the - instrument. You have now completed what Columbus commenced, and - posterity will link your names together. That God may grant you - many happy years to witness the benefits you have conferred on the - great human family is the sincere prayer of your humble servant and - friend, - -"+JOHN I. MULLOCK." - -"LONDON, _10th August, 1858_. - - "_My dear Sir,_--I wrote you by last mail, since when all continues - favorable, and I expect, long ere you receive this, messages will - be regularly sent through the cable. Many things remain to be done, - and there is a great want of efficient, practical workingmen, as - you know, in the board, but Lampson still keeps at it, and all - will, I hope, come right in the end. - - "I have a letter from Mr. Peabody, who says: 'I sincerely - congratulate all parties interested in the great project, and very - particularly our friends Lampson and Field. In the accomplishment - of his grand object I can only compare the feelings of the latter - to Columbus in the discovery of the new world.' - - "I hope the reaction from the desponding state in which we parted - will not be too great for your health, and now I beg of you not to - forget our conversation when last here. - - "The market for shares is weaker; several have been on the market. - I sold one for you at L900, but could not go on. To-day they have - sold at L840 to L850, and later they were firmer at L875; but - seeing how the market was I withdrew and would not offer at any - price. If I am able to go on at L900 or more I shall feel it for - your interest to do so to a moderate extent, for I feel that you - should embrace the opportunity to reduce your interest, which is - too large. I still hope to sail on the 21st, but it must depend - upon Mr. Peabody's health. - -"Most truly, -"J. S. MORGAN." - - - -_Ariel._ - -"LONDON, _10th August, 1858_. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq., New York, - - "_Dear Sir,_--We beg to advise by the present the sale of three of - your Atlantic Telegraph Company shares, _viz._, two at L350 each - prior to the successful laying of the cable, and one subsequent - thereto at L900, less brokerage. The first cash 3d August, and the - remaining two cash 13th inst., which please note. - -"Yours truly, -"GEO. PEABODY & CO." - - - -In the life of Longfellow, at page 323, is given this entry from his -diary: - - "August 6th. Go to town with the boys. Flags flying and bells - ringing to celebrate the laying of the telegraph." - -And on the 12th, in writing to Mr. Sumner, he says: - - "You have already rejoiced at the success of the Atlantic - telegraph--the great news of the hour, the year, the century. The - papers call Field 'Cyrus the Great.'" - -These words express the feeling that pervaded the whole country: and in -order to contrast it with the days and months that had just passed, this -article, published in the New York _Herald_ of August 9th, is given: - - "SUCCESS OR FAILURE--A CONTRAST - - "Many terse and witty things have been said and written in all ages - to show the difference with which the same enterprise is viewed - when it results in success and when it results in failure. We have - never had any better illustration of this than we now have in - connection with the great enterprise of the age. After the first - and second attempts to lay the Atlantic cable had failed, wiseacres - shook their heads in sympathetic disapprobation of Mr. Field, and - said, 'What a fool he was!' It was evident to them all along that - the thing could never succeed, and they could not understand why a - sensible, clear-headed man like Field would risk his whole fortune - in such a railroad-to-the-moon undertaking. If he had ventured a - third of it or a half, there might be some excuse for him, but to - have placed it all on the hazard of a die where the chances were a - hundred to one against him--worse even than the Wall Street lottery - conducted under the name of the Stock Exchange--was an evidence of - folly and absurdity which they could not overlook and for which he - deserved to suffer. - - "Now all that is changed. Midnight has given place to noon. The sun - shines brightly in the heavens and the shadows of the night have - passed away and are forgotten. Failures have been only the - stepping-stones to success the most brilliant. The cable is laid; - and now the most honored name in the world is that of Cyrus W. - Field, although but yesterday there were - - "'None so poor to do him reverence.' - - "The wiseacres who shook their heads the other day and pitied while - they condemned him are now among the foremost in his praise, and - help to make his name a household word. Bells are rung and guns are - fired and buildings are illuminated in his honor throughout the - length and breadth of his land; and prominent among all devices and - first on every tongue and uppermost in every heart is his name. Had - he not, like the great Bruce, persevered in the face of repeated - failures until his efforts were at length crowned with success, he - would have been held up to the growing generation as an - illustration of the danger of allowing our minds to be absorbed by - an impracticable idea, and his history would have been served up in - play and romance, and used - - "'To point a moral or adorn a tale.' - - "As it is, the nation is proud of him, the world knows him, and all - mankind is his debtor." - -The ship _Niagara_ left Trinity Bay for St. John's, where she was -obliged to stop for coal, on August 8th. Immediately upon her arrival -the Executive Council of Newfoundland and the Chamber of Commerce of St. -John's presented congratulatory addresses to Mr. Field, and the governor -entertained him, together with his friends, at dinner, and a ball was -given at the Colonial Building. On the 11th of August the _Niagara_ -sailed for New York. - -The country was impatient; twelve days had passed and not a message had -been received. No one seemed to understand that a wilderness had to be -opened and instruments adjusted before it was possible to use the cable -as a means of communication between the two continents. - -It had been decided to have a great celebration on the receipt of the -Queen's message; on the 16th that was reported as coming over the -submarine wire, and early on the 17th the firing commenced and the -excitement continued until the 18th, when the City Hall caught fire. - -Churches rang their bells, factories blew their whistles, and in the -evening the river front blazed with bonfires and fireworks flashed -across the sky; the buildings were illuminated; one thousand lights were -said to have shone from the windows of the Everett House, and the -transparencies were striking. That on the front of the International -Hotel, on the corner of Broadway and Franklin Street, was eighteen feet -by thirty-one; the centre was white, with fancy letters, and the border -blue, with white letters, and the words were: - - +-----------------------------------------------------+ - | | - | VICTORIA. | - | | - | All Hail to the Inventive Genius and Indefatigable | - | Enterprise of | - |A JOHN AND JONATHAN, | - |G That has succeeded in consummating the Mightiest N| - |A Work of the Age; I| - |M May the Cord that binds them in the Bonds of A| - |E INTERNATIONAL G| - |M Friendship never be severed, A| - |N And the FIELD of its R| - |O Usefulness extend to every part of the Earth. A| - |N .| - |. Let nations' shouts, 'midst cannons' roar, | - | Proclaim the event from shore to shore. | - | | - | BUCHANAN. | - +-----------------------------------------------------+ - -These placards were in the windows of Bowen & McNamee's, corner of -Broadway and Pearl Street: - - +-----------------------------+ - |QUEEN VICTORIA: | - | | - |"Your despatch received; | - |Let us hear from you again." | - +-----------------------------+ - - +----------------------------------------------------+ - | Lightning | - | caught and tamed by | - | FRANKLIN, | - | taught to read and write and go on errands by | - | MORSE, | - | started in foreign trade by | - | FIELD, COOPER & CO., | - | with | - | JOHNNY BULL | - | and | - | BROTHER JONATHAN | - | as | - | special partners. | - +----------------------------------------------------+ - - -In the window of Anson Randolph, corner of Amity Street, was displayed -the following: - - +-------------------------------------+ - | | - | The Old CYRUS and the New. | - | One | - | Conquered the World for Himself, | - | The Other | - | The Ocean for the World. | - +-------------------------------------+ - - +---------------------+ - | Our Field is | - | THE FIELD | - | of the world. | - +---------------------+ - - +----------------------------+ - | July 4, 1776, | - | August 16, 1858, | - | Are the days we celebrate. | - +----------------------------+ - -The Manhattan Hotel was splendidly decorated with colored lights and -flags of all nations. On a transparency was the following inscription: - - +--------------------------------------+ - | Married, August, 1858, | - | by | - | CYRUS W. FIELD, | - | OLD IRELAND AND MISS YOUNG AMERICA. | - | "May their honeymoon last forever." | - +--------------------------------------+ - - -The _Tribune_ describes this procession: - - "The workmen upon the Central Park and the workmen on the new - Croton reservoir made a novel parade, and after marching through - the principal streets were reviewed by Mayor Tiemann in front of - the City Hall. - - "The procession was headed by a squad of the Central Park police in - full uniform; then came a full brass band and a standard-bearer - with a white muslin banner on which was inscribed: - - +--------------------------+ - | | - | The Central Park People. | - | | - +--------------------------+ - - "The workmen, attired in their every-day clothes, with evergreens - in their hats, next marched in squads of four, each gang carrying a - banner with the name of their boss-workmen inscribed thereon. In - the line of the procession were several four-horse teams drawing - wagons in which were the workmen in the engineer's department. On - the sides of the vehicles were muslin banners with the words: - - +-------------------+ - | | - | Engineer Corps. | - | | - +-------------------+ - - "The reservoir workmen were a hardy-looking set of men, and were - fair specimens of the laborers of New York. - - "The procession filled Broadway from Union Square to the Park, and, - as it was altogether unexpected, it created no little excitement - and inquiry. If all the men and teams in this turnout are kept at - the city's work we shall soon see great improvement in the new - park.... - - "The procession was composed of eleven hundred laborers and eight - hundred carts from the Central Park, under the marshalship of - Messrs. Olmsted, Miller, Waring, and Grant, and seven hundred - laborers and carts from the new reservoir under the marshalship of - Mr. Walker, forming a procession over three miles in length." - -These same workmen presented to Mr. Field, the December following, a -pitcher made from wood of the Charter Oak. - -Before the _Niagara_ arrived at New York on the morning of August 18th -Mr. Field prepared his report for the Atlantic Telegraph Company, and he -had it at once posted, and with it his resignation as general manager of -the company. - -"How Cyrus Laid the Cable" was written by John G. Saxe for _Harper's -Weekly_, and was published on September 11th: - - "Come listen all unto my song, - It is no silly fable; - 'Tis all about the mighty cord - They call the Atlantic cable. - - "Bold Cyrus Field he said, says he, - 'I have a pretty notion - That I can run a telegraph - Across the Atlantic Ocean.' - - "Then all the people laughed, and said - They'd like to see him do it; - He might get half-seas-over, but - He never could go through it; - - "To carry out his foolish plan - He never would be able; - He might as well go hang himself - With his Atlantic cable. - - "But Cyrus was a valiant man, - A fellow of decision; - And heeded not their mocking words, - Their laughter and derision. - - "Twice did his bravest efforts fail, - And yet his mind was stable; - He wa'n't the man to break his heart - Because he broke his cable. - - "'Once more, my gallant boys!' he cried; - 'Three times!--you know the fable--' - ('I'll make it thirty,' muttered he, - 'But I will lay the cable!') - - "Once more they tried--hurrah! hurrah! - What means this great commotion? - The Lord be praised! the cable's laid - Across the Atlantic Ocean! - - "Loud ring the bells--for, flashing through - Six hundred leagues of water, - Old Mother England's benison - Salutes her eldest daughter. - - "O'er all the land the tidings speed, - And soon in every nation - They'll hear about the cable with - Profoundest admiration! - - "Now long live James, and long live Vic, - And long live gallant Cyrus; - And may his courage, faith, and zeal - With emulation fire us; - - "And may we honor evermore - The manly, bold, and stable, - And tell our sons, to make them brave, - How Cyrus laid the cable." - -On the 20th of August Captain Hudson, Mr. Everett, and the officers of -the _Niagara_, were entertained by Mr. Field, and from the balcony of -his house he read this message to the crowd assembled in the street: - -"VALENTIA BAY, _August 19, 1858_. - -"To CYRUS W. FIELD, N. Y.: - - "The directors have just met. They heartily congratulate you on - your success. - - "The _Agamemnon_ arrived at Valentia Bay on Thursday, August 5, at - 6 A.M. - - "We are just on the point of chartering a ship to lay the shore - end. No time will be lost in sending them out. Please write me more - fully about tariff and other working arrangements. - -SAWARD." - - - -He did not forget the sailors, as the following invitation shows: - - +--------------------------------------------------------------+ - | | - | COMPLIMENTARY RECEPTION | - | | - | OF THE | - | | - | CREW OF THE U.S. SHIP "NIAGARA." | - | | - |_Mr. Cyrus W. Field requests the pleasure of your Company | - | at his Entertainment of the Crew of the_ Niagara, _to | - |be given at the Palace Gardens, at 10 o'clock, this Evening._ | - | | - | W. A. BARTLETT, _for C. W. F._ | - | | - | NEW YORK, August 25, 1858. | - | | - +--------------------------------------------------------------+ - -From one of the newspapers this account is taken of the meeting held -before the reception: - - "Upwards of two hundred of the sailors and marines of the frigate - _Niagara_ assembled last evening in Franklin Square, formed in - procession, and, preceded by the band of the _North Carolina_, - marched to Cooper Institute. They carried with them an accurate - model of the _Niagara_, made by one of her crew, which was gayly - decked with flags, exactly as was the noble ship it represents when - she last entered our harbor. On arriving at the Cooper Institute - the tars were saluted with a discharge of fireworks and the hearty - cheers of the multitude.... - - "Cyrus W. Field was the next speaker. He was evidently a great - favorite of the sailors, who, it is said, used to call him on board - ship 'the Sister of Charity.' They cheered him extravagantly when - he rose. He made only a short speech, consisting of reminiscences - of the laying and landing of the cable, and the gallantry and - faithfulness of the crew on these occasions. More singing and more - cheers were followed by the entrance of Captain Hudson, who was - greeted with the warmest enthusiasm, and made some appropriate - remarks." - -On the 26th Mr. Field, with a party, left for Great Barrington, and the -next day they were welcomed at Stockbridge by Mr. Field's old friends. - -Between the 10th of August and the 1st of September ninety-seven -messages were sent from Valentia to Newfoundland, and two hundred and -sixty-nine messages from Newfoundland to Valentia. - -The English government had, by cable, countermanded the return to -England of the Sixty-second and the Thirty-ninth regiments. The news of -the peace with China had also been sent to this country, and the English -papers of August 18th reported the collision between the Cunard steamers -_Arabia_ and _Europa_. This statement is taken from a letter written in -July, 1862, by order of the Atlantic Telegraph Company and signed by the -secretary of the company, Mr. George Saward. - -The 1st and 2d of September were chosen as the days for a "General -Celebration of the Laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable." - -In deference to the wish expressed by the rector and vestry of Trinity -Church, it was arranged that the first day should begin with a service -and Te Deum at ten o'clock. In the absence of Bishop Horatio Potter, -Bishop George Washington Doane, of New Jersey, took charge of this -service. - -Trinity Church had never been so gayly dressed. "The edifice was -decorated from the steeple to the top of the spire with the flags of all -nations. Around the steeple were hung the flags of France, Spain, -Prussia, Austria, Russia, Portugal, and other nations, while the spire -about three-quarters of the way to the cross was decorated with the -Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack." It was this incident that called -forth these verses, written by Bishop Doane: - - "Hang out that glorious old Red Cross; - Hang out the Stripes and Stars; - They faced each other fearlessly - In two historic wars: - But now the ocean-circlet binds - The Bridegroom and the Bride; - Old England, young America, - Display them side by side. - - "High up, from Trinity's tall spire, - We'll fling the banners out; - Hear how the world-wide welkin rings, - With that exulting shout! - Forever wave those wedded flags, - As proudly now they wave, - God for the lands His love has blessed; - The beauteous and the brave. - - "But see, the dallying wind the Stars - About the Cross has blown; - And see, again, the Cross around - The Stars its folds has thrown: - Was ever sign so beautiful - Flung from the heavens abroad? - Old England, young America, - For Freedom and for God." - -At one o'clock the procession formed at the Battery and marched from -there to the Crystal Palace, then standing at Forty-second Street -between Fifth and Sixth avenues. - -The account which follows is from the New York _Herald_ of September 2d: - - - THE CABLE CARNIVAL. - - "Achieved is the Glorious Work." - - THE METROPOLIS OVERWHELMED WITH - VISITORS. - - Over Half a Million of Jubilant People. - - Broadway a Garden of Female Beauty. - - A BOUQUET IN EVERY WINDOW. - - Glorious Recognition of the Most Glorious - Work of the Age. - - REUNION OF ALL THE NATIONALITIES. - - * * * * * - - THE CABLE LAYERS. - - THE BRITISH NAVAL OFFICERS IN TOWN. - - The Jack Tars of the _Niagara_ on Hand. - - THE BIG COIL OF CABLE. - - * * * * * - - SCENES AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE. - - THE CITY AT NIGHT. - - THE FIREWORKS IN THE PARK. - - THE CITY HALL SAFE. - - Torch-light Procession of the Firemen. - - ILLUMINATIONS. - - The Colored Lanterns _a la Chinois_, - etc., etc., etc. - - "The scene presented along Broadway altogether transcends - description. Every available and even unavailable place was secured - long beforehand, and from the Battery to Union Place one was - obliged to run a gantlet of eyes more effective and more dangerous - than any artillery battery. This display of female beauty, - conjoined to the great array of flags, banners, and mottoes, made - us think of a Roman carnival. To the pet military regiments, the - Montreal artillery, and the officers and crews of the _Niagara_ and - _Gorgon_ there was given a most splendid greeting all along the - line. Everywhere we heard cheers for Field, Hudson, Everett, and - their British coadjutors. We have never heard a more cheerful, - hearty, and cordial shout than that which welcomed the gallant tars - of the _Niagara_ as they moved up Broadway.... - - "The crowd upon Broadway was so great that the military had much - difficulty in getting through it, and so the procession was - somewhat retarded.... - - "The hour appointed for the interesting ceremonies inside the - Palace to commence was half-past four o'clock, but the procession - did not arrive there till within a few minutes of six. By that time - there were about ten thousand persons in the building anxiously - awaiting the arrival of the celebrities, whom all were desirous to - see and hear.... - - "The crew of the _Niagara_, with a model of that ship, entered by - the front door, and, marching up the centre aisle, took their place - in front of the platform. They were loudly cheered, and they - responded in true sailor fashion by cheering lustily for Captain - Hudson, Mr. Field, the mayor, and almost every one they recognized - on the platform.... - - "At night one would suppose the crowd would lessen. Not so. The - illuminations, the fireworks, the many-colored lanterns, and the - general gas and spermaceti demonstrations gave to Broadway a - carnavalesque appearance which it is almost impossible to - describe. Beginning with the clever design of the New York Club - down to the Park there was a succession of illuminations and - transparencies of every possible sort. The great bazaars vied with - each other in the number and variety of their mottoes and designs, - both for day and night; but, passing by all of them, we were - especially struck with the following distich on the side of a car: - - "'With wild huzzas now let the welkin ring, - Columbia's got Britannia on a string.' - - " ...The firemen's torch-light parade concluded the day's - festivities. It was exceedingly beautiful, and as the long line - moved through Broadway surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd on every - side, and lighted by thousands of torches, candles, and colored - lanterns, one might easily have imagined himself in a fairy-land. - It was long after midnight before the great assemblage dispersed, - and even then the streets did not resume their wonted aspect.... - The fact is, that an avalanche of people descended upon us, and New - York was crushed for once; but we do not lay Atlantic cables every - day." - -On the 2d of September, at seven o'clock, a dinner ended the -celebration. - - "There were six hundred guests who sat down to as sumptuous a - dinner as ever was laid on any great occasion in this city. The - bill of fare was laid beside each plate: - - =MUNICIPAL DINNER= - - BY THE - - COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK - - TO - - CYRUS W. FIELD, - - AND OFFICERS OF - - H. B. M. Steamship _Gorgon_ and U. S. Steam Frigate _Niagara_, - - IN COMMEMORATION OF THE - - =LAYING OF THE ATLANTIC CABLE.= - - METROPOLITAN HOTEL, SEPTEMBER 2D, 1858. - - OYSTERS ON THE HALF-SHELL. - - SOUPS. - - Green Turtle. - Gumbo, with rice. - - FISH. - - Boiled Fresh Salmon, lobster sauce. - Broiled Spanish Mackerel, steward's sauce. - - BOILED. - - Turkey, oyster sauce. - Leg of Mutton, caper sauce. - - ROAST. - - Young Turkey. - Ribs of Beef. - Ham, champagne sauce. - Lamb, mint sauce. - Chickens, English sauce. - - COLD DISHES. - - Boned Turkey, with jelly. - Chicken Salad, lobster sauce. - Patties of Game, with truffles. - Ham, sur socle, with jelly. - - ENTREES. - - Tenderloin of Beef, larded, with mushroom sauce. - Lamb Chops, with green peas. - Chartreuse of Partridges, Madeira sauce. - Forms of Rice, with small vegetables. - Timbale of Macaroni, Milanaise style. - Wild Ducks, with olives. - Breast of Chickens, truffle sauce. - Soft-shell Crabs, fried plain. - Stewed Terrapin, American style. - Squabs, braisees, gardener's sauce. - Sweetbreads, larded, with string-beans. - Fricandeau of Veal, larded, with small carrots. - Flounders, stuffed, with fine herbs. - Reed Birds, steward's sauce. - Broiled Turtle Steaks, tomato sauce. - Croquettes of Chickens, with fried parsley. - Tenderloin of Lamb, larded, poivrade sauce. - Pluvier, on toast, Italian sauce. - - RELISHES. - - Raw Tomatoes. - Spanish Olives. - Pickled Oysters. - Currant Jelly. - Celery. - - GAME. - - Partridges, bread sauce. - Broiled English Snipe. - - VEGETABLES. - - Boiled and Mashed Potatoes. - Stewed Tomatoes. - Sweet Potatoes. - Lima Beans. - - PASTRY. - - Apple Pies. - Plum Pies. - Peach Pies. - Plum Pudding. - Fancy Ornamented Charlotte Russe. - Maraschino Jelly. - Fancy Fruit Jelly. - Pineapple Salad. - Gateaux, Neapolitan style. - Champagne Jelly. - Pineapple Pies. - Custard Pies. - Pumpkin Pies. - Cabinet Pudding. - Peach Meringues. - Madeira Jelly. - Punch Jelly. - Fancy Blanc Mange. - Spanish Cream. - Swiss Meringues. - - CONFECTIONERY. - - Meringues, a la creme, vanilla flavor - Rose Almonds. - Fancy Lady's Cake. - Quince Soufflee. - Vanilla Sugar Almonds. - Ornamented Macaroons. - Mint Cream Candy. - Butterflies of Vienna Cake. - Vanilla Ice Cream. - Savoy Biscuit. - Variety Glace Fruit. - Dominos of Biscuit. - Fancy Variety Candy. - Roast Almonds. - Conserve Kisses. - Chocolate Biscuit. - Fancy Diamond Kisses. - Preserved Almond Kisses. - - ORNAMENTS. - - QUEEN VICTORIA, of Great Britain. - JAMES BUCHANAN, President of the United States. - CYRUS W. FIELD, with his Cable. - Professor MORSE, as Inventor of the Telegraph. - Dr. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. - The operative Telegraph of the METROPOLITAN HOTEL. - The NIAGARA, Man-of-War of the United States. - The AGAMEMNON and NIAGARA paying out the Cable. - CYRUS W. FIELD, surrounded by the flags of all nations. - The Coats of Arms of all nations, on a pyramid. - POCAHONTAS, with real American design. - - Temple of Liberty. - Grand Ornamented Fruit Vase. - Temple of Music. - Frosting Tower. - Sugar Tower, with variety decorations. - Flower Pyramid. - White Sugar Ornament. - Fruit Basket, supported by Dolphins. - Fancy Decorated Flower Vase. - Tribute Temple. - Pagodi Pyramid. - Scotch Warrior, mounted. - Ethiopian Tower. - Floral Vase, decorated. - Frosting Pyramid. - Mounted Church. - Pyramid of Cracking Bonbons. - Chinese Pavilion. - Triumphant Temple. - Sugar Harp, with floral decorations. - Variety Pyramid. - Fancy Sugar Temple. - Ornamented Sugar Tower. - Temple of Art. - Lyre, surmounted with Cornucopia of Flowers. - - DESSERT. - - Almonds. - Peaches. - Pecan Nuts. - Grenoble Nuts. - Hot-house Grapes. - Coffee. - Citron Melons. - Bartlett Pears. - Raisins. - Filberts. - Coffee. - - This was one of the toasts: - - "Cyrus W. Field: To his exertions, energy, courage, and - perseverance are we indebted for the Ocean Telegraph; we claim, but - Immortality owns him." - -In his reply he said: - - "To no one man is the world indebted for this achievement; one may - have done more than another, this person may have had a prominent - and that a secondary part, but there is a host of us who have been - engaged in the work the completion of which you celebrate to-day." - -Mr. George Peabody wrote to him: - - "I read the accounts in the New York papers in celebration of the - great event of the year and age with great interest, and although I - think in some respects that they are a little too enthusiastic, yet - so far as it regards yourself they cannot be so, for if the cable - should be lost to-morrow you would be fully entitled to the high - honor you are daily receiving." - -As he left the Battery on September 1st a cable message was handed to -him dated that morning: - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, New York: - - "The directors are on their way to Valentia to make arrangements - for opening the wire to the public. They convey through the cable - to you and your fellow-citizens their hearty congratulations in - your joyous celebration of the great international work." - -It was the last message that passed over the cable of 1858. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -FAILURE ON ALL SIDES - -(1858-1861) - - -From the daily press and from Mr. Field's papers the story of these -years has been drawn. - - "In the midst of all this rejoicing, intelligence came from - Newfoundland that the cable, which it was fully anticipated would - be open for public messages in a few days, had ceased working. The - reaction was painful to witness, after the intense excitement of - the past three weeks." - -That it had become impossible to send a message through the cable was -definitely known in London through the letter given to the _Times_: - -"_September 6, 1858._ - - "_Sir_,--I am instructed by the directors to inform you that owing - to some cause not at present ascertained, but believed to arise - from a fault existing in the cable at a point hitherto - undiscovered, there have been no intelligible signals from - Newfoundland since one o'clock on Friday, the 3d inst. The - directors are now at Valentia, and, aided by various scientific and - practical electricians, are investigating the cause of the - stoppage, with a view to remedying the existing difficulty. Under - these circumstances no time can be named at present for opening the - wire to the public. - - "GEORGE SAWARD." - -Before the end of the month these telegrams were published in the New -York papers: - -"NEW YORK, _September 24, 1858_, 12 M. - -"To DE SAUTY, Trinity Bay, N. F.: - - "Despatches from you and Mackay are contradictory. Now please give - me explicit answers to the following inquiries: - - "First: Are you now, or have you been within three days, receiving - distinct signals from Valentia? - - "Second: Can you send a message, long or short, to the directors at - London? - - "Third: If you answer 'no' to the above, please tell me if the - electrical manifestations have varied essentially since the 1st of - September. - -CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -"TRINITY BAY, N. F., _September 24, 1858_. - -"C. W. FIELD, New York: - - "We have received nothing intelligible from Valentia since the 1st - of September, excepting feeling a few signals yesterday. I cannot - send anything to Valentia. There has been very little variation in - the electrical manifestations. - -"DE SAUTY." - - - -"TRINITY BAY, N. F., Saturday, _September 25th_. - -"PETER COOPER, C. W. FIELD, W. G. HUNT, and E. M. -ARCHIBALD, New York: - - "I have not the least wish to withhold particulars as to the - working of the cable, and until I have communicated with - headquarters and ascertained the directions of the manager of the - company, I will send a daily report of proceedings. We were not - working to-day, but receiving occasionally from Valentia some weak - reversals of the current, which, when received, are unintelligible. - -"C. V. DE SAUTY." - - - -"TRINITY BAY, N. F., Saturday, _September 25th_. - -"C. W. FIELD, New York: - - "Your message received. The day before yesterday commenced - receiving current from Valentia and was in hopes that I should be - at work again soon after. So I informed Mr. Mackay. Then the - current failed. This will explain the discrepancy between his and - my message. - -"C. V. DE SAUTY." - - - -On the last page of the "Service Message-book" kept at the company's -station, Trinity Bay, this entry was made on the 30th of September: - - "Receiving good currents, but no intelligible signals." - -For a short period there was again a feeling of encouragement, and there -seemed to be a possibility that the electrical current was not lost, and -a full month later the following letter was written: - -"TO THE EDITOR OF THE _Times:_ - - "_Sir_,--Eleven P. M. I beg to inform you that I have just received - the annexed message from Valentia, which has been transmitted by - Mr. Bartholomew, the superintendent of the company at that place. - It would appear that by the application of extraordinary and - peculiar battery-power at Newfoundland, in accordance with the - instructions of Professor Thomson, of Glasgow (one of the directors - of the company), it has been possible to convey, even through the - defective cable, the few words recorded by Mr. Bartholomew in his - message to me this evening. - - "This, however, though encouraging, must not be regarded as a - permanent state of things, as it is still clear there is a serious - fault in the cable, while, at the same time, it is not at present - absolutely clear that any, except the most extraordinary and (to - the cable) dangerous efforts can be made, more especially on this - side, to overcome the existing obstacles in the way of perfect - working. - - "The following is Mr. Bartholomew's message: - - "'Bartholomew, Valentia, to Saward, London.--I have just received - the following words from Newfoundland: "Daniel's now in circuit." - The signals are very distinct. Give me discretion to use our - Daniel's battery reply.'" - - "Immediately on receipt of the foregoing I sent the necessary - authority to use the Daniel's battery at Valencia. - -"Yours truly, -"GEORGE SAWARD, Secretary. - -"22 Old Broad Street, _October_ 20th." - - - -And so the days passed, hope alternating with despair. - -[Illustration: CYRUS W. FIELD - -(From a Photograph by Brady, taken in 1860)] - -It was in writing of this time that a friend said: - - "To Mr. Field and those who had labored with him for so long a - period the blow came with redoubled force. The work had to be - commenced afresh; and Mr. Field felt that an arduous duty devolved - upon him, that of trying to infuse fresh courage into some of his - friends, to overcome the doubts of others, and to fight against the - persistent efforts of the enemies of the enterprise to injure it in - every possible way. His faith in its ultimate success was still - unshaken, his confidence unbounded, and his determination to carry - it to completion as firm as ever." - -On December 15, 1858, Archbishop Hughes wrote: - - "Our cable is dumb for the present; but no matter, the glory of - having laid it in the depths of the ocean is yours, and it is not - the less whether the stockholders receive interest or not. At - present you have no rival claimant for the glory of the project." - -It was in strange contrast with the rejoicing so soon over that the gold -snuff-box and the freedom of the city were received with this note: - -"MAYOR'S OFFICE, -"NEW YORK, _2d August, 1859_. - - "The Mayor of New York has the pleasure to transmit to Cyrus W. - Field, Esq., of New York, the address and testimonials voted him by - the City of New York on the 1st day of September last, in - commemoration of the esteem in which his services were held on the - occasion of laying the Atlantic telegraph cable connecting Europe - with America." - -"DANIEL F. TIEMANN." - - - -In May, 1859, we find him in London, and on June 8th at the meeting of -the Atlantic Telegraph Company, when it was decided to raise L600,000 -with which to lay another cable, and, if possible, repair the old one. -He was in New York on the 29th of December, 1859, and it was then that -his office, 57 Beekman Street, was burned. Among his papers this -mention is made: "The fire which made the closing days of 1859 so black -with disaster broke out in a building adjoining Mr. Field's warehouse, -which destroyed that and several others. Mr. Field's store was full of -goods and was entirely consumed, and the loss beyond that covered by -insurance was $40,000." The evening papers of that day gave an account -of the fire, and at the same time published a card from Mr. Field -stating that he had rented another office, and that his business would -go on without interruption. - -Up to January, 1860, only L72,000 had been subscribed towards the new -stock of the company, and the directors were discouraged at the lack of -interest shown in the effort they were making to secure funds with which -to lay another cable across the Atlantic. The government had guaranteed -the Red Sea cable and it had failed, and for that reason it refused the -same aid to the Atlantic Telegraph Company, although the two messages -sent on August 31, 1858, had prevented the expenditure of from L40,000 -to L50,000, as that was the amount that would have been required to move -the two regiments that had been ordered from Canada to India. The report -to the stockholders on the 29th of February told of the attempt made to -raise the shore end of the cable in Trinity Bay, and added: - - "But then a circumstance occurred which is extremely encouraging. - Notwithstanding that he (Captain Bell) was in one hundred and - seventy-five fathoms, he found no difficulty in grappling the cable - again, and he raised it once more in the course of half an hour." - -This is the first time that it has been suggested that a cable might be -grappled for. - -A bit of home life is recalled by this letter: - -"STOCKBRIDGE, _March 3, 1859_. - - "_Dear Son Cyrus_,--If the weather be fair next Monday morning your - parents design to start for New York on a visit to all our - relations, and to as many of our other numerous friends there as we - can well see. - - "I believe Mrs. Brewer and Master Freddy are expected to be with - us. - - "Love to all inquiring friends. Cold weather is here, but general - health and prosperity prevails. - - "Love to all inquirers. - -"DAVID D. FIELD." - - - -Mr. Seward's letter, which follows, is evidently in answer to one -written by Mr. Field in which he had expressed regret that the -nomination at Chicago had not been given to the candidate of the New -York delegation: - -"AUBURN, _July 13, 1860_. - - "_My dear Friend_,--Your considerate letter was not necessary, and - yet was very welcome. A thousand thanks for it. I do not care to - dwell on personal interests. They are, I think, not paramount with - me. But if I even were so ambitious, I am not like to be altogether - successful. If the alternative were presented to a wise man, he - might well seek rather to have his countrymen regret that he had - not been, president than to be president. - -"Faithfully yours, -"WILLIAM H. SEWARD. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq." - - - -Mr. Field's recovery after the suspension of his firm in 1857 was much -more rapid than from his previous failure in business. In 1859 this was -published in one of the New York papers: - - "We are pleased to learn that the house of Cyrus W. Field & Co., - which suspended payment in the fall of 1857, during the absence of - Mr. Field in England (on business connected with the Atlantic - Telegraph Company) have recently taken up nearly all their extended - paper, the payment of which is not due until October next, and have - now notified the holders of the balance that they are prepared to - cash the whole amount, less the legal interest, on presentation. - This evidence of prosperity must be gratifying to their numerous - friends." - -The city of New York during October, 1860, was entirely given up to the -thought of entertaining the Prince of Wales, and it was of his visit -that Mr. Archibald wrote: - -"BRITISH CONSULATE, -"NEW YORK, _October 20, 1860_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field,_--I have really been so pressed with arrears - of business since my return on Wednesday evening, and still am, - that I am obliged to say in writing briefly that which I should - prefer to do personally, how much indebted I feel to you for your - valuable and kind assistance to me during the prince's visit; and - especially on Sunday last in reference to the matter of the _Daniel - Drew_.... - - "The reception which the prince has received in this country has - not only immensely gratified himself and all his suite, as it was - well calculated to do; but it will, I am sure, create in England a - profound feeling of admiration for and of gratitude towards this - country, the effect of which I cannot but think will be very - beneficial to the future of both countries. - - "Although I was sorry to part from the prince on Wednesday, I - cannot tell you with what a feeling of relief it was from the deep - anxiety of which I could not divest myself during his stay here, - lest any untoward event should mar the happiness or interfere with - the safety of himself in a community composed of such heterogeneous - elements. The responsibility in such an event would have centred on - myself, as Lord Lyons never having been in New York, the visit to - this city was determined on in pursuance of my representations. I - thank God it is all so well and so happily over, and so vastly more - successful than I had anticipated, or than any of us indeed had - expected. - - "Again thanking you for your many kindnesses, I am, - -"My dear sir, yours faithfully, -"E. M. ARCHIBALD." - - - -The rejoicing was followed by days of depression and darkness. A -financial panic again swept over the country, and on December 7th Mr. -Field writes: "Made a hard fight, but was obliged to suspend payment." -On the 27th he addressed a letter to his creditors. After giving a brief -summary of his business experience, he said: - - "Such a series of misfortunes is not often experienced by a single - firm, at least in such rapid succession, and is quite sufficient to - explain the present position of my affairs. Against all these - losses I have struggled, and until within a few weeks hoped - confidently to be able to weather all difficulties. But you know - how suddenly the late panic has come upon us. We found it - impossible to make collections. The suspension of several houses, - whose paper we held to a large amount, added to our embarrassment. - - "Thus, receiving almost nothing and obliged to pay our own notes - and those of others, we found it impossible to go on without - calling in the aid of private friends, and running the risk of - involving them, a risk which I believe it morally wrong to take. - - "I thought it more manly and more honorable to call this meeting of - my creditors to lay before them a full statement of my affairs, and - to ask their advice as to the course which I ought to take. - - "Thus, gentlemen, you have the whole case before you, and I leave - it to you to decide what I ought to do. - - "My only wish is, so far as I am able, to pay you to the uttermost - farthing. I shall most cheerfully give up to you every dollar of - property I have in the world; and I ask only to be released that I - may feel free from a load of debt, and can go to work again to - regain what I have lost. - - "It is for you now to decide what course justice and right require - me to pursue." - -His creditors accepted twenty-five cents on the dollar, and preferred to -have him manage his affairs rather than "place all in the hands of a -trustee or trustees;" but in order to make this payment and also the -amount then due upon the stock he had subscribed to in the New York, -Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company and in the Atlantic Telegraph -Company, he placed a mortgage upon everything he owned, including the -portraits of his father and mother. - -His assets then were: - - House and furniture, 123 East Twenty-first Street (heavily - mortgaged). - - Pew in the Madison Square Presbyterian Church. - - Stock in the New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company. - - Stock in the Atlantic Telegraph Company. - -And against these a large amount of indebtedness. - -On the 20th of December South Carolina seceded, and on the 26th of the -same month Major Anderson abandoned Fort Moultrie, and moved his small -garrison into Fort Sumter, and the first notes of the coming war were -sounded; to quote from Dr. William H. Russell's book on _The Atlantic -Telegraph_: - - "The great civil war in America stimulated capitalists to renew the - attempt; the public mind became alive to the importance of the - project, and to the increased facilities which promised a - successful issue. Mr. Field, who compassed land and sea - incessantly, pressed his friends on both sides of the Atlantic for - aid, and agitated the question in London and New York." - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -THE CIVIL WAR - -(1861-1862) - - -December, 1860, had ended in financial disaster: it was the third time -in less than twenty years that Mr. Field had seen his business swept -from him, and yet he was of so buoyant a disposition that immediately we -find him back at his office and very soon at work for the advancement of -his great enterprise. On June 10th he wrote to Mr. Saward: - - "I never had more confidence in the ultimate success of the - Atlantic Telegraph Company than I have to-day." - -And Mr. Saward wrote to him on July 5th: - - "Vast improvements in everything relating to the structure of - telegraph cables are constantly being made, and inquiry upon the - subject is very active. We are becoming much more hopeful of a good - time for the Atlantic company. - - "Two very favorable events for telegraphy have taken place this - week. First, Glass, Elliott & Co. have laid without any check or - hitch, in a very perfect condition, a cable for the French - government between Toulon and the island of Corsica; and, second, - the same firm have completed in precisely the same state of - efficiency two-thirds of a line between Malta and Alexandria for - the use of the English government; as the remainder is all shallow - water, the event is certain." - -After the civil war began he was often in Washington, and he was -untiring in his devotion to his country, and we find him in -correspondence with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the -Treasury, and with others in official positions. - -June 11, 1861, he wrote to Colonel Thomas A. Scott, then Assistant -Secretary of War, at Willard's Hotel, Washington, D. C.: - - "Pardon me for repeating in this letter some of the suggestions - which I made to the President, yourself, and other members of the - Cabinet during my late visit to Washington; - - "1. The government to immediately seize all the despatches on file - in the telegraph offices which have been sent from Washington, - Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, New York, Hartford, Boston, - and other cities within the last six months, as I feel confident - they will on examination prove many persons not now suspected to - have been acting as spies and traitors. - - "2. The government to establish as soon as possible telegraphic - communication, by means of submarine cables, between some of our - principal ports on the sea-board and the nearest telegraph line - communicating with Washington, so that the department can almost - instantly communicate with the commanding officer at any particular - point desired. - - "3. In each department of the government to adopt a cipher with its - confidential agent at important points of the country, so that they - can communicate confidentially by telegraph. - - "I consider it very important that the government should have the - most reliable telegraph communication with its principal forts on - the Atlantic coast. - - "If there is any information that I possess that would be of - service to you in carrying out the wishes of the government in - regard to telegraph matters it will afford me pleasure to give it. - - "I presume you are aware that there are very few persons in this - country who have had any experience in the manufacture, working, or - laying of submarine cables of any great importance. - -"Very respectfully -"Your obedient servant, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -June 16th, while in Washington, he received a pass "beyond the pickets -and to return, good for five days." On July 30th he wrote to Captain G. -V. Fox, of the Navy Department: - - "In a letter I wrote the Secretary of the Treasury on the 11th of - May last I used these words, viz.: 'For the government to send at - once a confidential agent to England, with a competent naval - officer, to obtain from the British government by purchase, or - otherwise, some of the improved steam gun-boats and other vessels - to protect our commerce and to assist in blockading Southern - ports.'" - -It was at this time that his firm in New York wrote to him that a debt -of $1800 had been paid and that $1000 was in silver. Such a payment -would hardly be appreciated now. - -His mother's death, on the evening of Friday, August the 16th, was made -known to those living in the village of Stockbridge, according to the -custom of that time, by the tolling of the church-bell. After that six -strokes were given to show that a woman had died, nine would have been -struck for a man, or three for a child. Her age was then slowly rung, -and as one year after another was recorded, each brought back to her -family the joy or sorrow with which that year had been filled. - -Her funeral was on Sunday, the 18th. A number of her friends among the -elderly ladies of the town acted as pall-bearers, and another custom -then observed was for the officiating clergyman, after the grave had -been filled--and every one waited until that was done--to return thanks -in the name of the family to all who had shown them kindness and -sympathy in their bereavement. Of her funeral the Rev. John Todd, of -Pittsfield, Mass., wrote: - - "At the gateway of one of our beautiful rural cemeteries a large - funeral was just entering.... The bier was resting on the shoulders - of four tall, noble-looking men in the prime of life.... Very - slowly and carefully they trod, as if the sleeper should not feel - the motion. And who was on the bier, so carefully and tenderly - borne? It was their own mother. Never did I see a grief more - reverent or respect more profound." - -A few days later Mr. Field wrote to a friend, on the death of a child: - - "Having myself experienced such a calamity, I can judge of your - feelings, and most sincerely sympathize with you and your good wife - on this melancholy occasion. I hope you will both bear it with - Christian fortitude, _for it is God's will_, and no doubt for some - wise purpose." - -Referring to his life-work, on October 23d he writes: - - "Who first conceived the idea of a telegraph across the Atlantic I - know not. It may have been before I was born. - - "I have made twenty-four sea voyages solely for the purpose of - connecting Europe and America by telegraph, and although the cable - laid is not now in operation, the experience gained will, I doubt - not, be the means of causing another cable to be submerged that - will successfully connect Newfoundland and Ireland." - -At 10 P.M. on October 26th this message from San Francisco was received: - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, New York: - - "The Pacific telegraph calls the Atlantic cable. - -"A. W. BEE." - - - -He replied: - - "Your message received. The Atlantic cable is not dead, but - sleepeth. In due time it will answer the call of the Pacific - telegraph." - -On October 29th, in a letter to a friend in Newfoundland: - - "There is now a very much increased interest being felt here in the - importance of an early laying of another Atlantic cable from - Ireland to Newfoundland, thus connecting Europe, Asia, Africa, and - America. - - "I hope in a few days to have arrangements made so that we may on - some given evening connect the lines between St. John's and San - Francisco together, and by means of relays speak directly through, - between these two points, a distance by the telegraph of over 5000 - miles." - -Neither did he neglect his private business. On December 3d, within a -year of his failure, he was able to write: - - "All of our extension notes due on the 30th of September last were - duly paid, and we have already taken up all that will be due on the - 30th of this month with the exception of $14,992 78, and all that - are due on the 30th of March next except $326 40. You will see that - we have reduced our liabilities to a very small amount, and we - shall meet them all promptly at or before maturity." - -He was so very exact in all his work that he could not understand the -lack of like exactitude in others. To one who failed to answer a letter -he sent this note: - - "_My dear Sir_,--If it takes four weeks _not_ to get an answer to a - letter, how long will it take to get one? - - "I have not received a reply to my letter of November 4th. - - "I remain, very truly your friend, - -"CYRUS W. FIELD. - -"_December 2d._" - - - -The news of the seizure of Mason and Slidell by Captain Wilkes, from the -steamer _Trent_, was received in Boston on November 24th, and at once he -saw another reason for urging the immediate laying of a cable across the -Atlantic, and in a letter to Mr. Saward he says: - - "The low rate of interest now ruling in Great Britain, and the - great desire of the British government to have telegraphic - communication with her North American colonies, both indicate that - _now_ is the time to move energetically in the matter of connecting - Newfoundland and Ireland by a submarine cable." - -And on the 17th of December: - - "It does appear to me that now is the time for the directors of the - Atlantic Telegraph Company to act with energy and decision, and get - whatever guarantee is necessary from the English government to - raise the capital to manufacture and lay down without unnecessary - delay between Newfoundland and Ireland a good cable." - -General T. W. Sherman had written to him from Port Royal on December -21st: - - "It was but the other day I was discussing the very subject you - mention. We want very much a telegraphic communication between - Beaufort, Hilton Head, and the Tybee. How can we get it promptly?" - -This was in reply to a letter of Mr. Field's in which he had enclosed a -copy of the following letter and its indorsement: - -"WILLARD'S HOTEL, -"WASHINGTON, _December 4, 1861_. - - "_Sir_,--Pardon me for making the following suggestions: - - "1. That government establish at once telegraphic communication - between Washington and Fortress Monroe by means of a submarine - cable from Northampton County to Fortress Monroe. - - "2. That Forts Walker and Beauregard be connected by a submarine - cable. - - "3. That a submarine cable be laid between Hilton Head and Tybee - Island. - - "4. That the Forts at Key West and Tortugas be brought into instant - communication by means of a telegraph cable. - - "5. That a cable be laid connecting the Fort at Tortugas with Fort - Pickens. - - "If I can be of any service to you or the government in this matter - it will give me pleasure. - - "I shall remain at this hotel until to-morrow afternoon or Friday - morning, and have with me samples of different kinds of cable. - -"Very respectfully, -"Your obedient servant, -"CYRUS W. FIELD. - -"Major-General G. B. MCCLELLAN, Washington, D. C." - - - -On the 12th of December General McClellan indorsed the plans with these -words: - - "I most fully concur in the importance of the submarine telegraph - proposed by Mr. Field, and earnestly urge that his plans may be - adopted and be authorized to have the plans carried into execution. - More careful consideration may show that a safer route for the - cable from Fernandina to Key West would be by the eastern shore of - Florida. This will depend on the strength of our occupation of the - railroad from Fernandina to Cedar Keys. - -"Very respectfully, etc., -"GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN." - - - -This expression is copied from a letter dated London, December 28, 1861: -"The rebels are waiting with great anxiety for the arrival of the -steamer _Africa_ and her news about the _Trent_ affair." - -On January 1, 1862, he wrote to Mr. Seward, the Secretary of State: - - "The importance of the early completion of the Atlantic telegraph - can hardly be estimated. What would have been its value to the - English and United States governments if it had been in operation - on the 30th of November last, on which day Earl Russell was writing - to Lord Lyons, and you at the same time to Mr. Adams, our minister - in London? - - "A few short messages between the two governments and all would - have been satisfactorily explained. I have no doubt that the - English government has expanded more money during the last thirty - days in preparation for war with this country than the whole cost - of manufacturing and laying a good cable between Newfoundland and - Ireland. - - "At this moment you can telegraph from St. John's, Newfoundland, to - every town of importance in British North America and to all the - principal cities in the loyal States, even to San Francisco, on the - Pacific, a distance by the route of the telegraph of over - fifty-four hundred miles. From Valentia, in Ireland, there is also - now telegraph communication with all the capitals of Europe, and to - Algiers, in Africa, about twenty-one hundred miles; to Odessa, on - the Black Sea, twenty-nine hundred and forty miles; to - Constantinople, thirty-one hundred and fifty miles, and to Omsk, in - Siberia, about five thousand miles. - - "All that is now required to connect Omsk, in Siberia, with San - Francisco, California, on the Pacific, and all intermediate points, - is a telegraph cable from Valentia Island to Newfoundland, a - distance of sixteen hundred and forty nautical miles. - - "What could the governments of Great Britain and the United States - do so effectually to bind the two countries in bonds of amity and - interest as to complete at the earliest possible moment this - connecting link between the two countries?... - - "Will you pardon me for suggesting to you the propriety of opening - a correspondence with the English government upon the subject, and - proposing that the Atlantic Telegraph Company should be aided or - encouraged to complete their line, and that the two governments - should enter into a treaty that in case of any war between them the - cable should not be molested?" - -Mr. Seward answered on January 9th: - - "Your letter of the 1st instant relative to the Atlantic telegraph - was duly received; it will afford me pleasure to confer with you on - that subject at any time you may present yourself for that - purpose." - -In a letter written by Mr. Seward on the 14th of January to Mr. Adams in -London he said: - - "In view of the recent disturbances of feeling in Great Britain - growing out of the _Trent_ affair, we have some apprehensions that - our motives in opening a correspondence upon the subject of the - telegraph just now might be misinterpreted.... - - "If you think wisely of it you are authorized to call the attention - of Earl Russell to the matter.... You may say to him that the - President entertains the most favorable views of the great - enterprise in question, and would be happy to co-operate with the - British government in securing its successful execution and such - arrangements as would guarantee to both nations reciprocal benefits - from the use of the telegraphs, not only in times of peace, but - even in times of war, if, contrary to our desire and expectation, - and to the great detriment of both nations, war should ever arise - between them." - -Mr. Field sailed for England in the steamer _Arabia_ on January 29th, -and on February 27th, at the request of Mr. Adams, sent a long letter to -Earl Russell. To this letter Earl Russell replied, and appointed -Tuesday, March 4th, at half-past three, as the time at which he would -receive him at the Foreign Office. - -On March 6th he again wrote to Earl Russell, entering into details, and -at the end of his letter he referred to the two messages that were in -1858 sent for the English government, and said: - - "I enclose for your information a certificate from the War Office - that this business was properly and promptly executed. The - experimental cable which effected for them this communication has - cost the original shareholders L162,000, which sum has been - unremunerative during six years. They ask no advantage in respect - of that from either government, being quite content to risk the - sacrifice of the whole amount if the means be now granted them for - raising, by new subscriptions, the means of carrying out to a - successful issue the great work intrusted to them." - -March 10th Earl Russell wrote that Her Majesty's government "have come -to the conclusion that it would be more prudent for the present to defer -entering into any fresh agreement on so difficult a subject." - -It was at this time that Mr. George Saward published the article in _The -Electrician_ already referred to, and in it he said: - - "Mr. Field has crossed the Atlantic twenty-five times on behalf of - the great enterprise to which he has vowed himself. He has labored - more than any other individual in this important cause, and he has - never asked the Atlantic Telegraph Company for one shilling - remuneration for his valuable services, which he was in no way - bound to render them; nay more, whenever an offer of compensation - was made to him he refused it." - -Professor Thomson, now Lord Kelvin, wrote in March of this year these -words of encouragement: - - "If any degree of perseverance can be sufficient to deserve - success, and any amount of value in any object can make it worth - striving for, success ought to attend the efforts you and the - directors are making for a result of world-wide beneficence." - -The account that follows has been given to show some of the petty -annoyances to which from time to time Mr. Field was subjected. He -arrived in New York on Friday, April 11, 1862, having come in the -steamship _Asia_. Early in the day the ship was reported, but it was -evening before he came to his home, and then he remained but a short -time with his family. In a letter written to a friend in England on -April 15th he says: - - "I found my family all in good health and spirits, and after - spending about two hours with them and other friends at my house, - left for Washington, which place I reached soon after nine o'clock - on Saturday morning.... During my absence in Europe some parties - here, acting, as I believe, in concert with enemies in England, - have been doing all in their power to injure me on both sides of - the Atlantic, but without success." - -And in another letter he says: - - "I have obtained a large amount of information about this wicked - conspiracy to injure me in Europe and in this country. Mr. Seward - and other members of the government have acted in the most - honorable manner, and defeated the plans of wicked men." - -To Mr. Chase he wrote: - - "I lose no time in acquainting you with the circumstances and of - laying the correspondence before you. Pray tell me if they are - satisfactory to you. I do not know by whom, or where, the goods - were arrested." - -As far as it is possible to ascertain at this late day he had included -in the correspondence forwarded to Washington an article which had been -written in New York on January 18th, and said to have been shown to the -New York press, but never published. It appeared in the London _Herald_ -of February 4th, and was signed "Manhattan." There were also letters in -the London _Standard_ and _Herald_ of March 29th dated New York, March -11th, stating that the Grand Jury had met and presented a bill of -indictment against Cyrus W. Field for "treasonable proceedings with the -public enemy." - -In a letter written on April 17th are these few words: - - "The editor of the London _Herald_ has made an apology in his - paper, as I am informed by telegrams from Halifax." - -And again: - - "I have not yet been able to ascertain who made the complaint but - no bill was found, and the Grand Jury have adjourned." - -One of the Grand Jury writes: - - "I was a member of the United States Grand Jury in 1862. I remember - that a complaint was brought to the attention of the jury.... I - remember that some testimony was submitted to the jury, but upon - the recommendation of the district attorney the matter was - dropped." - -Mr. Bates wrote to him: - -"ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S OFFICE, -"WASHINGTON, D. C., _April 15, 1862_. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq., New York: - - "_Dear Sir_,--Your note of yesterday is just received, and upon - reading the enclosures the affair (as far as it concerns you - personally) looks rather like a stupid, practical joke. - - "Could the scheme have been meant as a blow at your business in - Europe? - -"Very respectfully yours, -"EDWARD BATES." - - - -When on April 23d he received two more letters in the same handwriting, -one postmarked Springfield, Ill., April 18th, and the other Nashville, -Tenn., April 19th, and evidently designed "to entrap him," he wrote at -once to Mr. Chase: - - "I propose to take no further notice of them than to place copies - in your possession and in the hands of the Attorney-General, that - such action may be taken in regard to them as may be deemed - necessary." - -After this there was no further suggestion of trouble. - -This very characteristic business note was found among his papers of -this year: - - "As we are all liable to be called away by death at any time, I - should esteem it a favor if you would indorse the amount paid you - by C. W. Field & Co. on the 5th instant, on my bond, and send the - same to my office, as you proposed." - -It was on May 1st that he addressed the American Geographical and -Statistical Society, and it is possible to make but a short extract from -his speech: - - "The London _Times_ said truly: 'We nearly went to war with America - because we had not a telegraph across the Atlantic.' It is at such - a moment that England feels the need of communicating with her - colonies on this side of the ocean. And here I may mention a fact - not generally known--that, during the excitement of the _Trent_ - affair a person connected with the English government applied to - Messrs. Glass, Elliott & Co., of London, to know for what sum they - would manufacture a cable and lay it across the Atlantic; to which - they replied that they would both manufacture and lay it down for - L675,000, and that it should be in full operation by the 12th day - of July of this year. Well might England afford to pay the whole - cost of such a work; for in sixty days' time she expended more - money in preparation for war with this country than the whole cost - of manufacturing and laying several good cables between - Newfoundland and Ireland." - -On his return he had found that the feeling against England was very -intense, and on April 29th he wrote to Mr. Thurlow Weed, who was in -London: - - "I regret exceedingly to find a most bitter feeling in this country - against England. Mr. Seward is almost the only American that I have - heard speak kindly of England or Englishmen since I arrived." - -And to Mr. Seward his next letter is addressed: - -"NEW YORK, _May 5, 1862_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--Yesterday I received a letter from our mutual - friend C. M. Lampson, Esq., from London, April 17th, in which he - says: 'Our letter has been before Lord Palmerston for more than a - fortnight, and as yet have had no answer; he is now out of town for - the Easter holidays, and we cannot have a reply for another - fortnight. If we are to make sufficient progress to enable us to do - the work in 1863, it will be only in consequence of the pressure - you bring to bear on your side. This is our only hope for the - present. If the Washington government would direct Mr. Adams to - press the matter here, I think we should succeed.' It has occurred - to me that, considering the great importance to the whole - commercial interest of the country of a telegraph across the - Atlantic, you would be willing to act on the suggestion of Mr. - Lampson and direct Mr. Adams to press the matter upon the English - government. - -"With much respect, I remain -"Very truly your friend, -"CYRUS W. FIELD. - -"Hon. WM. H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, -"Washington, D. C." - - - -Mr. Lampson, in his letter of April 17th, had referred to a deputation -of the directors of the Atlantic Telegraph Company that on the 20th of -March had waited upon Lord Palmerston, who was then Prime-Minister. - -Mr. Field replied: - -"NEW YORK, _May 9, 1862_. - - "_My dear Mr. Lampson_,--.... Four weeks ago this evening I arrived - from England, and almost every moment of my time since I landed has - been occupied in working for the Atlantic Telegraph, either in - seeing the President of the United States, or one of his Cabinet, - or some member of the Senate or House of Representatives, or an - editor of one of our papers, or writing to the British provinces, - or doing something which I thought would hasten on the time when we - should have a good submarine telegraph cable working successfully - between Ireland and Newfoundland, and if _we do not get it laid in - 1863 it will be our own fault_. - - "_Now, now_ is the golden moment, and I do beg of you and all the - other friends of the Atlantic telegraph to act without a moment's - unnecessary delay. - - "I have written you and Mr. Saward so often since my arrival that I - am afraid you will get tired of reading my letters; but from the - abundance of the heart the mouth will speak, and I hardly think of - anything but a telegraph across the Atlantic. - -Very truly your friend, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -Again on May 29th to Mr. Lampson: - - "I am disappointed at the answer received from Lord Palmerston, but - not discouraged the least by it, for we can succeed without further - assistance from either government, as I believe that an appeal to - the public will _now_ get us all the money that we want, provided - the business is pressed forward in a proper manner." - -It was on the 7th of this month that he wrote to his brother Jonathan: - - "You will be glad to know that we have gotten all of our old - matters settled." - -From the first days of the war he had urged the necessity for accurate -despatches being sent out by each steamer; and one very hot July morning -of this summer he went up from Long Branch solely for the purpose of -seeing that the steamer, sailing the next morning, carried favorable -news of the movements of our armies. - -With our purses full of change it is hard to realize that in October, -1862, it was almost impossible to secure even postal currency, and that -one of Mr. Field's clerks, after waiting four hours at the Sub-Treasury, -was able to obtain but $15. - -Again he writes to Mr. Saward: - - "I sail per _Scotia_ on Wednesday, the 8th of October, and expect - to arrive at Liverpool Saturday, the 18th, and get to London the - same evening. - - "If agreeable to you, I will call at your house Sunday morning, go - with you to hear the Rev. Mr. Spurgeon preach, and dine with you at - two o'clock. - - "Monday morning, October 20th, I hope that we will be ready to go - to work in earnest, and have _all_ of the stock for a new cable - subscribed within one month, and our other arrangements so - perfected that I can at an early day return to my family and - country." - -He never lost sight of an opportunity for helping his country. On -November 1st Lord Shaftesbury thanks him for the "documents" he had sent -to him. On November 25th his friend the Hon. Stewart Wortley writes: - - "Mr. Gladstone has fixed twelve o'clock to-morrow, in Carlton House - Terrace. I have promised him that we would not ask him for - anything, but that I believed you had some confidential - communication to give him on the views of your government. Till I - told him this he was very unwilling to listen to anything that was - not contained in a written proposal." - -It was on this day or the next that Mr. Field gave to Mr. Gladstone to -read _Thirteen Months in a Rebel Prison_. Mr. McCarthy, in his _History -of Our Own Times_, says: "It was Mr. Gladstone who said that the -President of the Southern Confederation, Mr. Jefferson Davis, had made -an army, had made a navy, and, more than that, had made a nation." - -It was this sentiment that its author developed in the deeply -interesting correspondence which follows. This correspondence is of the -utmost value as elucidating the state of mind of the liberal Englishmen -from whom this country expected the sympathy it in so many cases failed -to receive, and very notably failed to receive from the statesman who -for more than a generation has been their intellectual and Parliamentary -leader. - -"11 CARLTON HOUSE TERRACE, -"_November 27, 1862_. - - "My dear Sir,--I thank you very much for giving me the _Thirteen - Months_. Will you think that I belie the expression I have used if - I tell you candidly the effect this book has produced upon my mind? - I think you will not; I do not believe that you or your countrymen - are among those who desire that any one should purchase your favor - by speaking what is false, or by forbearing to speak what is true. - The book, then, impresses me even more deeply than I was before - impressed with the heavy responsibility you incur in persevering - with this destructive and hopeless war at the cost of such dangers - and evils to yourselves, to say nothing of your adversaries, or of - an amount of misery inflicted upon Europe such as no other civil - war in the history of man has ever brought upon those beyond its - immediate range. Your frightful conflict may be regarded from many - points of view. The competency of the Southern States to secede, - the rightfulness of their conduct in seceding (two matters wholly - distinct and a great deal too much confounded), the natural - reluctance of Northern Americans to acquiesce in the severance of - the Union, and the apparent loss of strength and glory to their - country; the bearing of the separation on the real interests and on - the moral character of the North; again, for an Englishman, its - bearing with respect to British interests--all these are texts of - which any one affords ample matter for reflection. But I will only - state, as regards the last of them, that I, for one, have never - hesitated to maintain that, in my opinion, the separate and special - interests of England were all on the side of the maintenance of the - old Union; and if I were to look at those interests alone, and had - the power of choosing in what way the war should end, I would - choose for its ending by the restoration of the old Union this very - day. Another view of the matter not to be overlooked is its bearing - on the interests of the black and colored race. I believe the - separation to be one of the few happy events that have marked their - mournful history; and although English opinion may be wrong upon - this subject, yet it is headed by three men perhaps the best - entitled to represent on this side of the water the old champions - of the anti-slavery cause--Lord Brougham, the Bishop of Oxford, and - Mr. Buxton. - - "But there is an aspect of the war which transcends every other: - the possibility of success. The prospect of success will not - justify a war in itself unjust, but the impossibility of success in - a war of conquest of itself suffices to make it unjust; when that - impossibility is reasonably proved, all the horror, all the - bloodshed, all the evil passions, all the dangers to liberty and - order with which such a war abounds, come to lie at the door of the - party which refuses to hold its hand and let its neighbor be. - - "You know that in the opinion of Europe this impossibility has been - proved. It is proved by every page of this book, and every copy of - this book which circulates will carry the proof wider and stamp it - more clearly. Depend upon it, to place the matter upon a single - issue, you cannot conquer and keep down a country where the women - behave like the women of New Orleans, where, as this author says, - they would be ready to form regiments, if such regiments could be - of use. And how idle it is to talk, as some of your people do, and - some of ours, of the slackness with which the war has been carried - on, and of its accounting for the want of success! You have no - cause to be ashamed of your military character and efforts. You - have proved what wanted no proof--your spirit, hardihood, immense - powers, and rapidity and variety of resources. You have spent as - much money, and have armed and perhaps have destroyed as many men, - taking the two sides together, as all Europe spent in the first - years of the Revolutionary war. Is not this enough? Why have you - not more faith in the future of a nation which should lead for ages - to come the American continent, which in five or ten years will - make up its apparent loss or first loss of strength and numbers, - and which, with a career unencumbered by the terrible calamity and - curse of slavery, will even from the first be liberated from a - position morally and incurably false, and will from the first enjoy - a permanent gain in credit and character such as will much more - than compensate for its temporary material losses? I am, in short, - a follower of General Scott. With him I say, 'Wayward sisters, go - in peace.' Immortal fame be to him for his wise and courageous - advice, amounting to a prophecy. - - "Finally, you have done what men could do; you have failed because - you resolved to do what men could not do. - - "Laws stronger than human will are on the side of earnest - self-defence; and the aim at the impossible, which in other things - may be folly only, when the path of search is dark with misery and - red with blood, is not folly only, but guilt to boot. I should not - have used so largely in this letter the privileges of free - utterance had I not been conscious that I vie with yourselves in my - admiration of the founders of your republic, and that I have no - lurking sentiment either of hostility or of indifference to - America; nor, I may add, even then had I not believed that you - are lovers of sincerity, and that you can bear even the rudeness of - its tongue. - -"I remain, dear sir, very faithfully yours, -"W. E. GLADSTONE. - -"CYRUS FIELD, Esq." - - - -[Illustration: LAST TWO PAGES OF LETTER FROM MR. GLADSTONE, DATED -NOVEMBER 27, 1862. [See pp. 146-149.]] - -"PALACE HOTEL, BUCKINGHAM GATE, -"LONDON, _December 2, 1862_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--Your letter of the 27th ultimo was duly received, - and for it please accept my thanks. - - "I should have answered your letter at once, but I have been trying - to find in London some documents to send you, for I am sure that if - you have facts you will draw correct conclusions from them. - - "As I have not been able to obtain the papers that I want, I will - send them to you on my return to New York. - - "I hope that you will get time to read the small book called _Among - the Pines_, which I left at your house last Friday. - - "May I send a copy of your letter to Mr. Seward at Washington and - my brother in New York? - -"With much respect I remain -"Very truly your friend, -"CYRUS W. FIELD. - -"Right Hon. W. E. GLADSTONE." - - - -"11 DOWNING STREET, WHITEHALL, -"_December 2, 1862_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--I thank you for the kind reception you have given - to my officious letter. - - "You are quite at liberty to make any use of it which you think - proper except publication, which you would not think of, and I - should deprecate simply on account of the tone of assumption with - which I might appear to be chargeable. - - "I thank you very much for _Among the Pines_, which I am reading - with great interest. - - "I am glad to find you are going to Cliveden, and I am sure you - will enjoy your visit. - -"Believe me, my dear sir, -"Most faithfully yours, -"W. E. GLADSTONE. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq." - - - -And again he wrote: - -"11 CARLTON HOUSE TERRACE, -"_December 9, 1862_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--I have again to thank you for _Among the Pines_, a - most interesting and, as far as I can judge, a most truthful work. - It seems to open to view more aspects of society and character in - the slave States than _Uncle Tom's Cabin_, and to be written - without any undue and bewildering predominance of imagination. - - "I need not here stop even for a moment on the ground of - controversy. We all vie with one another in fervently desiring that - the Almighty may so direct the issue of the present crisis as to - make it effective for the mitigation and even for the removal of a - system which ever tends to depress the blacks into the condition of - the mere animal, and which among the whites at once gives fearful - scope to the passions of bad men and checks and mars the - development of character in good ones. - -"I remain, dear sir, -"Most faithfully yours, -"W. E. GLADSTONE. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq." - - - -A very decided trait of Mr. Field was that when any business enterprise -was proposed he planned every detail, drew up statements, and asked for -statistics, and tried to determine the amount of work that it would be -possible to accomplish, and for that reason it does not surprise us that -before the money for the new cable was subscribed or the contracts -signed he wrote to Mr. Reuter, and received this reply: - -"REUTER'S TELEGRAPH OFFICE, -"LONDON, _November 19, 1862_. - - "_Dear Sir_,--I have received your letter of the 18th inst., - wherein you ask whether I consider that a single wire from Ireland - to Newfoundland would be sufficient, and what amount of business I - think I should send through an Atlantic cable the first year. - - "In reply to the first inquiry I should say from my own experience - that a single telegraph wire between Ireland and Newfoundland would - by no means be sufficient to meet the requirements of the public. - - "With respect to the amount of business I might send through the - new line I cannot, of course, speak positively, but believe I can - say that for the first year it would certainly not be less than - L5000. - -"I remain, dear sir, -"Faithfully yours, -"JULIUS REUTER. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq." - - - -At this time no one at all realized the amount of work that the small -wire would be called upon to do. Sixteen months after it was laid, on -the 2d of December, 1867, Mr. Field telegraphed to London that Mr. -Bennett was willing to sign a contract with the cable company for one -year, and that he would pay for political and general news $3750 a -month--that is, L9000 a year--and the agreement was to begin at once or -on the 1st of January, 1868. - -The invitation to Cliveden to which Mr. Gladstone referred was given by -the Dowager Duchess of Sutherland, and this visit, early in December, -was followed by many others, and the friendship then formed lasted as -long as she lived. - -He sailed for home on December 20th, and before he left England he sent -this letter: - -"PALACE HOTEL, -"LONDON, _November 22, 1862_. - - "_My dear Daughters_,--Many, many thanks to you for all the letters - that you have written to me since we parted at our happy home. - - "I think I hear you say, Why does not papa answer all of our - letters? The reason is that I am so much occupied that I have - hardly one single moment of leisure. I am busy all day at the - Atlantic Telegraph Company's office; or at Messrs. Glass, Elliott - & Co.'s; or at the Gutta-percha Company's works; or with some - persons connected with the English government; and almost every - evening I am engaged until a very late hour. - - "I will give you a list of my engagements for the next few - evenings: - - 1. Saturday, November 22d.--At Mr. Russell Sturgis's, to - dinner and to spend the night. - - 2. Sunday, November 23d.--At Mr. Russell Sturgis's, spend - the day and night. - - 3. Monday, November 24th.--Canning's, to dinner and spend - the night. - - 4. Tuesday, November 25th.--Meet Mr. Maitland and others - on business, and then to Mr. Lampson to dinner, seven P.M. - - 5. Wednesday, November 26th.--I give a dinner-party at - this hotel. - - 6. Thursday, November 27th.--At Mr. Gooch's, to dinner. - - 7. Friday, November 28th.--Sir Culling Eardley's, to dinner - and spend the night. - - 8. Saturday, November 29th.--Lady Franklin's, to dinner. - - 9. Sunday, November 30th.--Mr. Ashburner's, to dinner - and spend the night. - - 10. Monday, December 1st.--At Mr. Statham's, to dinner and - spend the night. - - 11. Tuesday, December 2d.--At Mr. Reuter's, to dinner and - to spend the night. - - "Professor Wheatstone, Dr. Wallish, Captains Becher, Galton, and - Bythesea, Mr. Adams, and Mr. Wortley are among the number that are - to dine with me. There will be twelve in all. - - "How much I wish that I could have this dinner-party in our own - home! - - "Several times since I arrived I have had three invitations for the - same evening, and I _decline_ all that I can without injury to the - object of my visit to England. - - "I have been very anxious to get through and leave here so as to be - with you on Christmas, or certainly New-year's, but I do not see - any prospect of being able to do so. - - "I have very often regretted that your mother or some of you were - not with me. - - "Mr. Holbrooke returns in the _Scotia_ on the 6th of December, and - will be able to tell you how I am. How much I wish that I could go - with him! - - "Do, my dear children, be very kind to your blessed mother, and do - everything in your power to make her happy. - - "I have purchased _all_ the things that you gave me a memorandum - of, or have written me about. - - "Good-bye, my dear children, and may God bless you all. - - "With much love to your mother, Eddie, and Willie, and kind regards - to all the servants, - -"I remain, as ever, -"Your affectionate father, -"CYRUS W. FIELD. - - "Misses GRACE, ALICE, ISABELLA, and FANNY FIELD." - - - - -CHAPTER X - -CAPITAL RAISED FOR THE MAKING OF A NEW CABLE--STEAMSHIP "GREAT EASTERN" -SECURED - -(1863-1864) - - -On Sunday, January 4th, 1863, the steamer _Asia_ arrived in New York, -and Mr. Field writes that he had had a rough passage of fifteen days. On -January 27th, in a letter to Mr. Saward, he says: "The whole country is -in such a state of excitement in regard to the war that it is almost -impossible to get any one to talk for a single moment about telegraph -matters, but you may be sure that I shall do all that I can to obtain -subscriptions here." And in another letter: "Some days I have worked -from before eight in the morning until after ten at night to obtain -subscriptions to the Atlantic Telegraph Company." - -Long afterwards he told how, during these years, he has often seen his -friends cross the street rather than have him stop them and talk on what -engrossed so much of his thoughts as were not given to his country. But -his love for his country was his master-passion, and only five days -after his arrival in New York he went to Washington to deliver a letter -that he had brought with him from Glass, Elliott & Co., in which they -repeat their offer to lay submarine cables connecting certain military -posts or points of strategic importance. He writes to this firm on -January 17th: - - "I went to Washington on January 9th, and the next day delivered - your letter of December 19th to our government, and urged upon them - the acceptance of your offer. I returned home on Sunday, and on - Monday morning I received a telegram from the Navy Department - requesting me to return immediately to Washington, which I did the - next day." - -The journey to Washington at this time was long and trying, and in -winter a very cold one, for it involved a ride of an hour across -Philadelphia in the street cars. - -Mr. Gladstone, in writing from London on February 20th, again thanks Mr. -Field for books sent to him relating to the American war, and adds: - - "I hope I do not offend in expressing the humble desire that it may - please the Almighty soon to bring your terrific struggle to an end, - for all who know me know that if I entertain such a wish it is with - a view to the welfare of all persons of the United States, in which - I have ever taken the most cordial interest." - -This letter of Mr. Bright's was written a week later: - -"LONDON, _February 27, 1863_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--I have to thank you for forwarding to me Mr. - Putnam's four handsome volumes of the _Record of the Rebellion_. I - value the work highly, and have wished to have it. I shall write to - Mr. Putnam to thank him for his most friendly and acceptable - present. - - "We are impatient for news from your country. There is great effort - without great result, and we fear the divisions in the North will - weaken the government and stimulate the South. Sometimes of late I - have seemed to fear anarchy in the North as much as rebellion in - the South. - - "I hope my fears arise more from my deep interest in your conflict - than from any real danger from the discordant elements among you. - If there is not virtue enough among you to save the State, then - has the slavery poison done its fearful work. But I will not - despair. Opinion here has changed greatly. In almost every town - great meetings are being held to pass resolutions in favor of the - North, and the advocates of the South are pretty much put down. - - "This is a short and hasty note.... - -"Believe me always -"Very truly yours, -"JOHN BRIGHT." - - - -On Wednesday, March 4th, he addressed the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. A. A. -Low offered a resolution expressing the confidence of the Chamber that a -cable could be laid across the Atlantic, and ended his speech in support -of it with these words: - - "Any one listening to Mr. Field as frequently and as attentively as - I have with regard to this subject could not long entertain a doubt - as to the success of the effort. He has studied it in all its - bearings, and with the aid of the science and intelligence so - readily at command on the other side of the ocean, where he has had - the benefit of an experience far exceeding that of this country - with regard to ocean telegraphs. I am confident that whatever - hesitation may for a time retard the work, it will not be of that - kind to defeat the enterprise. With regard to the argument that - this telegraph is in the power of the English government, and that - we would be debarred from its use in time of war, let it be borne - in mind that it may be built by Great Britain without our - co-operation. The English government is alive to all the great - necessities of the day. I wish, indeed, our own were equally alive - to the urgencies of the age. - - "The English government, as I said, is alive to all the great - necessities of the times, and it will assuredly lay the telegraph, - whether we work with it or not. If this government and people - participate with the government and people of Great Britain in the - work, it will be done under treaty stipulations which will secure - to our country effectually great advantages and facilities. I have - faith in Great Britain, and I believe if Great Britain enters into - any compact with this country she will be true to her plighted - faith. I have little fear on that score.... Our people ought not - to be deterred by unworthy considerations from taking part in an - enterprise called for by all the intelligence and wisdom of our - times--such an enterprise as that now suggested. There is a risk - which may well be incurred, in view of all the advantages the work - presents. I, therefore, move the adoption of the resolution which I - have had the honor to present." - -The resolution was seconded by Mr. Cooper, and unanimously adopted. - -On March 17th he addressed the produce merchants of New York, and on the -18th the Board of Brokers. It is quite impossible to give the names of -the persons, companies, or corporations to whom he wrote, or from whom -he solicited assistance, or the cities to which he went, making -speeches, and urging every one he saw to subscribe to the stock of the -new Atlantic cable, and early in June he was able to say: "The total -subscriptions in America to the Atlantic telegraph stock to date are -L66,615 sterling. Every single person in the United States and British -North American provinces that owns any of the old stock of the Atlantic -telegraph has shown his confidence in the enterprise by subscribing to -the stock." - -These extracts are made from three letters written on March 24th, March -27th, and May 8th: - - "For the last three weeks I have devoted nearly my whole time to - obtaining subscriptions to the Atlantic telegraph stock, and, when - you consider the rate of exchange on England, I think you will say - that we have done well. At all events, I have worked very hard, - going from door to door." - - "I never worked so hard in all my life." - - "We must all work until the necessary capital is subscribed. Within - the last two weeks I have travelled over fifteen hundred miles, - visiting Albany, Buffalo, Boston, and Providence on business of - the Atlantic telegraph, and I have promises of subscriptions from - all these places." - -The remarkable statement that follows is copied from a letter to Mr. C. -F. Varley, dated March 31, 1863: - - "There is a carriage-road all the way to California, and the mail - is carried daily in wagons, and emigrants are constantly passing - over the road alongside of which the telegraph line is built. The - Indians are friendly and do not to injure the line." - -The week before he sailed for England, on the 27th of May, he wrote a -letter to his firm and gave these directions: - - "During my absence in Europe you will please not sell any rags or - paper manufacturers' stock except for cash, as in these times we - had much better keep our goods than to sell them even on a few - days' credit. Any manufacturer that is A No. 1 can get all the - money he wants at interest, and will prefer to buy cheap for - cash.... I would only purchase such papers as I wanted for - immediate sales and could sell at a good profit." - -Cyrus W. Field & Co. wrote on July 18th and gave their weekly statement, -and from the end of their letter this is copied: - - "Our books have been balanced for the six months by the following - entries: - - PROFIT AND LOSS--CR. - Merchandise $3,293 67 - 58 Cliff Street 18,820 83 - Commission 628 75 - --------- - $22,743 25 - - PROFIT AND LOSS--DR. - Store expenses $4,580 70 - Insurance 123 99 - Interest 964 86 - Advertising 35 45 - --------- - 5,705 00 - ---------- - Net profits for six months $17,088 25 - - - -On the 1st of the month they had written: - - "Business has been almost entirely suspended for the last week on - account of the great excitement arising from the rebel invasion of - Pennsylvania.... Harrisburg, Baltimore, and Philadelphia are - threatened by Lee." - -And on the 15th: - - "Since our last letter a most fearful riot has broken out here in - the city; it still continues, and business is almost entirely - suspended." - -This was the famous "draft riot" of New York, and it was brought near to -him; his house adjoined that of his brother David Dudley Field, whose -wife wrote: - - "My husband just got back in time to save, by prompt and vigorous - action, our property. Our poor servants were terribly alarmed; they - were threatened by incendiaries who warned them to leave the - premises.... Think of one hundred and eighty soldiers sleeping in - our stable, the officers being fed in the basement.... As the - rioters approached our house they were met by a company of soldiers - that Dudley had just sent for; their glittering bayonets and steady - march soon sent them back before they had time to effect their - demoniacal purpose." - -In _Abraham Lincoln: a History_ we read that "The riots came to a bloody -close on the night of Thursday, the fourth day. A small detachment of -soldiers met the principal body of rioters at Third Avenue and -Twenty-first Street, killed thirteen, wounding eighteen more, and taking -some prisoners." This occurred within a square of Mr. Field's house, and -those who had been left in charge had not proved themselves very brave; -they fled from the house, leaving pictures, silver, and all valuables, -and took with them only a box of tea and a cat. The tea they thought -they would enjoy, and feared the cat might be lonely. The depression -felt in New York on July 1st, and mentioned in the letter written on -that day, was reported in England on the 16th, on which day the news -brought by the steamer _Bohemian_, was published, and those who -sympathized with the South were exultant, and were quite sure that the -steamer _Canada_, due on the 18th, would bring news of the utter defeat -of the Northern army under General Meade. The steamer did not arrive on -the day she was expected, and on the intervening Sunday he has said that -he was far too excited to think of going to church. Instead he hailed a -cab and drove to the house of Mr. Adams (then American minister in -London). Mr. Adams was at church. Next he stopped at the rooms of a -friend, and persuaded him, although he was in the midst of shaving, to -go with him to the city. They drove to Reuter's; the man in charge of -that office refused to answer any questions, saying that if he were to -do so he would lose his place; he was assured that if that proved to be -so he should immediately be given another place, and with an increase of -pay. These questions were then asked: "Is the steamer in from America?" -and "What is the price of gold in New York?" At last the wearied clerk -opened the door wide enough to say that "the steamer is in and gold is -131." This gave assurance of a victory for the North; and putting his -foot between the door and the jamb, Mr. Field refused to move it until -he was given every particular. "There has been a three days' fight at -Gettysburg; Lee has retreated into Virginia; Vicksburg has fallen." -Three cheers were given, and then three times three; they were hearty -and loud, and after that the one thought was to spread the good news as -rapidly as possible. First he made his way to Upper Portland Place, -where a message was left for Mr. Adams. Then he drove out of London, and -passed the afternoon in going to see his friends. He enjoyed very much -telling of the victory to those who rejoiced with him, but perhaps more -to those who, though Northerners by birth, were Southerners at heart, -and had not failed in the dark days just past to let him know that they -wished for a divided country. At one house in particular he entered -looking very depressed, and with a low voice asked if they had had the -news from Queenstown, and when the answer was "no" he read to them the -paper he carried in his hand. His appearance had deceived them, and they -had answered him smilingly, but their faces fell when they heard the -news, and as he drove from the house he waved the message at them and -called back, "Oh, you rebels! Oh, you rebels!" - -Mr. Bright wrote on August 7th: - - "From the tone of the Southern papers and the spasms of the New - York _Herald_ I gather that the struggle is approaching an end, and - the conspirators are anxious to save slavery in the arrangements - that may be made. On this point the great contest will now turn, - and the statesmanship of your statesmen will be tried. I still have - faith in the cause of freedom." - -It is more probable that Mr. Chase refers in the following letter to Mr. -Bright's letter of February 27th than to the one just given: - -"WASHINGTON, _August 21, 1863_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--I thank you for sending me a copy of Mr. Bright's - letter. It is marked by the comprehensive sagacity which - distinguishes his statesmanship. - - "Have you read "Callirrhoe," a fanciful story of George Sand's, - which has appeared in the late numbers of _Revue des Deux Mondes_? - It is founded upon the idea of transmigration, and especially upon - the notion that the souls of those who have lived in former times - reappear with their characteristic traits in the persons of new - generations. If I adopted this notion I might believe that Hampden - and Sidney live again in Bright and Cobden. - - "A letter expressing the same general ideas as are contained in - that addressed to you was lately sent by Mr. Bright to Mr. - Aspinwall. This letter Mr. Aspinwall kindly enclosed to me, and I - read it to the President. I had repeatedly said the same things to - him, and was not sorry to have my representations unconsciously - echoed by a liberal English statesman. The President said nothing, - but I am sure he is more and more confirmed in the resolution to - make the proclamation efficient as well after peace as during - rebellion. - - "My own efforts are constantly directed to this result. Almost - daily I confer more or less fully with loyalists of the - insurrectionary States, who almost unanimously concur in judgment - with me that the only safe basis of permanent peace is - reconstitution by recognition in the fundamental law of each State, - through a convention of its loyal people, of the condition of - universal freedom established by the proclamation. It was only - yesterday that I had a full conversation with Governor Pierpont, of - Virginia, and Judge Bowden, one of the United States Senators from - that State, on this subject. Both these gentlemen agree in thinking - that the President should revoke the exception of certain counties - in southeastern Virginia from the operation of the proclamation, - and that the Governor should call the Legislature together and - recommend the assembling of a convention for the amendment of the - existing constitution, and in expecting that the convention will - propose an amendment prohibiting slavery. I think there is some - reason to hope that the President may determine to revoke the - exception, and more reason to hope that the convention will be - failed and freedom established in Virginia through its agency. - - "I do not know that you are perfectly familiar with the present - condition of things in Virginia. Soon after the outbreak of the - rebellion the loyal people of Virginia organized under the old - constitution, through a Legislature at Wheeling, and subsequently, - through a convention, consented to a division of the State by - organizing the northwest portion as the State of West Virginia. If - you look at the map you will see that the line forming the southern - and eastern boundaries of this new State commences on the big fork - of the Big Sandy, in the west line of McDowell County, and thence - proceeds irregularly so as to include McDowell and Mercer counties, - along the crest of the Alleghanies to Pendleton County, where it - diverges to the Shenandoah Mountains and proceeds northeast to the - Potomac River, at the northeast corner of Berkeley, including - Pendleton, Hardy, Hampshire, Morgan, and Berkeley counties. - Congress consented to the admission of this State, and it is now in - the Union, fully organized under a free-labor constitution. Its - organization, of course, left the government of old Virginia in the - hands of Governor Pierpont and his associates, by whom the seat of - government has been established at Alexandria. At present only a - comparatively narrow belt of counties from the Atlantic to the east - line of Berkeley is practically controlled by the loyal State - government, but the loyal men of these counties are recognized by - the national government as the State, and as county after county is - rescued from rebel control it will come naturally under this - organization, until probably at no distant day Governor Pierpont - will be acknowledged as the Governor of Virginia at Richmond. When - this takes place, the State will be necessarily a free State, under - a constitution prohibiting slavery. The loyal people of Florida are - ready to take the same course which Governor Pierpont proposes to - take in Virginia; and the same is true of the loyal people of - Louisiana to a great extent. It will be found, doubtless, as the - authority of the Union is re-established in other States included - by the proclamation, that the same sentiments will prevail; so that - it will be quite easy for the national government, if the President - feels so disposed, to secure the recognition of the proclamation, - and the permanent establishment of its policy, through the action - of the people of the several States affected by it. - - "In this way the great ends to be accomplished can be most - certainly reached. My own efforts are constantly directed to their - attainment, and I never admit in conversation or otherwise the - possibility that the rebel States can _cease_ to be _rebel States_ - and _become loyal_ members of the Union except through the - recognition of the condition created by the proclamation, by the - establishment of free institutions under slavery-prohibiting - constitutions. I not only labor for these ends, but hope quite - sanguinely that they will be secured. - - "The public sentiment of the country has undergone a great change - in reference to slavery. Strong emancipation parties exist in every - slave State not affected by the proclamation, and a general - conviction prevails that slavery cannot long survive the - restoration of the republic. The proclamation, and such recognition - of it as I have mentioned, will have finished it in the - proclamation States. In the other States the people will finish it - by their own action. I do not care to sketch the picture of the - great and powerful nation which will then exhibit its strength in - America. Your own foresight must have anticipated all I could say. - - "The war moves too slow and costs too much; but it moves steadily, - and rebellion falls before it. Our financial condition remains - entirely sound. The new national banks are being organized as - rapidly as prudence allows, and no doubt can, I think, be longer - entertained that, whatever else may happen, we shall have gained, - through the rebellion, an opportunity, not unimproved, of - establishing a safe and uniform currency for the whole nation--a - benefit in itself compensating in some degree, and in no small - degree, for the evils we have endured. I trust you are succeeding - well in your great scheme of the inter-continental telegraph. It is - an enterprise worthy of this day of great things. If I had the - wealth of an Astor you should not lack the means of construction. - -Yours very truly, -"S. P. CHASE. -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq." - - - -Mr. Chase's letter was shown to Mr. Gladstone eight months later, and he -returned this reply: - -"11 CARLTON HOUSE TERRACE, S. W., -"_April 26, 1864_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--I return, with many thanks, these - interesting letters: the one full of feeling, the other of - important political anticipations. - - "It is very good of you to send a letter of Mr. Chase's to me, who, - I apprehend, must pass in the United States for no better than a - confirmed heretic, though I have never opened my mouth in public - about America except for the purposes of sympathy and what I - thought friendship. - - "I admit I cannot ask or expect you to take the same view on the - other side of the water. Engaged in a desperate struggle, you may - fairly regard as adverse all those who have anticipated an - unfavorable issue, even although, like myself, they have ceased to - indulge gratuitously in such predictions, when they have become - aware that you resent, as you are entitled to judge the matter for - yourselves. I cannot hope to stand well with Americans, much as I - value their good opinions, unless and until the time shall come - when they shall take the opposite view, retrospectively, of this - war from that which they now hold. If that time ever comes, I shall - then desire their favorable verdict, just as I now respectfully - submit to their condemnation. - - "What I know is this, that the enemies of America rejoice to see - the two combatants exhaust themselves and one another in their - gigantic and sanguinary strife. - - "As respects Mr. Chase, he is, if I may say so, a brother in this - craft; and I have often sympathized with his difficulties, and - admired the great ability and ingenuity with which he appears to - have steered his course. - -"I remain, my dear sir, -"Faithfully yours, -"W. E. GLADSTONE." - - - -The "letter full of feeling" to which Mr. Gladstone refers was an -account sent to Mr. Field by his daughter Alice of a visit to the -headquarters of the Army of the Potomac. On account of this reference, -and also for its interest as a contemporaneous sketch of the war time by -a non-combatant, it is here inserted: - -"WASHINGTON, D. C., _February 25, 1864_. - - "_My dear Mother_,--Since I last wrote I have been to the army - front, passing on the way many of the battle-fields whose names - bring up sad memories, and finally living for two nights and much - of three days within view of the enemy's signals, and in the midst - of our own encampments.... Early on Monday morning we found - ourselves in the government train on the way to Brandeth Station. - This is a five hours' journey from Washington, but the time could - not have dragged with any one interested in the history of our - country. We saw the battle-ground of Manasses; we crossed the Bull - Run stream and the fields made memorable by Pope's disastrous - campaign. Indeed, along the long line of the railway runs a - battle-field--the "race-course," as an officer told me it was - called, so often have our troops and the enemy's pursued each other - there. Everywhere one sees the evidences of war; the whole country - is desolated, and the earth ploughed by the tread of armies; broken - earthworks border the brows of the hills, and wherever a camp is - seen around it is a stockade or abatis to protect it from Mosby's - guerillas, who infest this region. - - "As we were whirled past these scenes, I listened to the talk of - the officers about me, and expressions such as these made the story - doubly real: "It was there the cavalry was attacked"; "The bridge - we are now crossing was contested all day in the action of the - other day"; "We held those hills where that body of artillery is - now moving." So those five hours hurried away, and we did not wake - up to the present until we reached Brandeth Station. Here stood - lines of ambulances to receive the army's guests, and soon we were - placed in an ambulance and jolted over corduroy roads to General - ---- 's tent. After an hour's jolting we reached our first - destination. The general's tent was one of a large encampment on a - hill which commands a view of our fortifications all about the - country and those of the rebels across the river, only four or five - miles away. - - "General ----, commander of the Third Brigade, Third Division, - Second Corps, received us very courteously, and with him and three - of the officers of his staff we lunched in the tent. This tent is - charming. At one end blazes in a huge fireplace--open, of course--a - bright wood fire: in the centre stands a table, over which hangs a - chandelier holding three candles; on one side is the bed; and all - about are army chairs. - - "Our lunch, where the officers presided as hosts and waiters, - consisted of ham sandwiches, pickles, jelly, ale, and tea. The - three officers were our escorts to our quarters, which we found to - be in the old Virginia manor Milton, owned and still inhabited by - the well-known family of ----. - - "They did not smile upon us at first, but we made a great effort - to propitiate the two sad-looking Virginia ladies who received us. - They both were in mourning for the son of one of them, who was - killed during the Peninsula campaign--a rebel. Poor, poor fellow! - We felt so much for these proud women, obliged to receive Northern - strangers, and unable to conceal their fallen fortunes, that we did - our best to heal their wounded self-love. After tea we dressed for - the ball. I wore the blue tissue, the white lace waist, and a blue - ribbon only in my hair.... Our three escorts arrived long before we - were ready, but at last we were put again into our ambulance. Just - fancy the strangeness of going to a ball in an ambulance, and the - ball-room itself, indeed, was as odd a mingling of contrasts. It - was an immense boarded room, with a pointed roof from which hung - many flags and banners, most ragged and full of bullet-holes, some - in ribbons; guns were stacked against the building, and these were - draped with evergreens; on either side of the platform used by the - band rested cannons pointed towards us; these were almost concealed - by banners again. From this end of the room came excellent music - all the evening. - - "I was made quite happy by General Meade's condescension in - speaking to me twice. We had four hours' sleep that night, or - rather the next morning. The whole of Tuesday was given to a great - review--that of the Second Corps. General Meade reviewed the - troops. There were 7000 infantry and 3000 cavalry; these last were - Kilpatrick's, and they showed us a cavalry charge; this was very - exciting, and their shrieks in rushing upon the supposed enemy so - overcame us that we clung to each other in terror. The day was more - than May, it was June. Far away rose the Blue Ridge (well named, we - thought), while all over the country in every direction were - marching the infantry, or the artillery was rumbling, or the - cavalry dashing about in the soft Virginia breezes. When General - Meade reviewed the army, as he rode with his staff past each - brigade the general and officers joined the cavalcade of the - commander-in-chief, the band playing and colors flying and bayonets - glistening, all in the bright sunlight of that perfect day. I - cannot tell you how touching was the sight of those regiments that - have been long in the service, and have but two or three hundred - left. They march so firmly, carrying their torn banners, with the - names of the battles in which they have fought written upon them. - - "During the review we received an invitation from the general to - dine with him, which we accepted. I must reserve a detailed account - of this dinner for another letter. - - "The next morning we bade good-bye to our friends, and returned to - the restraints of city life." - -It was during this year that Mr. Varley made the statement that when the -cable was laid it would be possible to send through it eight words a -minute, and possibly thirteen and a half words. This assertion called -down upon him some criticism. On July 6, 1885, Mr. Field sent -ninety-five words from London to the President of the United States at -Washington in eighteen minutes. Ten minutes were required to send the -message from Buckingham Palace Hotel to Throgmorton Street, and eight -minutes from there to Washington. - -When in London he was up by five o'clock, though out at dinner every -night, and the servants at his hotel were known to say, "Mr. Field never -goes to sleep." His work while on either side of the Atlantic was -constant, and for that reason the long sea voyages proved a blessing. -The first days after sailing he would sleep continuously, only getting -up for his meals, and by so doing was rested and ready for any emergency -or pleasure on landing. - -Immediately upon his arrival in New York on September 23, 1863, he -prepared to welcome Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne. A reception was -given to Sir Alexander and Lady Milne by Mr. and Mrs. Field early in -October, and the letter from Washington refers to that entertainment: - -"TREASURY DEPARTMENT, _October 7, 1863_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--I am glad that you are doing your part - towards making the stay of the naval officers of the _Good Queen_ - in our metropolitan harbor agreeable to them. My faith is strong - that the English government will yet see that the interests of - mankind demand that there should be no alienation of the two great - branches of the Anglo-Saxon family from each other, and will do its - part towards removing all causes of alienation by full reparation - for the injuries inflicted on American commerce by unneutral acts - of British subjects, known to and not prevented by the responsible - authorities. - - "That's a long sentence, but I believe it conveys my meaning. I am - sorry I cannot accept the kind invitation of yourself and Mrs. - Field (to whom please make my best regards acceptable) to meet - these gallant officers. - -"Yours, very truly, -"S. P. CHASE." - - - -The answer to this letter was written on October the 9th: - - "I fully concur in every word you say in regard to the conduct of - the British government towards us: and hope, with you, that they - will see it is for our mutual interest, as well as for that of all - mankind, that friendly feelings should always exist between 'the - two great branches of the Anglo-Saxon family.' Vice-Admiral Sir - Alexander Milne left for Washington this morning.... - - "I have been very glad to do everything in my power to make his - visit to this city agreeable as possible, and I hope he will take - away with him from our shores very pleasing impressions of them, - and of the country and people." - -The coming of the English fleet to New York had been the subject of -discussion both in England and America; this command had been given to -the admiral: - - "The naval commander-in-chief on the North American and West India - Station is especially directed by the eighth article of his - instructions as follows: - - "You are strictly to abstain from entering any port of the United - States unless absolutely compelled to do so by the necessities of - the service." - -The order was not modified until the fall of 1863, when Admiral Milne -sailed from Halifax in H.M.S. _Nile_, with the _Immortalite_, _Medea_, -and _Nimble_ in company, and arrived off Sandy Hook early in October. To -use his own words: - - "On being visited by Mr. Archibald, Her Majesty's counsel, he - informed me of the strong and unfriendly feeling which then existed - against England in consequence of the building of the two ships of - war in Liverpool for the Southern States, and from various other - matters connected with the existing civil war, and that my - reception would probably be unsatisfactory. This, however, was not - the case; my visit was evidently acceptable, and proved most - satisfactory, and I received every attention from the authorities, - as well as private individuals, not only at New York, but also at - Washington, as will be seen by the following correspondence: - -"'WASHINGTON, _November 30, 1863_. - - "'_Sir_,--Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne having reported to the - Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty the great kindness and - courtesy with which he was received at Washington by the President - of the United States and the members of the Cabinet, I have been - instructed to convey to the government of the United States the - expression of the gratification which their lordships have felt at - the courtesy and attention so handsomely shown to the vice-admiral. - -"'I have, etc., -"'LYONS. - - "'The Hon. W. H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington.' - -"'DEPARTMENT OF STATE, -"'WASHINGTON, _December 3, 1863_. - - "_'My dear Lord Lyons_,--I have made known to the President and to - the heads of departments the agreeable communication you have made - to me in regard to the reception of Vice-Admiral Milne on the - occasion of his visit at this capital. - - "'The just, liberal, and courteous conduct of the admiral in the - performance of his duties while commanding H. M.'s naval forces in - the vicinity of the United States was known to this government - before his arrival, and it therefore afforded the President a - special satisfaction to have an opportunity to extend to him an - hospitable welcome. - -"'I am, etc., -"'W. H. SEWARD. - -"'The LORD LYONS.'" - - - -About this time there came unfavorable reports from England of the -affairs of the telegraph company. The work then was at a standstill, and -on November 20th Mr. Field wrote to Mr. Saward: "If you have new and -formidable difficulties you must make the greater exertions." And on -December 16th Mr. Saward wrote, urging him to come immediately to -England. - -On December 1, 1863, accordingly, he retired from business in New York, -in order to devote his whole time to further the efforts then being made -to lay a cable across the Atlantic, and on the 17th he gave up the -building No. 57 Beekman Street, where his office had been for some -years. His arrival in England early in January was reported in the -London _Telegraphic Journal_ of February 6th in these words: - - "The Atlantic telegraph project is again attracting public - attention. Mr. Cyrus W. Field, one of the leading spirits of the - undertaking, is again amongst us, full of hope and ready to embark - once more in the gigantic enterprise." - -Mr. John Bright said, in a speech made at a dinner given on the evening -of April 15, 1864: - - "Just before I came here I was speaking to a gentleman, a member of - Her Majesty's government--one of the present Cabinet--and I told - him, as I was coming out of the House, that I was going to dine - with some friends of the Atlantic telegraph. His countenance at - once brightened up, and he said to me: 'I look upon that as the - most glorious thing that man ever attempted; there is nothing else - which so excites my sympathies.' When he said that he spoke only - the feelings of every intelligent and moral man in the whole - world." - -But to carry out "the most glorious thing that man ever attempted" there -was endless work awaiting him, and what he accomplished in three months -is best told by himself, and is made to read continuously, although, in -fact, the words were spoken at different times on the evening just -referred to; he failed to say that he was one of the ten men who each -subscribed L10,000: - - "When I arrived in this country in January last the Atlantic - Telegraph Company trembled in the balance. We were in want of funds - and were in negotiations with the government and making great - exertions to raise the money. At this juncture I was introduced to - a gentleman of great integrity and enterprise, who is well known, - not only for his wealth, but for his foresight, and in attempting - to enlist him in our cause he put me through such a - cross-examination as I had never before experienced. I thought I - was in the witness-box. He inquired of me the practicability of the - scheme, what it would pay, and everything else connected with it, - but before I left him I had the pleasure of hearing him say that it - was a great national enterprise that ought to be carried out, and - he added, 'I will be one of ten to find the money required for it.' - From that day to this he has never hesitated about it, and when I - mention his name you will know him as a man whose word is as good - as his bond, and as for his bond there is no better in England. I - give you 'The health of Thomas Brassey.' The words spoken by Mr. - Brassey ... encouraged us all, and made us believe we should - succeed in raising the necessary capital, and I then went to work - to find nine other Thomas Brasseys (I did not know whether he was - an Englishman, a Scotchman, or an Irishman, but I made up my mind - that he combines all the good qualities of every one of them), and - after considerable search I met with a rich friend from Manchester, - and I asked him if he would second Mr. Brassey, and walked with him - from 28 Pall Mall to the House of Commons, of which he is a member. - Before we reached the House he expressed his willingness to do so - to an equal amount. A few days after that it was thought there - would be a great advantage arising out of the fusion of the - Gutta-percha Company and Messrs. Glass, Elliott & Co. into a public - telegraph construction and maintenance company, who would in that - form be able, with advantages to themselves, to help forward the - Atlantic telegraph. Mr. Pender then entered into it heart and soul, - and we have now a list of eminent capitalists in the United Kingdom - pledged to carry out that enterprise in the very best manner. I - therefore feel we are deeply indebted to Mr. Brassey and Mr. Pender - for the energetic way in which this matter has been taken up by - them, and I am truly glad to see the Telegraph Construction and - Maintenance Company established with the object and power of - carrying forward the extension of telegraphic communication in all - parts of the world. - - "The _Great Eastern_ Ship Company have acted in the most liberal - manner towards us, inasmuch as at present they are truly engaged in - a labor of love. From this day to the 31st of December, 1865, we - are to have the use of that magnificent vessel; and, if the cable - be not successfully laid, we shall not have to pay a single - shilling for the use of her. Should it be successful, we are then - to hand to the directors of the _Great Eastern_ Ship Company - L50,000 in shares. In all my business experience I have never known - any offer more honorable. I wish to say that those of you who last - honored me with your company at dinner in this house will recollect - that on that occasion I proposed the health of Mr. George Peabody - and his worthy partner, Mr. Morgan, and the latter replied to the - sentiment. I had stated in the course of my remarks preliminary to - the toast that when I called upon him in 1856 he gave the name of - his house as subscribers for L10,000 of the company's stock. In - reply to the toast, Mr. Morgan spoke of that L10,000 as lost money, - but promised a further subscription, nevertheless, towards carrying - out a new cable, and I am happy to say that yesterday he redeemed - his promise. That statement that he lost his money is not strictly - accurate. It is not lost. He knows where the cable is and can go - and get it. The money has been sown, and the plant is already out - of the ground, and is now growing up splendidly. It will soon be in - flower--I mean at a premium--and then there will be in the office - of Messrs. George Peabody & Co. more rejoicing over that L10,000 - which was lost and is found than over any L99,000 of their profits - that were never in danger. When I invited Mr. Morgan here this - evening, he consented to come upon the express condition that he - should not have to reply to any toast or make a speech. I will - therefore give you a sentiment, which, remember, he is on no - account to reply to; but I hope you have all, by this time, drunk - enough wine to enable you to imagine what he would say in reply to - it if he were under any obligation to respond. I ask you, then, to - drink success to the house of Messrs. George Peabody & Co." - -Before his friends left him, he said: - - "My stay in England is now drawing to a close, and never before - when about to embark for America did I feel more satisfied and - rejoiced at the position of our great undertaking; but with all - this a feeling of sadness at times steals over me. It seems to me - in those moments very doubtful whether many of us will ever meet - again. What little I could do has been done, and the enterprise is - now in the hands of the contractors, who, I am sure, will carry it - out to a triumphant success. It will do much to bind together - England and America, and base, indeed, will be the man, to whatever - country he may belong, that may dare, with an unhallowed tongue or - venomous pen, to sow discord among those who speak the same - language and profess the same religion, and who ought to be on - terms of the completest friendship. I shall leave in a few days for - my native land, for I think it wrong on the part of any American to - be away in the hour of peril to his country, unless it be on a - mission of peace; his place is otherwise at home at such a moment. - I will say, however, that if anyone here present should come to see - us in America, he will receive a hearty welcome from me, at all - events." - -The importance attached by his colleagues in the great enterprise to Mr. -Field's presence and personal participation in the task has often been -made evident in these pages, and it is explicitly set forth in the -following letter received by Mr. Field at a time when he considered that -his duty to his family might require his immediate return to America: - -"78, THE GROVE, CAMBERWELL, S., -"_23d February, 1864._ - - "_My dear Sir_,--Before you finally decide on leaving England let - me beg of you, in behalf of the great work for which you have - already made so many sacrifices, and also in regard to your large - pecuniary interest therein, to carefully consider the consequence - of prematurely going away. You will recollect that on both of the - two last occasions when you were good enough to cross the Atlantic - on this business, I strongly urged you to remain until all the - various matters preliminary to a fair start with the manufacture of - the cable were concluded and the necessary arrangements finally - settled; and had not your most natural anxiety to be again among - your family prevailed, I do think you might have been spared at - least your last voyage. - - "On the present occasion the undertaking has been benefited very - greatly by your presence, and the contracts now about to be entered - into are in their present position mainly on account of your - exertions. But they are not _completed_. Even if accepted to-day - there will be a great many points, when they come to be arranged in - a legal form, which I shall have to battle with the contractors and - others, and in doing which your aid will be most invaluable to me. - There are also arrangements to be made for securing the regular and - proper progress of the work, so as to give security that nothing is - neglected that will secure the success of the cable in 1865, and I - feel that if you remain I shall have security for getting them into - proper position. I therefore on every ground ask you not to leave - us until you have seen with your own eyes the cable actually - commenced and everything organized for its due continuance. You can - then leave with a comfortable assurance that all will go well. - - "I know how hard all this is for Mrs. Field, and you, who know how - much I love my own home, will, I am sure, believe me when I say how - much I sympathize with you and her in the sacrifices involved in - these continual separations; but it must be borne in mind that you - have been marked out by the Ruler of all things as the apostle of - this great movement, and this is a high mission and a noble - distinction, in which I am sure Mrs. Field herself would deeply - regret that you should come short of success, independently - altogether of the very large results to herself and family from the - pecuniary success or failure of the undertaking, all concerned in - which have hitherto been compelled to make greater or smaller - sacrifices in its behalf. - - "I leave this for your consideration, having felt it a duty to say - thus much to you in my private capacity upon what I consider a most - important subject. - -"I am, very dear sir, -"Very truly yours, -"GEORGE SAWARD]. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esquire, Palace Hotel, Buckingham -Gate." - - - -At the end of the report made to the shareholders of the Atlantic -Telegraph Company on March 16th, the Right Hon. James Stuart Wortley -said: - - "Without saying anything to detract from my deep source of - gratitude to the other directors, I cannot help especially alluding - to Mr. Cyrus Field, who is present to-day, and who has crossed the - Atlantic thirty-one times in the service of this company, having - celebrated at his table yesterday the anniversary of the tenth year - of the day when he first left Boston in the service of the company. - Collected round his table last night was a company of distinguished - men--members of Parliament, great capitalists, distinguished - merchants and manufacturers, engineers, and men of science--such as - is rarely found together, even in the highest home in this great - metropolis. It was very agreeable to see an American citizen so - surrounded. To me it was so personally, as it would have been to - you, and it was still more gratifying inasmuch as we were there to - celebrate the approaching accomplishment of the Atlantic - telegraph." - -And at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Telegraph -Company on May 4th, it was unanimously resolved, on the motion of Mr. -Lampson: - - "That the sincere thanks of this board be given to Mr. Cyrus W. - Field for his untiring energy in promoting the general interests of - the Atlantic Telegraph Company, and especially for his valuable and - successful exertions during his present visit to Great Britain in - reference to the restoration of its financial position and - prospects of complete success." - -His friend of many years wrote: - -"HOUSE OF COMMONS, _27th April, 1864_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field,_--I am obliged, I am sorry to say, by the - state of my health to deny myself the pleasure of accompanying you - to-morrow to witness the process in connection with the great - project for bringing the two worlds into instantaneous - communication--a project with which your name will be always - associated. I hope to have the pleasure of again shaking hands with - you before you leave us. If not, I shall look forward to the - gratification of welcoming you on the triumph of the Atlantic - telegraph. - - "With my best wishes for your welfare, - -"I remain -"Sincerely yours, -"RICHARD COBDEN." - - - -March 3d his name appears on the list of those who attended the meeting -at the London Tavern, when an "organization was formed of Americans in -the United Kingdom as an auxiliary to the United States Sanitary -Commission. One of the contributions that he received was one thousand -tons of coal from Mr. (now Sir George) Elliot. He sailed for home on May -7th, and on the 26th of the same month the New York, Newfoundland, and -London Telegraph Company passed this resolution: - - "That this company tender to Mr. Cyrus W. Field their sincere - thanks for the untiring perseverance, industry, and skill with - which he has labored gratuitously for over ten years to promote the - interests of this company, and to secure the successful laying of a - submarine cable from Newfoundland to Ireland. And we hereby express - our conviction that to him is due the credit, and to him this - company and the world will be indebted, for the successful laying - of the same." - -August, 1864, was passed in Newfoundland, and it was at this time that -he chose the landing-place for the new cable. "The little harbor in -Newfoundland that bears the gentle name of Heart's Content is a -sheltered nook where ships may ride at anchor, safe from the storms of -the ocean. It is but an inlet from that great arm of the sea known as -Trinity Bay, which is sixty or seventy miles long and twenty miles -broad. On the beach is a small village of some sixty houses, most of -which are the humble dwellings of those hardy men who vex the northern -seas with their fisheries. The place was never heard of outside of -Newfoundland till 1864, when Mr. Field, sailing up Trinity Bay in the -surveyors steamer _Margaretta Stevenson_, Captain Orlebar, R.N., in -search of a place for the landing of the ocean cable, fixed upon this -secluded spot. The old landing of 1858 was at the Bay of Bull's Arm, at -the head of Trinity Bay, twenty miles above. Heart's Content was chosen -now because its waters are still and deep, so that a cable skirting the -north side of the banks of Newfoundland can be brought in deep water -almost till it touches the shore. All around the land rises to -pine-crested heights." - -This is from a letter written to Mr. Saward on October the 10th: - - "Since my return home in May last I have been doing my utmost to - carry out the wishes of the directors and yourself in regard to the - control of the lines between Port Hood, New York, and Montreal, - with separate offices at Port Hood, Halifax, St. John's, N. B., - Boston, Quebec, Montreal, and New York, for the Atlantic telegraph, - and the best place for landing the cable in Newfoundland. To - accomplish these two objects I have seen almost all of the persons - who control the principal telegraph lines in America, and have - visited Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Poughkeepsie, Boston, - and Portland in the United States; St. John's and Fredericton in - New Brunswick; Charlottetown in Prince Edward's Island; Truro and - Halifax in Nova Scotia; Port Hood and Sydney in Cape Breton; St. - John's and Trinity and Placentia bays in Newfoundland; Quebec and - Montreal in Canada, and have travelled over sixty-three hundred - miles, viz.: - - "By railway, over 3280 miles. - "By steamers, over 2400 miles. - "By open wagon, over 500 miles. - "By stage-coach, over 150 miles. - "By fishing-boats, about 100 miles." - - - -And on October 24th: - - "I can hardly keep the business of the Atlantic Telegraph Company - out of my mind for a single moment." - -The future captain of the _Great Eastern_ wrote: - -"R.M.S.S. 'EUROPA,' _October 25, 1864_. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq.: - - "_My dear Sir_,--I am in receipt of your favor of the 24th inst., - for which I thank you. So far as it has gone you have paid me a - very high compliment. I have been afraid at times that you may have - thought me lukewarm upon the subject of commanding the _Great - Eastern_, and am desirous you should understand that I have - restrained my enthusiasm because I have not thought it likely I - should be chosen, and that, after all, it might be only your - partiality for me. - - "I would not have been surprised if, after consulting with Mr. - Cunard, your letter to me had alluded to the propriety of my giving - it no more heed. It is so difficult to know what estimate other - people may have formed of one's capacity for any considerable - effort--small things often give a strong bias--and he might have - suggested some other man to you as more likely than I. - - "I am, besides, still of opinion that the applicants for the honor - will be so numerous, and apparently so eligible, that the majority - of the directors will prefer a man over whom they will like to feel - that they have the greatest possible control. It will probably - appear objectionable to employ a man who felt himself the servant - of another company, and who, for anything they could tell, might - become ridiculously elated with the preference shown to him. - - "I feel these are objections that will be advanced, because were I - director I should urge them myself until well assured of fair - reasons for abandoning them. - - "You do, however, want a man who is familiar with the Atlantic--its - fogs, ice and method of its gales--and, above all, one who will - devote himself to working with the engineers of the cable, who, - after all, _must be_ obeyed. Any fellow who shows signs of - advancing his own whims in opposition to theirs must be thrown - overboard. No want of harmony should interfere with so great a - scheme. - - "I would recommend that whoever you may put in command should be - sent to have a look at the locality and neighboring coast where the - cable is to be landed. This may prove of vital importance should - the coast be approached in the summer fogs or haze. - - "I hope you will understand from this that I fairly covet the - distinction, yet could not wisely leave so fine a service for - anything so indefinite as the command of the _Great Eastern_ may - prove to be. Should I be chosen for the temporary command, I would, - for my own reputation, and in my friendship for you, bend all my - energies to insure success to so grand an international scheme. - - "I know Professor Bache very well. Admiral Dupont, General Doyle, - Agassiz, Pierce, and others dine with me to-day. I know Bache so - much that I think nothing too good for him. The United States coast - survey is a monument to his fame that can never die or become - useless, and I think its accuracy is unquestionable. - - "With renewed thanks for your interest in me, and every kind wish - to you and yours, - -"I remain -"Yours very truly, -"JAMES ANDERSON. - - "P. S.--I think I resume command of the _China_ again on my return, - but do not yet know." - -For the account of a dinner given by Mr. Field on the evening of -December 12th in this year we are indebted to the _Life of General John -A. Dix_: - - "On the ---- of December, 1864, while in command of the Department - of the East, I was dining at the house of Mr. Cyrus W. Field with a - party of ladies and gentlemen. Lord Lyons, the British Minister, - sat on Mrs. Field's right hand, and my seat was next to his. When - the dinner had been a short time in progress a telegraphic despatch - was brought to me at the table informing me that a party of - secessionists from Canada had taken possession of the village of - St. Albans, in Vermont, and were plundering it. Informing Mr. and - Mrs. Field that I had received a communication which demanded my - personal attention, I left the table, promising to return as soon - as possible. I immediately went to my headquarters, and telegraphed - to the commanding officer at Burlington--the nearest military - station--ordering him to send the forces at his disposal to St. - Albans with the utmost despatch, and, if the marauders were still - there, to capture them if possible. I instructed him also that if - he came in sight of them and they crossed the Canada line while he - was in pursuit, to follow them. - - "After giving these orders I returned to the dinner-table, and, - having resumed my seat, told Lord Lyons that I had been called away - by a very unpleasant summons, and informed him what I had heard - from St. Albans and what order I had given." - -This dinner was referred to by Mr. Field, and he has said that when -General Dix told him of his order he exclaimed, "That means war." He was -persuaded that had it not been that Lord Lyons and General Dix were -together this evening when the news of the invasion was received serious -trouble might have arisen between the two countries. Before the evening -was over the general and the minister had had a long talk, and later -General Dix modified his order, so far as it related to the pursuit of -the invaders into Canadian territory. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE FAILURE OF 1865 - - -On February 25, 1865, Mr. Field writes: - - "I have been absent from New York for some time on a visit to - Washington and to General Grant's army." - -It was on the previous day that he had written to London: - - "I do most sincerely hope that Captain James Anderson, of the - Cunard steamer _China_, will be appointed to the command of the - _Great Eastern_ during the laying of the Atlantic telegraph - cable.... With Captain Anderson in command and Messrs. Canning and - Clifford superintending the laying of the cable, I should feel the - greatest confidence that all would go right." - -The _China_ was at this time on her way to New York. She sailed again on -her return voyage, March 8th, and Mr. Field was on board as a passenger. -The following letter from Captain Anderson is evidently the sequel of -their conversations on the voyage: - -"34 RICHMOND TERRACE, BEECH ROAD, -"LIVERPOOL, _March 19, 1865_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--I purpose going up to London sometime - to-morrow. I did not get the _China_ moored until four P.M., so - that I have still the necessary custom entries to make. - - "I shall meet you at breakfast Tuesday morning as early as you - like, and shall look for a note upon my arrival at your hotel. I - shall telegraph when I start. - - "Mr. David MacIver appears to have laid his plans for the - possibility of my being required to remain behind at this time, but - will require an answer at latest on Wednesday morning. It will - therefore be necessary that I should be in communication as early - as possible on Tuesday morning with some one who could proceed to - the ship with me and talk the matter over. - - "I dare say there may be no more work required than could be done - after my arrival in May, but it would then be too late to undo - anything. - - "I have, however, the greatest faith in the engineering skill and - experience of Messrs. Glass, Elliott & Co., and believe I shall - find myself unable to suggest much that they are not already quite - familiar with, but I naturally would like to identify myself with - some knowledge of the storage and plans for lifting the ship, with - a view to trim for steering, pitching, or rolling as she becomes - lighter. - - "I would like to see how the tanks are connected with each other in - their communication, and to understand the process of paying out, - the possibility of ever requiring to check it, and to be generally - familiar with men and material below the deck. - - "You know I think prevention better than cure, and that it is the - distinct duty of a ship-master to be familiar with what is to be - apprehended, and, so far as he can, to have some plans in his mind - to which he can resort when his foresight has proved insufficient. - I do not apprehend or fear any difficulty to your great enterprise, - but as little as possible should be left to chance or inspiration. - - "The essentials, as far as I am concerned, would be to _see for - myself all_ the ground tackling _clear_ and efficient; - - "The steering gear and prevention ditto in good order; - - "The sails necessary to steady the ship in a chance breeze; - - "The _compasses_ and their _adjustment_ and all the means that are - available for freeing the ship from water. - - "I should like to get around me such a staff of men that I might - hope to rely at least upon a portion of them. - - "If the crew are all shipped at the last moment, you begin with a - difficulty at once. I would not, of course, incur the expense of - employing a large crew at present, but I would select a good - nucleus, and have the ship's work and discipline well in hand in - good season. - - "Is the ship to go into Valentia Harbor? If so, I advise you to let - me go and see it. It is narrow. Should it prove a calm day this - might be of no moment, but it is not always calm in Ireland; we - might have to wait for a day or two. But these are first thoughts. - I will see what I think on Tuesday. Perhaps you might show this - letter to Mr. Canning, or any one you like. If they think I should - now join them, immediate application should be made; if not, it - will be very bad if I cannot work with the tools I get. - -"Sincerely yours, -"JAMES ANDERSON." - - - -The foresight and circumspection displayed in this note were -characteristic, and were among the qualities which, combined with -Captain Anderson's seamanship and long experience on the Atlantic, made -Mr. Field anxious to secure his services. The application to the Cunard -company for a leave of absence was granted, and there was no fault to be -found with the manner in which the temporary captain of the _Great -Eastern_ performed this part of the work. - - "The _Great Eastern_ had arrived at her berth in the Medway on the - 11th of July, 1864," wrote Mr. Field, "and the work on the three - tanks was begun at once. They were not completely finished until - February, 1865, although the coiling began on January 20th. The - admiralty had detailed two vessels, the _Amethyst_ and _Iris_, to - take the cable from the works to the _Great Eastern_, and late in - June all was safely on board." - -This work was progressing so successfully that upon Mr. Field's arrival -in England he found it unnecessary for him to remain there, and that it -was possible for him to go to Egypt to attend the preliminary inspection -of the Suez Canal. He was duly accredited as a representative from the -Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York. His letter of appointment -is dated March 7, 1865, and sets forth: "You have been selected to -represent this chamber at the conference of representatives of Chambers -of Commerce invited to meet at Alexandria, Egypt, on the sixth day of -April next, by the Universal Company of the Suez Canal, to survey and -report upon the works undertaken by them to connect the Mediterranean -and the Red seas, and the great advantages to commerce which this new -line of water navigation promises." This journey was a most interesting -one. In his speech at Ismailia, on April 11th, he said: - - "I am sure that all who witness what we have will agree that a ship - canal can be made across the Isthmus of Suez by the expenditure of - money under the direction of the best engineers of the nineteenth - century. You, Mr. President, are engaged in the great work of - dividing two continents for the benefit of every commercial nation - in the world.... Within the next three months I hope to have the - pleasure of seeing two hemispheres connected by a submarine cable, - and when that is done you will be able to telegraph from this place - in the Great Desert of Africa, through a part of Asia, across the - Continent of Europe, under the deep Atlantic, and over America to - the shores of the Pacific; and your message will arrive there - several hours in advance of the sun." - -And at Cairo, on the 17th, he said to M. de Lesseps and those with him: - - "Thirteen days since I arrived in Egypt an entire stranger, six - thousand miles away from home, but you received me with such - kindness that I at once felt that I was surrounded by friends; and - now, when we have met for the last time that we shall all be - together in this world, I have mingled feelings of joy and sadness. - Joy and gratitude that I have been with you on our most interesting - journey across the Isthmus of Suez, to examine that great work now - being constructed, of a ship canal from the Mediterranean to the - Red Sea; sadness that we now bid each other farewell. For all of - your kindness to me I most sincerely thank you, and if any of you - should visit America, while my heart beats you will receive a most - cordial welcome from me." - -As it was not thought imperative for Captain Anderson to remain in -England in March, he made another voyage in command of the _China_, and, -on April 14th, while in New York, wrote to Mrs. Field: - - "I am glad you have had such good news from your good husband. I - shall be astonished if he reports well of the canal, and should be - well satisfied to be assured of a healthy life until the first ship - sailed through the great ditch. I am quite curious to know what he - will say about it." - -Mr. Field returned to London on May 1st, and that same day was at a -public meeting of Americans held "in order to give expression to their -feelings respecting the late distressing intelligence from America"--the -assassination of President Lincoln. Mr. Adams, the American minister, -presided, and Mr. Field closed his speech with these words: - - "Just before leaving America I called to see President Lincoln, and - I know how deeply he desired peace in America and peace in all the - world. I trust, therefore, that everything calculated to stir up - ill-feeling between North and South--even the last sad deeds--or - between England and America, will be allowed to die with the good - man who has been taken away and will be buried in his grave - forever. If Mr. Lincoln could speak to-day he would urge upon every - one to do all he could to allay the passions which have been - excited in America; and I hope all will comply with what I believe - would be his wish." - -The weeks passed rapidly in active preparation for the summer's attempt -to lay another cable. This account is from the London _Star_ of May -30th: - - "At ten minutes past five yesterday afternoon the new telegraphic - cable, destined once more to connect England with America, was - completed. The last thread of wire was twisted, the last revolution - of the engine accomplished, and the mechanism of that subtle and - silent speech which henceforth is to unite two continents was ready - to be put in operation.... It was not to be expected that such a - propitious occasion should be allowed to pass without the - celebration of a dinner. No true-born Englishman could have lent - his countenance to a scheme which was not so inaugurated, and - therefore, towards evening, the gentlemen who had visited the works - of Messrs. Glass & Elliott proceeded westward to the Ship Tavern, - where a very princely entertainment had been provided. John Pender, - Esq., M. P., was in the chair. One of the toasts was: "Cyrus W. - Field, Esq.--may his energy and perseverance in behalf of the - Atlantic Telegraph Company be rewarded by the permanent success of - the cable." - -What follows is the beginning of a long article in the London _Times_ of -June 19th: - - "At length all the preparations connected with the final departure - of this great telegraphic expedition are completed. On Wednesday - the _Amethyst_ left the telegraph works with the last length of 245 - miles of cable on board, and on Saturday the operation of coiling - this in was begun. This work will probably last till the 22d inst., - when the _Great Eastern_ will have in her as nearly as possible - 7000 tons of cable, or, including the iron tanks which contain it - and the water in which it is sunk, about 9000 tons in all. In - addition to this she has already 7000 tons of coal on board, and - 1500 tons more still to take in. This additional weight, however, - will not be added till she leaves the Medway, which she will do on - the morning of the 24th for the Nore, when the rest of the coals - and special stores will be put aboard, and these will bring her - mean draught down to 321/2 feet. Her total weight, including engines, - will then be rather over 21,000 tons--a stupendous mass for any - ship to carry, but well within the capacity of the _Great Eastern_, - of which the measurement tonnage is 24,000. Her way out from the - Nore will be by Bullock's Channel, which the admiralty are having - carefully buoyed to avoid all risk in these rather shallow waters. - Before the following spring tides set in, about the 6th or 7th of - July, the _Great Eastern_ will start for Valentia. There she is - expected to arrive about the 9th or 10th, and there she will be met - by the two ships of war appointed to convoy her--the _Terrible_ and - the _Sphinx_. Both these vessels are being fitted with the best - apparatus for deep-sea soundings; with buoys and means for buoying - the end of the cable, if ever it should become necessary; and with - Bollen's night-light naval signals, with which the _Great Eastern_ - is likewise to be supplied. To avoid all chance of accident the big - ship will not approach the Irish coast nearer than twenty or - twenty-five miles, and her stay off Valentia will be limited to the - time occupied in making a splice with the massive shore end which - for a length of twenty-five miles from the coast will be laid - previous to her arrival. This monstrous shore end, which is the - heaviest and strongest piece of cable ever made, will be despatched - in a few days, and be laid from the head of a sheltered inlet near - Cahirciveen out to the distance we have stated, where the end will - be buoyed and watched by the ships of war till the _Great Eastern_ - herself comes up. Some idea of the strength and solidity of this - great end may be guessed by the fact that its weight per mile is - very little short of one-half the weight of an ordinary railway - metal. For the shore end at Newfoundland only three miles are - required, and this short length will be sent in the _Great - Eastern_." - -The request that American war vessels should accompany the expedition -was made in the early spring, as is shown by this correspondence: - -"NEW YORK, _March 1, 1865_. - - "_Sir_,--The undersigned honorary directors of the Atlantic - Telegraph Company have the honor to transmit to the President of - the United States the draft of a letter to the Honorable the - Secretary of the Navy, deeming it a matter of propriety that an - application of so interesting a character shall be made to the Navy - Department of the United States through the chief executive of the - nation, whose interest in behalf of the enterprise thus presented - is earnestly invoked. - - "We have the honor to be, - "Very respectfully, - "Your obedient servants, - - "W. E. DODGE, PETER COOPER, - "WILSON G. HUNT, A. A. LOW, - "E. M. ARCHIBALD, CYRUS W. FIELD, - "Honorary Directors in America. - - "To his Excellency ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United - States." - -[Illustration: ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLE . 1865] - -"NEW YORK, _March 1, 1865_. - - "_Sir_,--Under an act of Congress approved March 3, 1857, the - government of the United States detailed the steam frigates - _Niagara_ and _Susquehanna_ to assist in laying the cable of the - Atlantic Telegraph Company from Ireland to Newfoundland, and the - following year sent the _Niagara_, under the command of Captain - Hudson, to co-operate with the _Agamemnon_, of her Britannic - Majesty's navy, in the further prosecution of this enterprise. - These vessels meeting in mid-ocean on the 28th day of July, 1858, - after connecting the wire, separated, the _Agamemnon_ sailing for - Valentia, on the coast of Ireland, and the _Niagara_ for Trinity - Bay, on the coast of Newfoundland. They reached their respective - destinations on the 5th day of August, and the work of uniting the - two continents by telegraphic communication was successfully - accomplished. - - "For a brief time messages were transmitted from one continent to - the other, among the most interesting being the announcement of - peace between Great Britain and France and China. The success, as - happily achieved, but only temporary, was still sufficient to - assure the parties engaged of a final and perfect fulfilment. - - "The capital of the Atlantic Telegraph Company has once more been - filled up, and a new cable is now in course of shipment, on board - of the _Great Eastern_, and will be wholly embarked on or before - the 1st of June next. During that month we have every reason to - think it will be successfully laid, seven years of experience, with - the added teaching of science, affording very ample grounds for - this conclusion. - - "Regarding this as an enterprise of great international importance, - we invite the attention of the government of the United States to - this new effort of the Atlantic Telegraph Company, and respectfully - request the Honorable the Secretary of the Navy once more to detail - a ship of war to act with such vessel of the British navy as her - Britannic Majesty may appoint to accompany the _Great Eastern_ on - her projected mission. - - "The lapse of time since the first attempt was made to unite the - continents by a system of telegraphic communication has not tended - to abate the interest which originally centred upon this bold - undertaking. On the contrary, four years of civil war, prolific of - events demanding immediate and mutual explanations between Great - Britain and the United States, have contributed to strengthen and - deepen the interest with which at first it was so universally - regarded. May we not reasonably indulge the hope that, as the old - cable first conveyed to the Western World the news of restored - peace in China, one of the first messages through the wires about - to be immersed may convey to the Old World from the New tidings of - peace re-established in the West, of the States reunited, and - slavery everywhere abolished, and that henceforward all causes of - misunderstanding between Great Britain and the United States may be - instantaneously removed? - - "We have the honor to be, - "Very respectfully, - "Your obedient servants, - - "PETER COOPER, WM. E. DODGE, - "A. A. LOW, WILSON G. HUNT, - "CYRUS W. FIELD, E. M. ARCHIBALD, - - "Honorary Directors in America. - - "To Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. - -The only explanation ever vouchsafed of the failure of this application -was the suggestion, published in a New York paper, that it was "because -England had not withdrawn her proclamation excluding our vessels from -her ports under what is termed her 'twenty-four hours' rule.'" - -The _Great Eastern_ left Medway on June 24th, and removed to the Nore, -and on July the 15th left that anchorage. The progress of the great ship -is chronicled in the following extracts from the London papers: - -"PORTSMOUTH, _July 16th_. - - "The _Great Eastern_ passed Newton at 2 P.M., five miles off land, - under steam and sail; wind light, southerly." - -"VALENTIA, _July 23d_. - - "Yesterday morning the first great step in the important - undertaking was accomplished by hauling on land the massive shore - end up the cliffs at the southwestern extremity of this island." - -"VALENTIA, _July 24th_. - - "Before this reaches the public the _Great Eastern_, if all goes - well, will already have laid some 300 miles of the Atlantic cable." - -"ON BOARD 'GREAT EASTERN,' -"_Friday morning_. - - "Five hundred nautical miles of cable were paid out at 10.50 A.M. - to-day. The distance run at 9.50 A.M. was 450 miles. - - "The signals are perfect; weather fine." - -"ON BOARD 'GREAT EASTERN,' -"_Wednesday morning, August 2d_. - - "Twelve hundred miles paid out at 7.50 A.M.; 1050 run by _Great - Eastern_ at 6.50 A.M. - - "All going on well." - -"_August 7th._ - - "Although the precise cause of the catastrophe is still a mystery, - there remains but faint hope that the fate of the Atlantic cable is - not already decided. Four days have elapsed since the signals - ceased to evoke any return, and those received at Valentia became - unintelligible." - -"_August 17th._ - - "Arrival of the _Great Eastern_, Crookhaven. Failure of the - Atlantic telegraph expedition." - -An illustrated paper published on the _Great Eastern_, and called _The -Atlantic Telegraph_, tells of some of the days that passed so -mysteriously to those on land: - -"_Saturday, July 29, 1865._ - -"OUR WEEKLY SUMMARY. - - "The week just completed has been most exciting, several mishaps - having occurred, but we are enabled to state that everything at the - time of our going to press was most satisfactory, both as regards - the ship's progress and the chief objects of her voyage across the - Atlantic. - - "On Monday the hopes of all interested in the success of the - undertaking were much damped by the intelligence that all was not - right with the cable. The chief engineer immediately proceeded to - stop the 'paying out' of the cable, and gave orders for 'paying in' - the same. This latter operation is very slow and unsatisfactory, - and answers to the 'paying out' of the pockets of the shareholders, - whereas the 'paying out' of the cable contributes to the 'paying - in' as regards the same pockets. This curious feature will be - better understood by a reference to our money market intelligence. - -"MONEY MARKET. - - "Money scarce. Exchange, 00. - -"STOCK EXCHANGE. - - "There has been great fluctuation in the shares of the Atlantic - Telegraph and Great Ship companies. - -"NEWS OF THE WEEK. - - "The _Great Eastern_ speeds nobly on her mission of towing the - islands of Great Britain and Ireland to America. In less than ten - days it is expected that a splice will be effected between the two - countries, and long, long may it last. - -"AMUSEMENTS FOR THE DAY. - - "12 noon.--Luncheon and _Daily Navigator_. - - "5.30.--Dinner. - - "8.--Tea. - - "9 to 11 P.M.--Grog, possibly with whist. - - "From daylight till dusk.--Looking out for the _Sphinx_. (Through - the kindness and liberality of the admiralty, this interesting - amusement will be open to the public free of charge.) - - "N. B.--The above amusements, with the exception of whist, are - gratis. - -"FINIS. - - "_The Atlantic Telegraph_ will be published till further notice. - The price will be, for the series, five shillings, including the - cover, and the proceeds will be devoted to such purposes as Captain - Anderson shall appoint. - - "Communications to be addressed to the editor at No. 14 Lower South - Avenue, Middle District. - -"FINIS." - - - -"THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. - -"_Saturday, August 12, 1865._ - - "The events of the last ten days have caused so much anxiety to the - chiefs of this expedition, and, indeed, to all on board, that it - appeared to us unseemly to allow our funny writer, or any one in - our employ, to utter any ill-timed joke. That anxiety is now over, - and though it be not supplanted by the exultation of success, let - us accept our failure in the healthy spirit shown by the chief - sufferers, and with an expression of sincere regret let us wipe - from our brain what of the past is unavailing, and turn to the - future with that hope and confidence which are justified by the - experience gained by failure. As in kingdoms they say, 'The king is - dead; the king liveth,' so let us say, 'The cable is dead; the - cable liveth.' All honor and glory to our new sovereign! - - - "DEEP-SEA FISHING. - - "It being ascertained that the sea-serpent was somewhere in - latitude 51 deg. 30' N., longitude 39 deg. W., Captain Anderson, - accompanied by Messrs. Canning and Clifford and a party of - scientific gentlemen, endeavored to capture the monster. It being - found that the lazy brute lies perfectly still at the bottom of the - ocean, and being fed by sea animals, a bait was useless. A strong - wire rope, with a grapnel attached, was lowered to a depth of 2000 - fathoms. After drifting a while, they grappled the monster and - brought him up 1000 fathoms, when, unfortunately, the swivel gave - way. Two or three attempts were made, with a like result, and it - was resolved to postpone all operations to a more favorable time. - - - "ADVERTISEMENT. - - "Captain Anderson will sell by auction in the chief saloon of the - _Great Eastern_, on Saturday, August 12th, at one o'clock, the - following articles, the property of various gentlemen leaving their - present quarters: - - "Lot 1.--_The Great Eastern._ For cards to view apply to Mr. Gooch, - on board. - - "Lot 2.--The good-will of the Atlantic Telegraph Company. (This - invisible property is in Mr. Field's possession.) - - * * * * * - - "Lot 12.--A free pass from Boston or Halifax to Liverpool by any of - the Cunard boats, the proprietor, Mr. W. Russell, having no use for - the same." - -The accompanying illustration appeared at the end of the papers, with -this verse: - - "No useless sentry within the tank, - Not in slumber or sleep we found him; - But he sat like a warrior stiff on his plank, - With his Inverness cloak around him." - -It was while Mr. Field was on watch on August 2d that "a grating noise -was audible as the cable flew over the coil," and "There is a piece of -wire" was called to the lookout man. The fault was discovered, and the -cable was transferred without difficulty to the bows, and the picking up -was going on quietly when the strain became too great and it parted. - -To quote from _The Atlantic Telegraph_: - - "Mr. Canning appeared in the saloon, and, in a manner which caused - all to start, said: 'It is all over--it is gone,' and hastened - onward to his cabin. Mr. Field, ere the thrill of surprise and pain - occasioned by those words had passed away, came from the - companionway into the saloon, and said, with composure admirable - under the circumstances, though his lip quivered and his cheek was - blanched, 'The cable has parted and gone overboard.' - - "After this grappling was determined upon. At 11.30 on August 11th - the _Great Eastern_ signalled to the _Terrible_, 'We are going to - make a final effort.' The cable was caught and was brought up 765 - fathoms, and was then lost." - -At Dundee, Scotland, in 1867, Sir William Thomson said: - - "I shall never forget the day when we last gave up hope of - finishing the work in 1865. On that day Cyrus Field renewed a - proposal for the adoption of the plan which has been adopted, and - which has led to the successful completion of the enterprise. Cyrus - Field's last prospectus was completed in the grand saloon of the - _Great Eastern_ on the day when we gave up all hope for 1865." - -[Illustration: THE NIGHT-WATCH - -(From a lithograph drawn and printed on board the _Great Eastern_.)] - -On the morning of the 12th the _Terrible_, one of the vessels detailed -and the one that had acted as pilot, was directed to resume her journey -westward and to carry letters to America. As she steamed away she -signalled "Farewell"; the _Great Eastern_ answered "Good-bye, thank -you." - -The following message is without doubt the one sent by this conveyance -to Mr. Field's family: - - "_Great Eastern_ left mouth of the Thames July 15th. Shore end - landed in Ireland on 22d. Parted on August 2d in latitude 51 deg. 25' - north, longitude 39 deg. 6' west, 1062.4 miles from Valentia Bay, 606.6 - miles from Heart's Content. Spent nine days in grappling; used up - all wire, rope; nothing left, so obliged to return to England. - Three times cable was caught, and hauled up for more than - three-quarters of a mile from bed of the ocean." - -The news of the failure of the cable expedition reached New York after -the middle of August, and in a degree the country was prepared for it. -The _Cuba_ early in August had brought word of the trouble that had -occurred on the 29th of July. - -The suspense and anxiety had been so great to Mr. Field's family that -the loss of the cable was as nothing compared to the relief they -experienced at knowing that he was alive. Mr. David Dudley Field has -told of going to Garrison's on the Hudson, where the family were passing -the summer, to express sympathy, and that he found a very happy group, -and was met with the words, "Is not this delightful?" - -This letter was one of the first received by Mrs. Field: - -"NORTH CONWAY, _19th August, 1865_. - - "_My dear Friend_,--Emerging from the wilderness at Moosehead Lake, - my first inquiry was for news concerning the cable. I have not had - a full long breath ever since, such has been my suspense. - - "Day and night our thoughts have been with you and dear Mr. Field. - Outside of your own family perhaps no one has known more of the - hopes, the sacrifices, the efforts involved in this great - undertaking. Certainly no one has felt more of interest in his - success than I have. His pluck, bravery, and faith have always - elicited my admiration, and inspired me with absolute confidence in - his ultimate triumph over all difficulties. He has surely done his - part well. He deserves the approbation and honor of the civilized - world. - - "To-day for the first time I have heard of the parting of the - cable. It seems as if a strong cord had snapped in my own heart. I - feel most keenly for Mr. Field's disappointment. The disaster comes - home to us all. - - "Mrs. Adams and myself talk much of you. We hope you have good news - as to the health of your husband. How does he bear up with all this - excitement and revulsion? I trust he will soon be returned to you - safe and well; most of all, that he and you and we may yet see the - complete success of this wonderful enterprise.... - - "Very truly and affectionately your friend and pastor, - -"W. ADAMS." - - - -To copy once more from his papers: - - "This last attempt at ocean-cable laying proved conclusively that - all the principal difficulties had been overcome in the way of - carrying the grand enterprise to successful completion. The _Great - Eastern_ as a cable ship had proved herself admirably fitted for - the service on which she was employed. The cable itself could - hardly be improved. The paying-out apparatus was almost perfect, - and on this occasion it did not require any great amount of - persuasion to induce the directors of the company to go on with the - work. - - "A meeting was at once called, and the board resolved not only to - pick up the lost cable, but to construct and lay another, both - operations to be performed in the following year, and the _Great - Eastern_ to be employed in the service. The contractors made a - liberal offer to the company, and the directors decided to raise - L600,000 of new capital." - -All work for the coming year having apparently been most satisfactorily -settled, he returned home in September. A friend on the steamer with him -said: - - "We heard Mr. Field was a passenger. We felt the deepest sympathy - for him, and to our surprise he was the life of the ship and the - most cheerful one on board. He said: 'We have learned a great deal, - and next summer we shall lay the cable without doubt.'" - -But again came discouragement. November 3d Captain Anderson wrote: - - "I cannot yet write a cheerful letter.... I cannot see any - difficulty to our success but the one item of money. We are losing - time. The board has already lost its margin, and it will end, must - end now, by being in a hurry at the last. - - "I am sorry you are not here. Somehow no one seems to push when you - are absent." - -On November 27th Mr. Field wrote to Mr. Saward: - - "Unless I have more favorable news from London in regard to the - Atlantic telegraph, it is my intention to sail for Liverpool on the - _Scotia_ on the 13th of December." - -He did not reach England a day too soon. On December 22d the -Attorney-General had given the opinion that only an act of Parliament -could legalize the issue of the twelve per cent. preference shares. -Parliament was not to meet until February, and then there would be a -delay in passing the bill. For this reason the money subscribed had been -returned, and the work of manufacturing the cable stopped. Mr. Field -accepted the opinion given, but also saw a way out of the difficulty. -It seems as if Mr. O'Neil's words in _Blackwood's Magazine_ referred to -this crisis and not to the failure of the previous summer: - - "Mr. Cyrus Field, the pioneer of Atlantic enterprise, full of hope - and confidence, and never betraying anxiety or despair even at the - most serious disaster--a man whose restless energy is best shown in - his spare yet strong frame, as if his daily food but served for the - development of schemes for the benefit of mankind in general and - the profit of individuals in particular, every stoppage in our - progress being marked by the issue of a fresh prospectus, each - showing an increase of dividend as the certain result of confiding - speculation--and, I say, all honor to him for his unswerving - resolution to complete that great work for the success of which he - has toiled so long and so earnestly." - -It was on December 30th that Captain Anderson wrote: - -"SHEERNESS, _Saturday, 30th, '65_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--Thanks for your cheering letter. I have - great hopes in your energy and talent. I feel as if our watch had - got the mainspring replaced, and had been trying to go without it - for the last three months. At all events, I know nothing will be - left undone that human energy can accomplish. - - "With the compliments of the season, and every kind wish, in which - my good wife joins me, - -"I remain -"Sincerely yours, -"JAMES ANDERSON." - - - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -THE CABLE LAID--CABLE OF 1865 GRAPPLED FOR AND RECOVERED--PAYMENT OF -DEBTS - -(1866) - - -Mr. Field said of this crisis: - - "I reached London on the 24th of December, 1865, and the next day - was not a 'Merry Christmas' to me. But it was an inexpressible - comfort to have the counsel of such men as Sir Daniel Gooch and Sir - Richard A. Glass; and Mr. Brassey said, 'Mr. Field, don't be - discouraged; go down to the company and tell them to go ahead, and - whatever the cost, I will bear one-tenth of the whole. - - "It was finally concluded that the best course was to organize a - new company, which should assume the work; and so originated the - Anglo-American Telegraph Company. It was formed by ten gentlemen - who met around a table in London and put down L10,000 apiece. - - "The great Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company, - undaunted by the failure of last year, answered us with a - subscription of L100,000. Soon after, the books were opened to the - public through the eminent banking house of J. S. Morgan & Co., and - in fourteen days we had raised the whole L600,000. Then the work - began again, and went on with speed. Never was greater energy - infused into any enterprise. It was only the first day of March - that the new company was formed, and was registered as a company - the next day; and yet such were the vigor and despatch that in five - months from that day the cable had been manufactured, shipped on - the _Great Eastern_, stretched across the Atlantic, and was sending - messages, literally swift as lightning, from continent to - continent. The cable was manufactured at the rate of twenty miles a - day." - -Captain Anderson wrote from the _Great Eastern_ at Sheerness on March -2d: - - "I hope you are keeping well and not sacrificing your health for - even the Atlantic cable." - -After referring to some slight complications, he adds: - - "But this will all come right, as you so often say, and surely we - shall live to laugh at it yet. At least you ought to have your day - of triumph, as you have had your long years of struggle." - -March 5th, Captain Moriarty wrote from H.M.S. _Fox_: - - "I am as sanguine as even yourself in the practicability and almost - certainty of raising the present cable, and feel all the more - interested in it in consequence of the incredulity of naval men and - others." - -Mr. Field gave a dinner at the Buckingham Palace Hotel on April 5th; the -American minister, Mr. Adams, sat on his right, and the Earl of -Caithness on his left. _The Morning Star_, in speaking of the dinner, -said: "Mr. Field, with almost inspired fervor, spoke of the certainty -with which it would soon be possible to speak between England and -America in a minute of time." - -"ROCHDALE, _March 26, '66_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--I shall not be in London before the 9th - April, and therefore shall not be able to dine with you on the 5th, - which I much regret. - - "If you could come down here on your way to Liverpool, I should be - very glad to see you. I expect to be at home till the end of the - week. - - "I hope your telegraph labors have been successful, and that before - the summer is over you will see your noble effort successful. - - "I am anxious about what is doing in Washington, but I have lost - faith in the President, and think Mr. Seward is allowing himself to - be dragged into the mud of his Southern propensities. If Grant - continues firm with the Republican party, he may prevent great - mischief. The power of the President seems too great in an - emergency of this nature. His language shows that his temper is not - calm enough for dangerous times. In this he falls immeasurably - below Mr. Lincoln. - - "But if I despair of the President, I shall have faith in the - people. - - "I wish you a pleasant voyage and a complete success in your great - undertaking. - -"Always sincerely your friend, -"JOHN BRIGHT." - - - -"ROCHDALE, _March 28, '66_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--I will try to come to Liverpool to meet you - on Friday, the 6th April, nothing unforeseen preventing. - - "I shall be glad to spend a quiet evening with you before you sail. - I shall be glad also to meet Mr. Dudley. - - "You seem, as usual, to be hard at work up to the last day of your - stay here. - -Always truly your friend, -"JOHN BRIGHT." - - - -He sailed from Liverpool on April 7th by the steamship _Persia_, -arriving in New York on Thursday, April 19th, and he immediately took -his return passage for England in the steamship _Java_, which was to -sail from New York on May 30th. May 1st he wrote to Captain Anderson: -"Many thanks for your kind letter the 13th ultimo, received yesterday." -Every word of encouragement was always helpful to his eager temperament, -and of course it was especially so at this time, after so many -disappointments. - -Mr. Russell, in his book on _The Atlantic Telegraph_, says: - - "It has been said that the greatest boons conferred on mankind have - been due to men of one idea. If the laying of the Atlantic cable be - among those benefits, its consummation may certainly be attributed - to the man who, having many ideas, devoted himself to work out one - idea, with a gentle force and patient vigor which converted - opposition and overcame indifference. Mr. Field maybe likened - either to the core or the external protection of the cable itself. - At times he has been its active life, again he has been its - iron-bound guardian. Let who will claim the merit of having first - said the Atlantic cable was possible, to Mr. Field is due the - inalienable merit of having made it possible and of giving to an - abortive conception all the attributes of healthy existence." - -"_Friday evening, 29th May._ - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--I had hoped to see you to-day, but I have - been a prisoner.... If I do not see you before you leave to-morrow, - I pray God to bestow His best favor on you and the noble work in - which you are so fervently engaged. - - "You will be remembered by very many who will not cease to implore - success on your undertaking from Him who holds the winds and the - waves. Please present my best regards to Captain Anderson. - - "Hoping for your safe return, with all the triumph which you have - so richly deserved, - -"I remain, my dear sir, -"Your affectionate friend and pastor, -"W. ADAMS." - - - -The great ship was ready to sail on the day that had been named so many -months before, and the London papers had daily messages from her: - -"MARGATE, _July 1st_. - - "The _Great Eastern_, with the Atlantic telegraph cable on board, - passed here at half-past 3 P.M." - -"VALENTIA, _July 6th_. - - "Shore end of the Atlantic cable successfully landed at 3 P.M. - Tests perfect. The _William Corey_ proceeding to sea, paying out - slowly. Weather fine. Cable of 1865 tested at noon to-day; is - perfect as when laid." - -"VALENTIA, _July 8th_. - - "Vessels _Blackbird_, _Pedler_, _Skylark_, and _William Corey_ - returned to Berehaven at 3.30 A.M. All vessels will complete - coaling at Berehaven to-morrow night, and will proceed to sea to - splice main cable to shore end on Wednesday morning, weather - permitting. All going well. - - "The _Great Eastern_, with the Atlantic cable on board, has arrived - at Berehaven, a natural haven on the western coast of Ireland, near - Foilhommerum Bay, from whence the proposed electric communication - is to start seawards towards America. Another vessel, the _William - Corey_, has had confided to it the duty of laying the shore end, - and it was intended when that was completed that the _Great - Eastern_ should run round at once, make the splice, and begin its - work." - -"VALENTIA, _July 12th_. - - "Canning to Glass.--Latitude 51 deg. N., longitude 17 deg. 29' W. Cable - paid out, 283 miles; distance run, 263. Insulation and continuity - perfect. Weather fine. All going on well. Seaman fell overboard - from _Terrible_; was picked up; life saved." - - "Canning to Glass.-- - -"_Noon (ship's time), July 16th._ - - "Latitude 52 deg. N., longitude 20 deg. 36' W. Cable paid out, 420 miles; - distance run, 378 miles. Weather fine. All on board well. - - "Gooch to Glass.--Nothing can be more satisfactory than everything - is going on on board. Weather glorious." - -"VALENTIA, _July 23d_, 5.30 P.M. - - "The following telegram received from the _Great Eastern_ this day: - -"'_Noon(ship's time), July 23d._ - - "'Canning to Glass.--Latitude 50 deg. 16' N., longitude 42 deg. 16' W. - Cable paid out, 1345.24 miles; distance run, 1196.9 miles. - Insulation and continuity perfect. Insulation improved 30 per cent, - since starting.'" - -"VALENTIA, _July 27th_. - - "_Great Eastern_ steaming up Trinity Bay at 4.25 this morning; - expect to land shore end at noon, local time." - -"VALENTIA, _July 27th_. - - "Shore end landed and splice completed at 8.43. Messages of - congratulation passing rapidly between Ireland and Newfoundland. - Insulation and continuity perfect. Speed much increased since - surplus cable has been cut off." - -Mr. Field's own diary is interesting, but it is impossible to give here -more than a few extracts: - -"STEAMSHIP 'GREAT EASTERN,' -"_Saturday, June 30, 1866_. - - "Sailed at noon from her moorings off Sheerness. The _Great - Eastern_ has on board 2375 nautical miles of cable." - -"_Sunday, July 1st_. - - "Started at 12 noon, under easy steam, through the Alexander - Channel. Pilot left us. Squally weather, with rain at night." - -"_Wednesday, July 4th_. - - "Strong wind and heavy head sea. Made Fastnet light at about 8 P.M. - Celebrated the ninetieth anniversary of the independence of the - United States by hoisting the American flag and speeches at - dinner." - -"_Wednesday, July 11th_. - - "Completed coaling _Great Eastern_ and taking in provisions. - Received on board of _Great Eastern_ at Berehaven: - - LIVE STOCK. - 10 bullocks, - 1 milch cow, - 114 sheep, - 20 pigs, - 29 geese, - 14 turkeys, - 500 fowls. - - DEAD STOCK. - 28 bullocks, - 4 calves, - 22 sheep, - 4 pigs, - 300 fowls, - 18,000 eggs." - - - -"_Thursday, July 12th_. - - "Religious service held at Valentia at 2.30 P.M." - -"_Friday, July 13th_. - - "The _Great Eastern_ and _Raccoon_ joined the _Terrible_, _Medway_, - and _Albany_ at buoy at the end of shore cable at 6 A.M. - - "Splice between shore cable and main cable completed on board of - the _Great Eastern_ at 3.10 P.M. 3.50 Greenwich time the telegraph - fleet started for Newfoundland. - - "The telegraph fleet sail as follows: The _Terrible_ ahead of the - _Great Eastern_ on the starboard bow, the _Medway_ on the port, and - the _Albany_ on the starboard quarter. - - "It was foggy nearly all day and rained very hard most of the - forenoon. Signals through cable perfect." - -"_Saturday, July 14th_. - - "Wind W.S.W. Weather fine. Distance from Valentia, 135.5 miles; - from Heart's Content, 1533.5. Depth of water, 210 to 525 fathoms. - Cable and signals perfect." - -"_Monday, July 16th_. - - "Calm, beautiful day. Signals perfect." - -"_Tuesday, July 17th_. - - "Sent Mr. Glass at Valentia the following telegram: - - "'Field to Glass.--Please write Mrs. Field to-day at Newburg, New - York, and tell her, "All in good health and spirits on board of - this ship, and confident of success." Machinery works perfectly, - and the cable pays out splendidly.'" - -"_Friday, July 20th_. - - "Total distance run, 830.4 miles. Distance from Heart's Content, - 838.6 miles. Depth of water, 1500 to 2050 fathoms. Wind S.W., with - rain." - -"_Sunday, July 22d_. - - "_Great Eastern_ has passed the place where the cable was lost last - year, and all is going on well." - -"_Monday, July 23d_. - - "At 8.54 A.M. I sent the following telegram: - - "'Field to Glass.--Please obtain the latest news from Egypt, China, - India, and distant places for us to forward to the United States on - our arrival at Heart's Content.' - - "At 7.05 P.M. I sent the following telegram: - - "'Field to Glass.--Please send us Thursday afternoon the price that - day for cotton in Liverpool and the London quotations for consols, - United States five-twenty bonds, Illinois Central and Erie Railroad - shares, and also bank rate of interest. The above we shall send to - New York on our arrival, and I will obtain the latest news from the - States and send you in return.'" - -"_Tuesday, July 24th_. - - "At 9.05 A.M. I sent the following telegram: - - "'Field to Glass.--We are within four hundred miles of Heart's - Content, and expect to be there on Friday. When shall the Atlantic - cable be open for public business?' - - "At 10.25 A.M. I received the following: - - "'Glass to Field.--If you land the cable on Friday, I see no reason - why it should not be open on Saturday.'" - -"_Thursday, July 26th_. - - "Field to Glass.--We expect to land the cable at Heart's Content - to-morrow; all well." - -"_Friday, July 27th_. - - "At 7 A.M. made the land off Heart's Content. At 9 A.M. we sent the - end of the cable to the _Medway_ to be spliced. I left the _Great - Eastern_ in a small boat at 8.15 A.M., and landed at Heart's - Content at 9 o'clock. - - "The shore end was landed at Heart's Content at 5 P.M., and signals - through the whole cable perfect. - - "At 5.30 P.M., service held at the church at Heart's Content." - -Nothing in this diary is so remarkable and characteristic as the tone of -absolute confidence while the issue of the voyage was still in doubt. It -was this confidence that not only sustained the projectors of the -enterprise through all its mutations, but that infected his associates. -Perhaps it was the moral effect of his mere presence, even more than the -labor of which he took so large a share, that made them so often appeal -for his return to England. Difficulties that looked insurmountable in -his absence seemed to vanish when he appeared. - -Hope had so often been deferred that his family hardly dared to think -what a day might bring to them; and they went to church on Sunday, July -29th, and after the service it was suggested that before they return to -their home (Plum Point, below Newburg) they should drive to the -telegraph office. On their way there their attention was attracted to -the day boat, then coming to her dock, gayly dressed with flags, and -very quickly followed the news that the cable was laid, and that this -message had been sent to Mrs. Field: - -"HEART'S CONTENT, TRINITY BAY, -"NEWFOUNDLAND, _Friday, July 27, 1866_. - -"Mrs. CYRUS W. FIELD, Newburg, New York: - - "All well. Thank God the cable has been successfully laid and is in - perfect working order. I am sure that no one will be as thankful to - God as you and our dear children. Now we shall be a united family. - We leave in about a week to recover the cable of last year. Please - telegraph at once and write in full, and I shall receive your - letters on my return here. - - "On the 15th inst. I received through the cable from Valentia your - message from Newport and Grace's telegram from Newburg, and on the - 22d inst. your telegraphic despatch of the 10th inst., and this - moment your letter of the 12th inst. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -It was on the 28th of July that these resolutions were passed: - - "_Resolved_, The directors of the Telegraph Construction and - Maintenance Company and the directors of the Anglo-American - Telegraph Company wish in some substantial manner to express their - high appreciation of the good conduct and admirable way in which - all engaged in the work of laying the Atlantic cable have performed - their duties. - - "It has given them great pleasure to order that a gratuity of a - month's pay be presented to each man on his return to England. - - "The directors, while thanking the men for the past, feel confident - that in the more difficult task yet before them they will display - the same hearty zeal in the performance of the work." - -Mr. Willoughby Smith mentioned this incident at a dinner given in -London: - - "I remember well, in 1866, during the laying of the Atlantic cable, - as we went on day by day, Mr. Field used to say to me: 'Thank - goodness, we are over another day; only let us get safely across - with the cable, and I will retire on the largest farm in America - and keep the largest cows and fowls, and receive my dividend daily - in the shape of eggs and milk.'" - -The account of these days is contained in this letter: - -"'GREAT EASTERN,' -"HEART'S CONTENT, _August 7, 1866_. - - "_My dear Mrs. Field_,--Thanks for your kind note of July 30th. I - am, of course, much pleased that the result of all these efforts of - thought, and concentration of experiences, and long-continued - indomitable energy, and expenditure of such heaps of gold, has been - a success. It was very, very near failing. Do what you will, the - laying of cables (threads!!!) across deep oceans of great breadth - will always be speculative; although when laid, so far as we can - conjecture or reason from scientific knowledge or all that is known - of physical geography, there is no one reason having any sound - basis in it that can tell us in what direction to apprehend any - danger, always excepting man's malice or enmity. The very thing we - proved last voyage, and go to verify in a few days, proves that any - enemy well equipped can destroy what has cost all these years to - accomplish. - - "I have no fear of completing the cable of 1865, although I never - quite got rid of the feeling that it is a very odd thing to do, and - we can fancy bad weather exhausting our stock of coals, materials, - and perhaps hopes, by frequent breakages; but we have 7700 tons of - coal, twenty miles of ropes for grappling, three ships fully - coaled and provisioned and equipped for the purpose. Two ships are - now on the ground. Given, then, the opportunity, there is no known - reason to prevent us being here a fortnight hence with the double - success. Then what next? God knows. But Mr. Field is not one bit - quieter than he was in London. He wants a third cable laid, and two - complete lines from here to New York, before he will be satisfied. - The success of this one will make the others comparatively easy, - but I am not sure if he will even then take the repose both he and - you deserve. He is very well; but how he stands the endless - excitement I do not know. One thing I may give you now as a sound - opinion: he would not stand many more London campaigns without you - or one of your daughters with him. He takes absolutely no repose - when in London, and it is only because he cannot help himself that - he gets it at sea. I heartily congratulate him and you upon this - good termination to the real foundation of future oceanic - telegraphy; he deserves all honor from his countrymen.... To your - husband especially belong the creation and the perseverance that - have moved so many into the vortex.... With every kind wish to you - and yours, - -"Sincerely yours, -"JAMES ANDERSON." - - - -Bishop Mullock wrote on August 6th: - - "In my answer to a society who addressed me yesterday on the - occasion of my departure for Europe I alluded to your example as a - great lesson of perseverance, showing that to a man of good energy - nothing almost is impossible, and telling them in all difficulties - to have the example of Mr. Cyrus W. Field before their eyes. - - "May God grant that you may be able to resuscitate the old cable. I - have myself no doubt but that you will accomplish it, and exhibit - to future generations the greatest example of energy and - perseverance ever shown by an individual. - - "You ought to be a proud man, for like the name of Columbus, yours - will be in Europe and America a household word." - -Whittier's "Cable Hymn" responds to the feeling experienced at this -time: - - "O lonely bay of Trinity, - O dreary shores, give ear! - Lean down unto the white-lipped sea, - The voice of God to hear. - - "From world to world His couriers fly, - Thought-winged and shod with fire; - The angel of His stormy sky - Rides down the sunken wire. - - "What saith the herald of the Lord? - 'The world's long strife is done; - Close wedded by that mystic chord, - Its continents are one. - - "'And one in heart, as one in blood, - Shall all her peoples be; - The hands of human brotherhood - Are clasped beneath the sea. - - "'Through Orient seas, o'er Afric's plain, - And Asian mountains borne, - The vigor of the Northern brain - Shall nerve the world outworn. - - "'From clime to clime, from shore to shore, - Shall thrill the magic thread; - The new Prometheus steals once more - The fire that wakes the dead.' - - "Throb on, strong pulse of thunder! beat - From answering beach to beach; - Fuse nations in thy kindly heat, - And melt the chains of each! - - "Wild terror of the sky above, - Glide tamed and dumb below; - Bear gently, ocean's carrier-dove, - Thy errands to and fro. - - "Weave on, swift shuttle of the Lord, - Beneath the deep so far, - The bridal-robe of earth's accord, - The funeral shroud of war. - - "For lo! the fall of ocean's wall, - Space mocked and time outrun; - And round the world the thought of all - Is as the thought of one! - - "The poles unite, the zones agree, - The tongues of striving cease; - As on the Sea of Galilee - The Christ is whispering Peace!" - -We find in Mr. McCarthy's _History of Our Own Times_ these words: - - "Just before the adjournment of Parliament for the recess a great - work of peace was accomplished, perhaps the only work of peace then - possible which could be mentioned after the warlike business of - Sadowa without producing the effect of an anti-climax. This was the - completion of the Atlantic cable.... - - "Ten years, all but a month, had gone by since Mr. Cyrus W. Field, - the American promoter of the Atlantic telegraph project, had first - tried to inspire cool and calculating men in London, Liverpool, and - Manchester with some faith in his project. He was not a scientific - man; he was not the inventor of the principle of inter-oceanic - telegraphy; he was not even the first man to propose that a company - should be formed for the purpose of laying a cable beneath the - Atlantic.... - - "But the achievement of the Atlantic cable was none the less as - distinctly the work of Mr. Cyrus W. Field as the discovery of - America was that of Columbus. It was not he who first thought of - doing the thing, but it was he who first made up his mind that it - could be done, and showed the world how to do it, and did it in the - end. The history of human invention has not a more inspiriting - example of patience living down discouragement and perseverance - triumphing over defeat.... - - "At last, in 1866, the feat was accomplished, and the Atlantic - telegraph was added to the realities of life. It has now become a - distinct part of our civilized system. We have ceased to wonder at - it. We accept it and its consequent facts with as much composure as - we take the existence of the inland telegraph or the penny post." - -Before the two weeks were passed the _Great Eastern_ was at sea and on -her way to recover the cable lost the year before, and from his diary we -copy these short extracts: - -"_Thursday, August 9th._ - - "The _Great Eastern_ and _Medway_ left Heart's Content at noon." - -"_Sunday, August 12th_, at 3 P.M. - - "_Great Eastern_ and _Medway_ joined the _Terrible_ and _Albany_." - -"_Monday, August 13th._ - - "At 1 P.M. commenced to lower grapnel from _Great Eastern_; at 2 - P.M. grapnel down; at 8.30 P.M. commenced to heave up grapnel, as - _Great Eastern_ would not drift over cable." - -"_Wednesday, August 15th._ - - "At 2 P.M. commenced lowering grapnel; at 8.30 P.M. grapnel hooked - cable. Hove up 100 fathoms and paid out again to wait until - morning." - -"_Friday, August 17th._ - - "At 4.30 A.M. commenced heaving up cable; at 10.45 A.M. cable above - water; at 10.50 A.M. cable parted about ten feet above the water." - -"_Monday, August 27th._ - - "At 2.30 P.M. got cable from buoy in over the bow and found, by - tests, it to be only a short length of a few miles which must have - been cut from the main cable by grapnel." - -_"Saturday, September 1st._ - - "At 4.50 A.M. cable up to 800 fathoms from the surface. - - "At 5 P.M. commenced heaving up; found the cable to be hooked." - -"Sunday, September 2d. - - "12.50 A.M.--Cable above the surface. - - "2.16.--Bight of 1865 cable on board. - - "3.11.--End brought into testing-room. - - "3.50.--Message received. 'Cable of 1866 and Gulf cable both O. K.' - - "3.52.--Cable taken from test-room to make splice. - - "6.50.--Shipped from bow to stern. - - "7.01.--Commenced paying out cable. - - "At 9.28 A.M. I sent the following telegram 720 miles east of - Newfoundland: - - "'Mrs. CYRUS W. FIELD, Newburg, New York: - - "'The cable of 1865 was recovered early this morning, and we are - now in perfect telegraphic communication with Valentia, and on our - way back to Heart's Content, where we expect to arrive next - Saturday. God be praised. Please telegraph me in full at Heart's - Content. I am in good health and spirits. Captain Anderson wishes - to be kindly remembered to you. - -CYRUS W. FIELD.'" - - - -"_Saturday, September 8th._ - - "Landed cable at Heart's Content. - - "Position of ships entering Trinity Bay: - - _Lily_, _Great Eastern_, _Terrible_, - _Medway_, _Margaretta Stevenson_." - - - -Of his own feeling, as he stood waiting on the _Great Eastern_ at dawn -on Sunday morning, September 2d, Mr. Field told in a speech made in -London on March 10, 1868: - - "One of the most interesting scenes that I ever witnessed ... was - the moment when, after the cable had been recovered on the _Great - Eastern_, it had been brought into the electrician's room, and the - test was applied to see whether it was alive or dead. Never shall I - forget that eventful moment when, in answer to our question to - Valentia, whether the cable of 1866, which we had a few weeks - previously laid, was in good working order, and the cable across - the Gulf of St. Lawrence had been repaired, in an instant came back - those six memorable letters, 'Both O. K.' I left the room, I went - to my cabin, I locked the door; I could no longer restrain my - tears--crying like a child, and full of gratitude to God that I had - been permitted to live to witness the recovery of the cable we had - lost from the _Great Eastern_ just thirteen mouths previous." - - (From the London _Times_ of Wednesday, September 5th.) - -"The recovery of the cable of 1865 from the very lowest depths of the -Atlantic seems to have taken the world by surprise. It is not, however, -too much to say that no class of the community has felt more -astonishment than those who are best acquainted with the difficulties of -the task--the electricians.... - -"Night and day for a whole year an electrician has always been on duty -watching the tiny ray of light through which signals are given, and -twice every day the whole length of wire--1240 miles--has been tested -for conductivity and insulation.... Suddenly last Sunday morning at a -quarter to six, while the light was being watched by Mr. May, he -observed a peculiar indication about the light, which showed at once to -his experienced eye that a message was near at hand. In a few minutes -afterwards the unsteady flickering was changed to coherency, if we may -use such a term, and at once the cable began to speak: - -"'Canning to Glass.--I have much pleasure in speaking to you through the -1865 cable. Just going to make splice.'" - - (From _Harper's Magazine_, October, 1866.) - -"A great historical event has occurred since our last talk, and it has -been received almost as a matter of course. The distance between Europe -and America has been practically annihilated; the Atlantic Ocean has -been abolished; steam as an agent of communication has been antiquated. -We read every morning the previous day's news from London or Paris, and -there is no excitement whatever. Scarcely a bell has rung or a cannon -roared. Not even a dinner has been eaten in honor of the great event, -except by the gentlemen immediately concerned; and the salvo of speeches -which usually resounds upon much inferior occasions from end to end of -the country has been omitted.... The steamers bring the cream no longer. -That is shot electrically under the sea, and the ships suddenly convey -only skim-milk. They are yet young men who remember the arrival of the -_Sirius_ and the _Liverpool_ and the _Great Western_. Their coming was -the occasion of a thousandfold greater excitement than the laying of the -cable. Yet if some visionary enthusiast had said to his friend as they -watched with awe the steaming in or out of those huge ships, 'Before we -are bald or gray we shall look upon these vessels as we now look from -the express train upon the slow old stage-coaches,' he would have been -tolerated only as a harmless maniac.... The name which will be always -associated with this historical event is that of the man who has so -patiently and unweariedly persisted in the project, Cyrus W. Field. With -an undaunted cheerfulness, which often seemed exasperating and -unreasonable and fanatical, he has steadily and zealously persevered, no -more dismayed or baffled by apparent failure than a good ship by a head -wind. We remember meeting him one pleasant day during the last spring in -the street by the Astor House in New York. He said that he was going out -to England by the next steamer. - -"'And how many times have you crossed the ocean?' - -"'Oh,' he replied, with the fresh enthusiasm of a boy going home for -vacation, 'this will be the twenty-second voyage I have made upon this -business.' And his eyes twinkled as we merrily said good-bye. We heard -of him no more until we saw his name signed to the despatch announcing -the triumph of his blithe faith and long labor." - -The number of voyages is understated here. That made on May 30th, he -writes, was his thirty-seventh. - -In his lecture on "The Masters of the Situation" Mr. James T. Fields has -said: - - "There is a faith so expansive and a hope so elastic that a man - having them will keep on believing and hoping till all danger is - past and victory sure. When I talk across an ocean of three - thousand miles with my friends on the other side of it, and feel - that I may know any hour of the day if all goes well with them, I - think with gratitude of the immense energy and perseverance of that - one man, Cyrus W. Field, who spent so many years of his life in - perfecting a communication second only in importance to the - discovery of this country. The story of his patient striving during - all that stormy period is one of the noblest records of American - enterprise, and only his own family know the whole of it. It was a - long, hard struggle." - -After a painful experience was past he never cared to recall it, and for -that reason the world never knew to what straits he and his family were -often pushed. Not a luxury was allowed, and during those twelve years -any wish that might be expressed could only be gratified "when the cable -was laid." All waited for that day, but not always patiently, for one or -another was often heard to explain, "Oh, if that old cable was only at -the bottom of the ocean!" and to this he would invariably answer, "That -is just where I wish it to be." - -Neither does the world know what his books tell, that at this very time -his hand was stretched out to both his relations and friends. The -surrogate was so impressed with his management of a trust estate that he -could not believe his statement, and said that he must take the papers -home and verify them, for he had never before known that such an -increase was possible. - -It was in London, in March, 1868, that he told of the strange -fluctuations he had seen in the stock of the two telegraph companies in -which he had so long been interested. - - "It is within the last six months only that we have received the - first return from the money we had put at the bottom of the - Atlantic. I do not believe that any enterprise has ever been - undertaken that has had such fortune: that has been so low, and, - one might almost say, so high. I have known the time when a - thousand pounds of Atlantic telegraph stock sold in London at a - high premium. I have known the time when a thousand pounds of the - same stock was purchased by my worthy friend, the Right Honorable - Mr. Wortley, for thirty guineas. At one time when I was in London - trying to raise money to carry forward this great enterprise, a - certificate for ten thousand dollars (L2000 sterling) in the New - York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company sold at the - Merchants' Exchange in New York by public auction for a ten-dollar - bill (L2). On my return home the gentleman handed the certificate - to me and asked me if it was worth anything. I said to him, 'My - dear sir, what did you pay for it?' and to my mortification he - showed to me the auctioneer's bill for ten dollars. I said to him, - 'I shall be happy to pay you a good profit on your investment.' He - replied, 'No; what do you advise me to do with it?' I rejoined, - "Lock it up in your safe. Do not even think about or look at it - until you receive a notice to collect your dividends.' The holder - now receives a dividend of eight hundred dollars per annum or - (L160) in gold for his investment. If any gentleman here has ever - possessed a more fluctuating investment I should like to hear it." - -Later in the evening the Right Honorable Mr. Wortley said: - - "I have been a shareholder from the first, and I am somewhat proud - of my original L1000 shares, and of those shares to which you have - alluded, which I truly bought at L30 each. I am anxious, however, - that those gentlemen who heard that statement should understand - that I have not yet made a fortune out of the cable. The - vicissitudes we have gone through have prevented us from doing much - financially, and, indeed, we have had difficulty at times in - keeping the enterprise afloat." - -The following telegram and letters are among those received at this -time: - -"21 REGENT STREET, LONDRES. - - "Envoyez telegramme suivant a FIELD, _Great Eastern_: - - "Felicitations pour perseverance et grand succes. - -"LESSEPS." - - - -"11 CARLTON HOUSE TERRACE. S.W., -"_August 28, '66_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--The message which you did me the honor to send me - from Newfoundland at the commencement of this month, embodying in - part the contents of a speech delivered by me in the House of - Commons a few hours before, was a signal illustration of the great - triumph which energy and intelligence in your person, and in those - of your coadjutors, have achieved over difficulties that might well - have been deemed insurmountable by weaker men. I offer you my - cordial congratulations, and I trust that the electric line may - powerfully contribute to binding our two countries together in - perfect harmony. - - "The message reached me among friends interested in America and - produced a very lively sensation. - - "We live in times of great events. Europe has not often of late - seen greater than those of the present year, which apparently go - far to complete the glorious work of the reconstruction of Italy, - and which seem in substance both to begin and complete another - hardly less needed work in the reconstruction of Germany. But I - must say that few political phenomena have ever struck me more than - the recent conduct of American finance. I admire beyond expression - the courage which has carried through the threefold operation of - cutting down in earnest your war establishments, maintaining for - the time your war taxes, and paying off in your first year of peace - twenty-five millions sterling of your debt. There are nations that - could lay an electric telegraph under the Atlantic and yet could - not do this. I wish my humble congratulations might be conveyed to - your finance minister. This scale can hardly be kept up, but I do - not doubt the future will be worthy of the past, and I hope he will - shame us and the Continent into at least a distant and humble - imitation." - -"I remain very faithfully yours, -"W. E. GLADSTONE. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq." - - - -Captain Anderson's letter of September 9th is to Mrs. Field, and was -written on board the _Great Eastern_: - - "I cannot tell you how I have felt since our new success. It is - only seventeen months since I first walked up to the top of the - paddle-box of this ship at Sheerness upon a dark, rainy night, - reviewed my past career in my mind, and tried to look into the - future, to see what I had undertaken, and realize, if possible, - what the new step in my career would develop. I cannot say I - believed much in cables; I rather think I did not; but I did - believe your husband was an earnest man of great force of - character, and working under a strong conviction that what he was - attempting was thoroughly practicable; and I knew enough of the - names with which he had associated himself in the enterprise to - feel that it was a real, true, honest effort, worthy of all the - energy and application of one's manhood, and, come what might of - the future, I resolved to do my very utmost and do nothing else - until it was over. More completely, however, than my resolve - foreshadowed, I dropped, inch by inch, or step by step, into the - work, until I had no mind, no soul, no sleep, that was not tinged - with cable. I am fortunate that my duties were such that I might - well ask a blessing upon it, or I had better never have gone to - church or bent a knee--in a word, I accuse your husband of having - pulled me into a vortex that I could not get out of, and did not - wish to try. And only fancy that the sum total of all this is to - lay a thread across an ocean! Dr. Russell compared it to an - elephant stretching a cobweb. And there lay its very danger. The - more you multiply the mechanism the more you increase the risk. - With all the vigilance and honesty of purpose of chosen men, - exigencies must arise and may occur. When the nights are dark and - stormy there comes the torture that may ruin all if not - successfully met. And so that task has been a series of high hopes - and blank, dark hours of disappointments, when it seemed as if the - difficulties were legion and we were beating the air. Mr. Field, at - least, never gave out. He never ceased to say, 'It would all come - right,' even when his looks hardly bore out the assertion. But at - last it did. We came through it all, and I feel as if I had said - good-bye and God bless you to a wayward child who had cost me great - thought and was at last happily settled for life just where I - wished her. I do not think, though, that I could or would have - nursed the wretch for twelve years, as your husband has done, to - the destruction of the repose of himself and all the rest of his - family. I should have discarded her and adopted some other. He has - persevered, however, and to him belongs all the credit your country - can bestow." - -Professor Wheatstone wrote: - - "According to my promise I enclose a copy of my letter of - September, 1866, to the Secretary of the Privy Council, in answer - to his inquiry respecting the persons most deserving of honor in - connection with the successful completion of the Atlantic - telegraph. - -"'19 PARK CRESCENT, -"'PORTLAND PLACE, N.W., _September 22, 1866_. - - "'_My dear Sir_,--The following is my opinion respecting the - principal co-operators in the establishment of the Atlantic - telegraph: - - "'The person to whose indomitable perseverance we are indebted for - the commencement, carrying on, and completion of the enterprise is - undoubtedly Mr. Cyrus Field. Through good and through evil report - he has pursued his single object undaunted by repeated failures, - keeping up the flagging interest of the public and the desponding - hopes of capitalists, and employing his energies to combine all the - means which might lead towards a successful issue. This gentleman - is a citizen of the United States, and there would perhaps be a - difficulty in conferring on him any honorary distinction. - - "'From the staff of officials by whose practical skill and - unwearied attention the great project has been at last achieved, it - appears to me there are four gentlemen who might, in addition to - special merits of their own, be taken as the representatives of all - those who have labored under or with them in their respective - departments. - - "'Public opinion, I think, would ratify the selection. - - "'These are: - - "'Mr. Glass, the manager of the Telegraph Maintenance Company, - under whose superintendence the great connecting link has been - manufactured, and to whose former firm is mainly owing the high - perfection which the construction of submarine cables has now - attained. - - "'Mr. Canning, the able engineer of the same company, to whose - experience and skill we are chiefly indebted for the successful - laying down of the new cable and the restoration of the old. - - "'Captain Anderson, the commander of the _Great Eastern_ steamship, - who under new and untried circumstances brought this leviathan of - the waters to work in subjection to the requirements of the great - operation. An honorary distinction to this gentleman would no doubt - be received as a compliment by the mercantile marine. - - "'Dr. W. Thomson, who, distinguished already in the highest fields - of science, has devoted his talents to improvements in the methods - of signalizing, and whose contrivances specially appropriated to - the conditions of submarine lines have resulted in the attainment - of greater speed than was at first expected. - - "'In naming these gentlemen I have limited myself to those actually - engaged in the great enterprise which at present occupies so much - public attention. I have left out of consideration the claims of - others, however great, who have preceded them in similar - undertakings of less importance, or who have either in thought or - deed worked out results which have rendered the present great work - practicable or even possible. - -"'I remain, my dear sir, -"'Yours very truly, -"'C. WHEATSTONE. - -"'ARTHUR HELPS, Esq.'" - - - -At the banquet given at Liverpool on October 1st, the chairman read this -letter: - -"BALMORAL, _29th September, 1866_. - - "_Dear Sir Stafford_,--As I understand you are to have the honor of - taking the chair at the entertainment which is to be given on - Monday next in Liverpool to celebrate the double success which has - attended the great undertaking of laying the cable of 1866 and - recovering that of 1865, by which the two continents of Europe and - America are happily connected, I am commanded by the Queen to make - known to you, and through you to those over whom you are to - preside, the deep interest with which Her Majesty has regarded the - progress of this noble work, and to tender Her Majesty's cordial - congratulations to all of those whose energy and perseverance, - whose skill and science, have triumphed over all difficulties, and - accomplished a success alike honorable to themselves and to their - country, and beneficial to the world at large. - - "Her Majesty, desirous of testifying her sense of the various - merits which have been displayed in this great enterprise, has - commanded me to submit to her for special marks of her royal favor - the names of those who, having had assigned to them prominent - positions, may be considered as representing the different - departments whose united labors have contributed to the final - result. - - "Her Majesty has accordingly been pleased to direct that the honor - of knighthood be conferred on Captain Anderson, the able and - zealous commander of the _Great Eastern_; on Professor Thomson, - whose distinguished science has been brought to bear with eminent - success upon the improvement of submarine telegraphy, and on - Messrs. Glass and Canning, the manager and engineer respectively of - the Telegraph Maintenance Company, whose skill and experience have - mainly contributed to the admirable construction and successful - laying of the cable. - - "Her Majesty is further pleased to mark her approval of the public - spirit and energy of the two companies who have had successively - the conduct of the undertaking by offering the dignity of a - baronetcy of the United Kingdom to Mr. Lampson, the deputy chairman - of the original company, to whose resolute support of the project, - in spite of all discouragements, it was in great measure owing that - it was not at one time abandoned in despair; and to Mr. Gooch, - M.P., the chairman of the company which has finally accomplished - the great design. - - "If among the names thus submitted to and approved by Her Majesty - that of Mr. Cyrus Field does not appear, the omission must not be - attributed to any disregard of the eminent services which from the - first he has rendered to the cause of transatlantic telegraphy, and - the zeal and resolution with which he has adhered to the - prosecution of his object, but to an apprehension lest it might - appear to encroach on the province of his own government if Her - Majesty were advised to offer to a citizen of the United States, - for a service rendered alike to both countries, British marks of - honor which, following the example of another highly distinguished - citizen, he might feel himself unable to accept. - - "I will only add, on my own part, how cordially I concur in the - object of the meeting over which you are about to preside, and how - much I should have been gratified had circumstances permitted me to - have attended in person. - -"I am, dear Sir Stafford, -"Very sincerely yours, -"DERBY." - - - -The celebration on the western shore of the Atlantic was not less -general and cordial. We quote from the report of a New York newspaper: - - "A dinner was given in this city on the evening of the 16th instant - by the New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company to - Cyrus W. Field, who has recently returned to this country, after - assisting in the successful laying of the Atlantic telegraph - cable, with which movement Mr. Field has been more prominently - identified from the beginning than any other of its advocates and - supporters. A considerable number of our first citizens were - present, including the honorary directors of the Atlantic Telegraph - Company.... Mr. Peter Cooper told of the formation of the New York, - Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company, and then said: 'On - those eventful evenings we became fully magnetized and infatuated - with a most magnificent idea. We pictured to ourselves that in a - short time we should plant a line of telegraph across the vast and - mighty ocean. We as little dreamed of the difficulties at that time - that we were destined to encounter as did the Jews of old dream of - the difficulties that they were doomed to meet in their passage to - the promised land. We, like the Jews of old, saw the hills green - afar off, and, like them, we had but a faint idea of the bare - spots, the tangled thickets, and rugged cliffs over and through - which we have been compelled to pass in order to gain possession of - our land of promise. We have, however, been more fortunate than the - Jews of old; we have had a Moses who was able to lead on his - associates, and when he found them cast down and discouraged, he - did not call manna from heaven nor smite the rock, but just got us - to look through his telescope at the pleasant fields that lay so - temptingly in the distance before us, and in that way he was able - to inspirit his associates with courage to go on until, with the - help of the _Great Eastern_, and the means and influence of the - noble band of men that Mr. Field has been able to enlist in the - mother country, we have at last accomplished a work that is now the - wonder of the world. - - "In the accomplishment of this work it is our privilege to regard - it as a great and glorious means for diffusing useful knowledge - throughout the world.... I trust our united efforts will hasten the - glorious time when nations will have war no more; when they will - beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into - pruning-hooks. I trust our own country and government will always - stand as a bright and shining light in the pathway of nations to - cheer on with hope the suffering millions of mankind who are now - struggling for life, liberty, and happiness--a happiness that is - possible to men and nations who will cultivate the arts of peace - instead of wasting their energies in wars of mutual destruction. - - "Let us hope that the day will soon come that will secure peace and - good-will among the nations of the earth." - -Mr. Cooper concluded with a toast to "The health and happiness of our -Moses, Mr. Cyrus W. Field." - -The Common Council of New York passed these resolutions on the 8th of -October: - - "_Whereas_, The recent arrival at his home in this city of Cyrus W. - Field, Esq., seems peculiarly appropriate for testifying to him the - gratification felt by the authorities and people of the city of New - York at the success attending his unexampled perseverance in the - face of almost insuperable difficulties, and his fortitude and - faith in the successful termination of the herculean labor to which - he has devoted his rare business capacity, his indomitable will, - and his undaunted courage for a series of years--that of uniting - the two hemispheres by telegraphy; - - "_Resolved_, That the municipal authorities of the city of New - York, for themselves and speaking in behalf of their constituents, - the people, do hereby cordially tender their congratulations to - Cyrus W. Field, Esq., on the successful consummation of the work of - uniting the two hemispheres by electric telegraph--a work to which - he has devoted himself for many years, and to whom, under Divine - Providence, the world is indebted for this great triumph of skill, - perseverance, and energy over the seemingly insurmountable - difficulties that were encountered in the progress of the work; and - we beg to assure him that we hope that the benefits and advantages - thus secured to the people of the two nations directly united may - be shared by him to an extent commensurate with the energy and - ability that have characterized his connection with the - undertaking. - - "_Resolved_, That a copy of the foregoing preamble and resolution - be properly engrossed, duly authenticated, and presented to Cyrus - W. Field, Esq., as a slight evidence of the appreciation by the - people of this city of the service he has rendered in uniting the - old and new worlds in the electric bands of fraternity and peace." - -The invitation to a banquet to be given by the New York Chamber of -Commerce is dated October 15th, and in it "the members request that they -may hear from your lips the story of this great undertaking;" and the -evening of November 15th was the one chosen. - -The toast to which he replied was: - - "Cyrus W. Field, the projector and mainspring of the Atlantic - telegraph: while the British government justly honors those who - have taken part with him in this great work of the age, his fame - belongs to us, and will be cherished and guarded by his - countrymen." - -"The story of this great undertaking" has been told, and as far as -possible in his own words, in these chapters; but there are two or three -further extracts from his speech that it seems expedient to give, for -they explain the pages just read; they refer to the voyage, grappling, -and manner of working the cable. - - "Yet this was not a 'lucky hit'--a fine run across the ocean in - calm weather. It was the worst weather I ever knew at that season - of the year. In the despatch which appeared in the New York papers - you may have read, 'The weather has been most pleasant.' I wrote it - 'unpleasant.' We had fogs and storms almost the whole way. Our - success was the result of the highest science combined with - practical experience. Everything was perfectly organized to the - minutest detail. We had on board an admirable staff of officers, - such men as Halpin and Beckwith; and engineers long used to this - business, such as Canning and Clifford and Temple, the first of - whom has been knighted for his part in this great achievement; and - electricians, such as Professor Thomson, of Glasgow, and Willoughby - Smith, and Laws; while Mr. C. F. Varley, our companion of the year - before, who stands among the first in knowledge and practical - skill, remained with Sir Richard Glass at Valentia, to keep watch - at that end of the line, and Mr. Latimer Clark, who was to test the - cable when done. We had four ships, and on board of them some of - the best seamen in England, men who knew the ocean as a hunter - knows every trail in the forest. Captain Moriarty had, with Captain - Anderson, taken most exact observations at the spot where the cable - broke in 1865, and they were so exact that they could go right to - the spot. After finding it they marked the line of the cable by a - row of buoys, for fogs would come down and shut out sun and stars, - so that no man could take an observation. These buoys were anchored - a few miles apart. They were numbered, and each had a flag-staff on - it, so that it could be seen by day, and a lantern by night. Thus - having taken our bearings, we stood off three or four miles, so as - to come broadside on, and then casting over the grapnel, drifted - slowly down upon it, dragging the bottom of the ocean as we went. - At first it was a little awkward to fish in such deep water, but - our men got used to it, and soon could cast a grapnel almost as - straight as an old whaler throws a harpoon. Our fishing-line was of - formidable size. It was made of rope, twisted with wires of steel, - so as to bear a strain of thirty tons. It took about two hours for - the grapnel to reach bottom, but we could tell when it struck. I - often went to the bow and sat on the rope, and could feel by the - quiver that the grapnel was dragging on the bottom two miles under - us. But it was a very slow business. We had storms and calms and - fogs and squalls. Still we worked on day after day. Once, on the - 17th of August, we got the cable up, and had it in full sight for - five minutes--a long slimy monster, fresh from the ooze of the - ocean's bed--but our men began to cheer so wildly that it seemed to - be frightened, and suddenly broke away and went down into the sea. - - "This accident kept us at work two weeks longer; but finally, on - the last night of August, we caught it. We had cast the grapnel - thirty times. It was a little before midnight on Friday night that - we hooked the cable, and it was a little after midnight Sunday - morning that we got it on board. What was the anxiety of those - twenty-six hours? The strain on every man's life was like the - strain on the cable itself. When finally it appeared it was - midnight; the lights of the ship, and in the boats around our bows, - as they flashed in the faces of the men, showed them eagerly - watching for the cable to appear on the water. At length it was - brought to the surface. All who were allowed to approach crowded - forward to see it; yet not a word was spoken; only the voices of - the officers in command were heard giving orders. All felt as if - life and death hung on the issue. It was only when it was brought - over the bow and on to the deck that men dared to breathe. Even - then they hardly believed their eyes. Some crept towards it to feel - of it--to be sure it was there. Then we carried it along to the - electrician's room to see if our long-sought treasure was alive or - dead. A few minutes of suspense and a flash told of the lightning - current again set free. Then did the feeling, long pent up, burst - forth. Some turned away their heads and wept. Others broke into - cheers, and the cry ran from man to man and was heard down in the - engine-rooms, deck below deck, and from the boats on the water and - the other ships, while rockets lighted up the darkness of the sea. - Then with thankful hearts we turned our faces again to the west. - But soon the wind arose, and for thirty-six hours we were exposed - to all the dangers of a storm on the Atlantic. Yet in the very - height and fury of the gale, as I sat in the electrician's room, a - flash of light came up from the deep which, having crossed to - Ireland, came back to me in mid-ocean telling that those so dear to - me were well. - - "When the first cable was laid in 1858 electricians thought that to - send a current two thousand miles it must be almost like a stroke - of lightning. But God was not in the earthquake, but in the still, - small voice. The other day Mr. Latimer Clark telegraphed from - Ireland across the ocean and back again with a battery formed in a - lady's thimble! And now Mr. Collett writes me from Heart's Content: - 'I have just sent my compliments to Dr. Gould, of Cambridge, who is - at Valentia, with a battery composed of a gun cap, with a strip of - zinc, excited by a drop of water, the simple bulk of a tear!'" - -These were among the toasts given on the same evening: - - "Captain Anderson and the officers of the _Great Eastern_ and the - other ships engaged in the late expedition: they deserve the thanks - not only of their own country, but of the civilized world." - - "The capitalists of England and America who use their wealth to - achieve great enterprises, and leave behind them enduring monuments - of their wise munificence." - -And this sentiment was read: - - "While expressing our grateful appreciation of the energy and - sagacity that practically achieved the spanning of the Atlantic by - the electric current, let us not fail to do honor to those whose - genius and patient investigation of the laws of nature furnished - the scientific knowledge requisite to success." - -A reception was given to Mr. Field by the Century Club on Saturday -evening, November 17th. - -It was in a speech made at Leeds early in October that Mr. John Bright -had said: - - "To-morrow is the greatest day in the United States, when perhaps - millions of men will go to the polls, and they will give their - votes on the great question whether justice shall or shall not be - done to the liberated African; and in a day or two we shall hear - the result, and I shall be greatly surprised if that result does - not add one more proof to those already given of the solidity, - intelligence, and public spirit of the great body of the people of - the United States. I have mentioned the North American continent. I - refer to the colonies which are still part of this empire, as well - as to those other colonies which now form this great and free - republic, founded by the old Genoese captain at the end of the - fifteenth century. A friend of mine, Cyrus Field, of New York, is - the Columbus of our time, for after no less than forty passages - across the Atlantic in pursuit of the great aim of his life, he has - at length by his cable moved the New World close alongside the Old. - To speak from the United Kingdom to the North American continent, - and from North America to the United Kingdom, now is but the work - of a moment of time, and it does not require the utterance even of - a whisper. The English nations are brought together, and they must - march on together." - -And Mr. Bright also wrote: - -"ROCHDALE, _November 23, 1866_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--I sent a short message to Sir James - Anderson, that he might send it on to the chairman of the banquet. - I have not heard from him since, but I hope it reached you in - proper time. The words were as follows: 'It is fitting you should - honor the man to whom the whole world is debtor. He brought - capital and science together to do his bidding, and Europe and - America are forever united. I cannot sit at your table, but I can - join in doing honor to Cyrus W. Field. My hearty thanks to him may - mingle with yours.' - - "This is but a faint expression of my estimation of your wonderful - energy and persistency and faith in the great work to which so many - years of your life have been devoted. - - "The world as yet does not know how much it owes to you, and this - generation will never know it. I regard what has been done as the - most marvellous thing in human history. I think it more marvellous - than the invention of printing, or, I am almost ready to say, than - the voyage of the Genoese. But we will not compare these things, - which are all great. Let us rather rejoice at what has been done, - and I will rejoice that you mainly have done it. - - "I wish I could have been at the dinner, for my reluctance to make - a speech would have given way to my desire to say something about - you and about the cable, and its grand significance to our Old - World and your New one. - - "I need not tell you how much I am glad to believe that in a sense - that is very useful in this world you will profit largely by the - success of the great enterprise, and how fervently I hope your - prosperity may increase.... - - "Your elections have turned out well. I hope you will yet be - 'reconstructed' on sound principles, and not on the unhappy - doctrines of the President. - - "If I were with you I could talk a good deal, but I cannot write - more, so farewell. - -"With every good wish for you, -"I am always sincerely your friend, -"JOHN BRIGHT." - - - -A joint resolution presenting the thanks of Congress to Cyrus W. Field -was introduced in the Senate of the United States on December 12th, and -it was reported by Mr. Sumner without amendment on December 18th. - - "_Resolved._ By the Senate and House of Representatives of the - United States of America, in Congress assembled, - - "That the thanks of Congress be, and they hereby are, presented to - Cyrus W. Field, of New York, for his foresight, courage, and - determination in establishing telegraphic communication by means of - the Atlantic cable, traversing mid-ocean and connecting the Old - World with the New; and that the President of the United States be - requested to cause a gold medal to be struck, with suitable - emblems, devices, and inscription, to be presented to Mr. Field. - And be it further - - "_Resolved_, That when the medal shall have been struck, the - President shall cause a copy of this joint resolution to be - engrossed on parchment, and shall transmit the same, together with - the medal, to Mr. Field, to be presented to him in the name of the - people of the United States of America. And be it further - - "_Resolved_, That a sufficient sum of money to carry this - resolution into effect is hereby appropriated out of any money in - the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. - - "Approved March 2, 1867." - -Immediately on his return to New York Mr. Field sold enough of his cable -stock to enable him early in November to write to those who had -compromised with him in 1860 and enclose to each the full amount of his -indebtedness, with seven per cent. interest to date. One check was for -$68 60, another was for $16,666 67; in all he paid $170,897 62. - -The New York _Evening Post_ wrote of this act: - - "We hope we do not violate confidence in stating a fact to the - honor of a New York merchant, which, though a private transaction, - ought to be known. Our fellow-citizen, Mr. Cyrus W. Field, whose - name will always be connected with the Atlantic telegraph, has - twice nearly ruined himself by his devotion to that enterprise. - Though a man of independent fortune when he began, he embarked in - it so large a portion of his capital as nearly to make shipwreck of - the whole. While in England engaged in the expedition of 1857 a - financial storm swept over this country and his house suspended; - but on his return he asked only for time, and paid all in full with - interest. But the stoppage was a heavy blow, and being followed by - a fire, in 1859, which burned his store to the ground, and by the - panic of December, 1860, just before the breaking out of the war, - he was finally obliged to compromise with his creditors. Thus - released, he devoted himself to the work of his life, which he has - at last carried through. The success of the Atlantic telegraph, we - are happy to learn, has brought back a portion of his lost wealth, - and his first care has been to make good all losses to others. He - has addressed a letter to every creditor who suffered by the - failure of his house in 1860, requesting him to send a statement of - the amount compromised, adding the interest for nearly six years, - and as fast as presented returns a check in full. The whole amount - will be about $200,000. Such a fact, however he may wish to keep it - a secret, ought to be known, to his honor and to the honor of the - merchants of New York." - -It was at this time that Mr. George Peabody gave him a service of -silver, and asked that this inscription should be engraved on each -piece: - - GEORGE PEABODY - TO - CYRUS W. FIELD, - In testimony and commemoration - of an act of very high - Commercial integrity and honor. - New York, 10th November, 1866. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD - -(1867-1870) - - -The Governor of the State of Wisconsin, in his annual message to the -Legislature in January, 1867, suggested that the State make to Mr. Field -"a suitable acknowledgment of their appreciation of the priceless value -of the success he had achieved." - -The recommendation was acted upon. Resolutions were adopted by both -branches of the Legislature and approved by the Governor on March 29th, -and a gold medal was also ordered to be sent, "properly inscribed." - -On the 6th of February Mr. Field sailed for England for the purpose of -making "arrangements between the Anglo-American Telegraph Company and -the New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company." The land -lines across Newfoundland were often broken; complaints were made; the -public was naturally inclined to overrate trivial accidents, and it was -necessary to give an explanation. - -"22 OLD BROAD STREET, _January 24th_. - -"TO THE EDITOR OF THE _Daily News_: - - "_Sir_,--A statement having appeared in the paper of this day to - the effect that the communication with New York was interrupted, I - have to inform you that in consequence of a heavy fall of snow the - land line in Cape Breton appears to have broken down. The cables - of this company are, as they ever have been, in perfect order. - -"I am, etc., -"JOHN C. DEANE, Secretary." - - - -Before Mr. Field sailed for home this was published in the London -papers: - - "It appears that a contract was signed yesterday by Mr. Cyrus W. - Field, acting in behalf of the New York, Newfoundland, and London - Telegraph Company, with the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance - Company for a submarine cable between Placentia, Newfoundland, and - Sydney, Nova Scotia. The line will be laid in the early part of the - summer. Mr. Field, having effected this very satisfactory - arrangement in the interests of Atlantic telegraphy, will leave for - New York in the _Great Eastern_ on the 20th of March." - -Soon after his arrival in London the letters that immediately follow had -been received: - -"PARIS, _February 28, 1867_. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq.: - - "_Dear Sir_,--The undersigned American citizens, at present in - Europe, hearing of your arrival in England, and desiring to express - their warm appreciation of your untiring labors and your final - success in the laying of the Atlantic telegraph, desire to give you - a public reception in this city at an early day, or at your own - convenience. - - "Hoping soon to hear from you, we remain, sir, - -"Your sincere friends, -"SAMUEL F. B. MORSE, -"JAMES MCKAYE, -"JOHN MUNROE, -"EMORY MCCLINTOCK, -"CHAS. S. P. BOWLES, -"And many others." - - - -"PARIS, _March 1, 1867_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--Singular as it may seem, I was in the midst of - your speech before the Chamber of Commerce reception to you in New - York, perusing it with deep interest, when my valet handed me your - letter of the 27th ult. - - "I regret exceedingly that I shall not have the great pleasure I - had anticipated with other friends here, who were preparing to - receive you in Paris with the welcome you so richly deserve. You - invite me to London. I have the matter under consideration. March - winds and that _boisterous Channel_ have some weight in my - decision, but I so long to take you by the hand, and to get posted - up on telegraph matters at home, that I feel disposed to make the - attempt.... - -"With unabated respect and esteem, -"Your friend, as ever, -"SAMUEL F. B. MORSE. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq., Palace Hotel, London." - - - -The next letter is from the Speaker of the House of Commons: - -"HOUSE OF COMMONS, _March 12, 1867_. - - "_Dear Sir_,--The last few hours before your departure will be too - much occupied for me to intrude upon them. I should have been glad - to have thanked you (I might have ventured to have done so in the - name of the House of Commons) for the services you have rendered to - this country, as well as to your own. - - "I offer you my best wishes for a safe and prosperous voyage. - -"Believe me -"Faithfully yours, -"J. EVELYN DENISON. - - "C. FIELD, Esq., Palace Hotel." - -The next is from the Prime-Minister: - -"ST. JAMES SQUARE, _March 17, 1867_. - - "_Sir_,--Understanding that you are on the point of returning to - the United States after a short visit to this country, I am anxious - to take the opportunity of saying to yourself, what in the Queen's - name I was authorized to write to the chairman of the banquet in - the autumn at Liverpool, how much of the success of the great - undertaking of laying the Atlantic cable was due to the energy and - perseverance with which, from the very first, in spite of all - discouragements, you adhered to and supported the project. Your - signal services in carrying out this great undertaking have been - already fully recognized by Congress, and it would have been very - satisfactory to the Queen to have included your name among those on - whom, in commemoration of this great event, Her Majesty was pleased - to bestow British honors, if it had not been felt that, as a - citizen of the United States, it would hardly have been competent - to you to accept them. As long, however, as the telegraphic - communication between the two continents lasts your name cannot - fail to be honorably associated with it. - - "Wishing you a safe and prosperous return to your own country, - -"I have the honor to be, sir, -"Your obedient servant, -"DERBY. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq." - - - -"AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, -"LIVERPOOL, _18th February, 1867_. - - "_Dear Sir_,--The American Chamber of Commerce of Liverpool, being - desirous of commemorating the successful completion of the Atlantic - cable between England and America, resolved in September last to - present gold medals to yourself, Sir Samuel Canning, Sir James - Anderson, and Mr. Willoughby Smith as representatives of the - enterprise. - - "The medals are now ready, and it is proposed to present them at a - banquet to be given by the Chamber at Liverpool. - - "I understand that the 14th of March next will suit yourself and - Sir James Anderson.... - -"I remain -"Yours truly, -"HENRY W. GAIR, President. - - "CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq., Palace Hotel, Buckingham Gate, London." - -This invitation was accepted, and the description of the banquet which -follows is taken from the Liverpool _Daily Post_ of March 15th: - - "The members of the American Chamber of Commerce in this town gave - a splendid banquet last night, in the Law Association Rooms, Cook - Street, to Sir Samuel Canning, Sir James Anderson, Mr. Cyrus W. - Field, and Mr. Willoughby Smith, the layers of the Atlantic - telegraph cable, on which occasion a magnificent solid gold medal - was presented to each of those gentlemen.... - - "The chairman in proposing 'The projector and the associates in the - laying of the Atlantic cable,' said: Gentlemen, I now come to the - business, to the pleasure which has brought us together this - evening, and if what I say on the subject is short, it is not - because there is not a great deal to be said on it, but because I - know you are impatient to hear it said by those whose acts give - them the means and right to speak with knowledge and authority. - Acts are better than words, and in the acts we are met here to - perform we but express the gratitude we feel to those who through - so many difficulties and discouragements have brought this great - work to a successful termination. This success is one of which we, - as a nation, are proud, and rightly so. But it is good for our - humility--a virtue in which we do not naturally excel--to remember - that the first credit of that success is due, not to an Englishman, - but to an American, Mr. Cyrus Field. He is the projector of the - plan, and had it not been for his tenacity of purpose, his - faith--which, if it did not remove mountains, at least defied - oceans to shake his purpose--the plan would long ago have been - abandoned in despair. In this tenacity and utter incapacity to - understand defeat Mr. Field is a representative man of the - Anglo-Saxon race wherever found.... I have now the pleasure to - propose that the health of the projector and his associates in - laying the Atlantic cable shall be drunk with a hearty three times - three.' The call was vociferously responded to, and the chairman - then handed a medal to Mr. Cyrus Field, Sir James Anderson, and Mr. - Willoughby Smith, each of whom was loudly applauded on rising to - receive it. - - "Mr. Field said: 'Mr. Chairman, I thank you for the kind manner in - which you have spoken of me, and you gentlemen for the flattering - way in which you have responded to the toast.... I think I may - safely affirm that never before were so many men brought together - in one enterprise who were so pre-eminently fitted by diversified - endowments and by special knowledge and experience to solve the - problem of the Atlantic telegraph. Most fortunate, moreover, were - we in finding such a ship as the _Great Eastern_, and such a - commander as Sir James Anderson. The man was made for the ship, - and both were made for us. I would also give expression to the - sense of gratitude we must all feel to the press of England and - America for its support in adversity as well as in good fortune, - and to the statesmen of all parties on both sides of the Atlantic, - whose cordial sympathy and encouragement were never once - withheld.... Nor must I forget that, during the thirteen years to - which I have referred, prayers for our success perpetually ascended - to the Almighty from Christian men and women who, although most of - them had nothing to gain or to lose by the undertaking, were drawn - towards it by the deep-felt conviction that, if it were realized, - it could not fail to serve their Divine Master's cause by promoting - 'Peace on earth and good-will among men.'" - -The _Great Eastern_, in which steamship he sailed for home, arrived in -New York late in the first week in April, and the spring and early -summer of this year were passed with his family and friends. From one of -the latter he received this note, written on paper which bore the red -cross and the words "American Association for the Relief of Misery of -Battle-fields": - -"NEW YORK, _May 16, 1867_. - - "Many thanks, dear Mr. Field, for your letter. I shall hope to have - the pleasure of meeting you abroad. But in any event I wish you and - your family prosperity and increase of your well-earned honors, and - your rightful self-complacency in your victories over time and - space, and at last over this world and its last enemy. - -"Affectionately yours, -"H. W. BELLOWS." - - - -July 1, 1867, he writes: - - "Left last Wednesday for Canada and the provinces; to-day at - Ottawa. Returned to New York for a few days, and then for six weeks - was in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland; on August 15th at the - Government House, St. John's, Newfoundland." - -Many minor trials came to the telegraph companies during these first -years of ocean telegraphy, and this letter refers to some of them: - -"NEW YORK, _October 1, 1867_. - - "_My dear Mr. Deane_,--In relation to the tariff, and particularly - that part touching _ciphers_, I must again appeal to you, and I do - wish my words could carry conviction to your mind of the fatal - tendency of the course we are carried into by your rules.... - - "But let us inquire if we are benefited by this rule of strictness. - We see that very few acknowledged cipher messages are forwarded. - There are people who can make messages apparently in plain text but - which are actually cipher, and in the various attempts to get much - into little there lies the germ of many disputes between customers - and receiving clerks. The truth is, we make nothing and lose much. - Many who were our best customers now use the line only in cases of - emergency, whereas they would use it daily if our terms were - liberal. The U. S. government and the representatives at Washington - of all the foreign governments are determined to use us as little - as possible. We are reviled on every side. The government, the - press, and all the people will do all in their power to encourage a - competing line. Something must be done to arrest this feeling. Why - not try reduction for three mouths, and see what the effect will - be.... - -"I remain, my dear Mr. Deane, -"Very truly your friend, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -Mistakes made in the transmission of messages by cable were of course -more annoying than other telegraphic errors in proportion to the -costliness and delay of correcting them. One cablegram as received at -the Western Union office, New York, read: "Letter thirteen received; you -better travel." The first change was from "you" into "son"; and it was -delivered in Paris, "Letter thirteen received; son pretty well." By this -time the message had become unintelligible, and therefore useless. A -serious complaint was naturally made when instead of the cable message -reading "Protect our drafts" it was "Protest our drafts." - -In a letter to London on February 4th he says: - - "I think there can be no doubt if the several telegraph lines - between London and New York were under an efficient management the - business could be done much better and enormously increased, and I - would work energetically with you, Mr. Morgan, and others to secure - this object if it can be done in a satisfactory manner. I consider - it of great importance that this business should be under the - control of persons that can comprehend what it can be made." - -On the eve of sailing for England, on February 18th, he wrote to the -Hon. Hugh McCulloch, Secretary of the Treasury: - - "I have undoubted confidence in the good faith of our government - that it will pay the principal and interest of every dollar of its - bonded debt in gold, and shall do all in my power to make my - friends in Europe think as I do." - -The day before this had been sent to him: - -"WASHINGTON, _February 17, 1868_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--Accept my thanks and best wishes. I have only to - say that the wise men whom you will find in the East are not very - wise in expecting that our troubles will diminish while they insist - upon concessions which we cannot make. - -"Very truly your friend, -"WILLIAM H. SEWARD. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq." - - - -"ROCHDALE, _March 8, 1868_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--I have only just received your kind - invitation. Unluckily Tuesday is fixed for the Irish debate, and I - cannot be away from the House on that evening. - - "I regret this very much, for it would give me much pleasure to - spend an evening with you. I must call upon you, and have a talk - with you on the new crisis which has arisen in your country. - - "Some of your statesmen are in favor of repudiation, and you are - dethroning your President, and yet your stocks are not sensibly - shaken by all this in the English market. There is more faith in - you than there was three or four years ago! - - "But I hope your people will not repudiate. - -"Always sincerely yours, -"JOHN BRIGHT. - - "I expect to be in town in the course of to-morrow." - -Mr. Bright's letter referred to the dinner to be given by Mr. Field, on -March 10th, at the Buckingham Palace Hotel, "on the fourteenth -anniversary of the day on which the first contract with the New York, -Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company had been signed at his house -on Gramercy Square, New York." - -On the evening of March 6th there had been a debate in the House of -Commons on the _Alabama_ claims, and many of the speeches at the dinner -bore references to that debate. The key-note of the occasion was struck -when the Right Hon. James Stuart Wortley said: - - "One of its greatest feats" (of the ocean telegraph) "has lately - been accomplished under the auspices of our worthy chairman by his - sending the conciliatory debate of the House of Commons on the - _Alabama_ claims to America. I am very glad this has been done, as - it is far more likely to create good feeling between the two - countries than anything else." - -In giving one of the toasts Mr. Field said: - - "Gentlemen, on Friday evening I had great pleasure in hearing the - debate in the House of Commons on the _Alabama_ claims. Before - that, I confess to you, I felt exceedingly anxious about the - relations between England and the United States; and on Thursday - last, in sending a private telegram to Washington, I used these - words: 'When you see the President, Mr. Seward, and Mr. Sumner, - please say to them that I am perfectly convinced that the English - government and people are very desirous of settling all questions - in dispute between the United States and this country, and that - with a little conciliation on both sides this desirable object can - be accomplished.' Gentlemen, we are honored here to-night with the - presence of several distinguished persons connected with the press - in England and America, and I am going to give you as a toast 'The - Press' of those countries; and I shall ask them, who so well know - public opinion, to tell us frankly whether I was justified in - sending such a message to Washington." - -Mr. Walker, of the _Daily News_, ended his speech with these words: - - "As to this matter of the _Alabama_ claims at present dividing the - two countries, I think we are approximating to an understanding. - One after another misapprehensions have been removed, and I cannot - but think that, with the prevailing good disposition on both sides - of the Atlantic, the matter will be more easily settled than we in - England have been inclined to imagine." - -Colonel Anderson, of the New York _Herald_, closed his speech in this -way: - - "About the message which Mr. Field sent to America the other day, I - may say that some months ago I sent a similar one, for I had found - that among a large class of people in England there was a - disposition to settle all disputes with the United States. I am - pleased to see in the press of both countries evidence of a kindly - disposition, and I hope that nothing will ever occur to disturb the - friendly relations now existing. I believe that I had the honor of - sending the first message for the press through the Atlantic cable - after it was opened for business. That was a message of peace - announcing the end of the war in Germany. I may have to use the - telegraph in England for many years, but I sincerely trust that no - angry word will ever pass through the Atlantic cable." - -Mr. Smalley, of the New York _Tribune_, said: - - "Having been away so long from home, I have, perhaps, no right to - say what they think there, though the perseverance and enterprise - of our friend Mr. Field have brought England so near to America - that we ought to be able to know what is going on at home as if we - were living in New York. Independently of that source, I think one - is entitled to say that the feeling in America responds to the - feeling of Great Britain in a degree which it has not for the last - seven years. I heard with pleasure from Mr. Field that he had sent - the _Alabama_ debate to New York, an instance of public spirit for - which the two countries owe him a debt of gratitude; for through it - there is, I suppose, this morning in every journal in America, - certainly in every large journal on the Eastern coast, full tidings - of the debate. It is, perhaps, such a message as was never before - sent from one country to another. It was my fortune to listen to - that debate. No newspaper report can give such a notion of the tone - and temper of the House as hearing it conveyed to me. It was not - only the sincere purpose, it was not only the enthusiasm and - earnestness, the good-will to America which every speaker showed, - but there was a certain electric sympathy which seemed to pervade - the House. It manifested itself in cheers for every liberal - sentiment and every kindly expression that fell from the speakers' - lips. Several members of the House came to me as I sat under the - gallery, and with what I may be pardoned for calling an almost - boyish enthusiasm, said, 'Is not that capital?' as some sentence of - conciliation and of justice fell from the lips of Lord Stanley, of - Mr. Forster, or of Mr. Mill. Now, sir, I should not be loyal to the - journal which I represent if I did not say that this authoritative - declaration of a changed feeling in England is sure to be welcome - in America. Not one but many journals came to us from the United - States in advance of this debate breathing a similar spirit. The - cloud which for years has hung between the two countries seems to - be passing away, and it would be ungrateful not to believe that a - spark along this cable has helped to dispel it. At any rate, I - cannot make a mistake in saying that any disposition to close up - the old quarrel, any wish for future union which English lips may - utter, is sure to find a cordial echo from the press on the other - side of the Atlantic." - -On the same evening Mr. Field said: - - "I now propose a toast: 'The memory of Richard Cobden, who proposed - to the late Prince Consort that the profits of the exhibition of - 1851 should be devoted to the establishment of telegraphic - communication between England and America, and who, later, desired - that the English government should supply one-half of the capital - necessary to establish telegraphic communication across the - Atlantic.' Mr. Cobden's argument was this: 'I am opposed to the - government giving an unconditional guarantee, because it is a - bargain all on one side. If you fail, then government pays the - loss; if you succeed, you reap all the benefit. But I will - advocate, with all my power, that the government shall supply - one-half the money necessary to establish telegraphic communication - between England and America, and in the event of success that they - should have half the profit.' If the government had followed his - advice they would to-day be receiving half the dividends on the - Anglo-American and Atlantic telegraph stocks. I hope this - consideration may lead them to pursue a liberal policy in regard to - the extension of the telegraph to India, China, and Australia." - -This toast was drunk in silence, all present rising. - -Before dinner this note was handed to the chairman: - -"HOUSE OF COMMONS, _March 10, 1868_, 7 P.M. - - "_My dear Sir_,--I have cherished to the last the hope of coming to - see you, but unhappily it is now arranged that Lord Mayo will not - speak until after dinner, and I therefore fear that my presence at - the only time of the evening when it would have been of use will be - impossible. I should have much enjoyed, and I had greatly coveted, - the opportunity your kindness offered--speaking a word of good-will - to your country--but I am detained here by a higher duty; for there - is in my judgment, no duty for public men in England which at this - juncture is so high, so sacred, as that of studying the case of - Ireland, and applying the remedies which I believe it admits. - - "We shall lie here until midnight, but not without thoughts of your - festival and of the greatness of the country with which it is - connected. You are called upon to encounter difficulties and to - sustain struggles which some years ago I should have said were - beyond human strength. But I have learned to be more cautious in - taking the measure of American possibilities; and, looking to your - past, there is nothing which we may not hope of your future. - -"I remain, my dear sir, most faithfully yours, -"W. E. GLADSTONE. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq." - - - -In one of the weekly letters sent to him from New York there is this -announcement: - - "A circular has been received from the State Department, dated June - 3d, stating that they have received for you from Paris 'A Grand - Prize and Diploma.'" - -He was invited to a banquet to be given at Willis's Rooms on July 1, -1868, "as an acknowledgment," so the invitations read, "of the eminent -services rendered to the New and Old Worlds by his devotion to the -interests of Atlantic telegraphy through circumstances of protracted -difficulty and doubt." - -The Duke of Argyll was chairman of the Committee of Invitation, and Sir -James Anderson was at the head of the Executive Committee. - -The following letter was received from the American minister to France: - -"PARIS, _24th June, 1868_. - -"SIR JAMES ANDERSON: - - "_Dear Sir_,--No one appreciates more highly than myself the - valuable service rendered by Mr. Field in establishing a connection - by telegraph between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, and the - unfaltering confidence and persevering efforts with which he - entertained this great international enterprise through the - circumstances of protracted difficulty and doubt to which you - allude. It would have given me sincere pleasure, had it been in my - power, to unite in the tribute of respect proposed to be paid to - him--a pleasure I relinquish with an equally sincere regret. - -"I am, dear sir, very respectfully yours, -"JOHN A. DIX." - -"_June 19, 1868._ - - "_Sir_,--It would give me great pleasure to show any mark of - respect in my power to Mr. Cyrus Field and to the great nation to - which he belongs. - - "I shall be happy to attend the dinner on July 1st, if by so doing - I can attest my sense of Mr. Field's services. - - "I trust that I shall not give offence, should I be compelled to - retire before the rest of the company. - -"I remain your servant, -"SHAFTESBURY. - -"Sir JAMES ANDERSON." - - - -"GROSVENOR CRESCENT, _June 7, 1868_. - - "_Sir_,--I am extremely sorry that a prior engagement must prevent - my attending the banquet that is to be given to Mr. Cyrus W. Field. - - "It would have been a real pleasure to me to take part in any - proceeding having for its object to do honor to that distinguished - gentleman, for whose energetic character, as well as for his - zealous efforts in promoting friendly relations between our - respective countries, I have long felt the highest admiration. - -I am sir, -"Your obedient servant, -"Clarendon. - -"JAMES ANDERSON, Esq." - - - -"107 VICTORIA STREET, S. W., -"GARRICK CLUB. - - "_My dear Anderson_,--I would like so much to dine with you all in - honor of Cyrus the Great. - -"Yours very truly, -"W. H. RUSSELL." - - - -"120 PICCADILLY, _June 18, 1868_. - - "_Dear Sir_,--I fully intend to be present, if possible, at the - banquet to Mr. Cyrus W. Field, but I have been of late in the - doctor's hands, and it may happen that I could not be present. - - "I should, therefore, feel much obliged to you if you would give - the reply to the toast to some one else, and release me altogether - from making a speech. For various reasons I am anxious not to speak - on the occasion, especially as I have been compelled to decline - all invitations to public dinners of late; otherwise anything that - I could have done to contribute to the success of this - well-deserved tribute to the great services of Mr. Cyrus Field I - would have done with the greatest pleasure. - -"Yours truly, -"A. H. LAYARD." - - - -"LONDON, _June 30, 1868_. - - "_My dear Field_,--I regret very much not being able to be one of - those who will meet to-morrow to do you honor for your great - services in carrying out telegraphic communication between this - country and America. No one present will feel and appreciate more - than I do how important a part you took in that great work, and - with what energy and perseverance you devoted yourself to its - success. - -"Wishing you long life and every happiness, -"Believe me, -"Yours very sincerely, -"DANIEL GOOCH." - - - -The speeches made at this dinner can be given only in part. - -The Duke of Argyll said: - - "My Lords and Gentlemen,--It now becomes my duty to propose that - which is pre-eminently the toast of the evening, and to ask you to - return to our distinguished guest our warm and hearty - acknowledgments of the great service he has rendered to England, to - America, and to the world by his exertions in promoting the success - of the Atlantic telegraph, an enterprise which is the culminating - triumph of a long series of discoveries prosecuted by many - generations of men. It is not easy to apportion with exactitude the - merits which may belong to those who have engaged in it; but I much - mistake the character of our distinguished guest--and I have now - known him for several years, and have had much communication with - him--I much mistake his character if he desires to displace for a - single moment any of those who have preceded him in the history of - electrical discovery. This great triumph may be looked at from - various points of view, and in the first place I think I am safe in - saying that we all feel it to be a triumph of pure science--I say, - of pure science, of the pure desire and love of knowledge.... I - have the honor of speaking to many distinguished scientific men, - and I think they will hear me out when I say that if there is one - question which they hear with the utmost indignation and contempt - addressed to them when they are in the course of their - investigations it is the question, What is the use of their - discoveries? The answer which the man of science returns to this - question, as to what is the use of his discovery, is, 'I only tell - you what is the interest of that discovery, that interest which - compels and impels me to go on in the path of investigation.' It is - knowledge, mere knowledge of the facts and laws of nature, that the - scientific mind seeks to gain. Nevertheless, I think it is a great - comfort to scientific men to be sure that even those discoveries - which for years, and even for centuries, remain apparently entirely - useless may at any time and at any moment become serviceable in the - highest degree to the human family.... And I believe the success of - this enterprise would have been delayed for many years--perhaps for - whole generations of men--had it not been for the single exertions, - for the confidence and zeal, for the foresight and faith, - amounting, as I think, to genius, of our distinguished guest, Mr. - Cyrus Field. None of us in our day, I rejoice to think, are - disposed to undervalue the influence which the spirit of commercial - enterprise is having upon the progress and civilization of mankind. - In nothing perhaps is there so strange a contrast between the - spirit and the wisdom of modern times and the spirit and wisdom of - ancient philosophy. It is surely a most wonderful fact that in the - most brilliant civilizations of the ancient world the wise men of - those times--and they were men so wise that many of us to this day - are influenced by their thoughts--many of those men held that - commercial enterprise was the bane of nations. Now I must say this, - that of all commercial enterprises which have ever been undertaken, - this one on the part of Mr. Cyrus Field represents the noblest and - purest motives by which commercial enterprise can ever be inspired. - I believe it was the very greatness of the project--the great - results which were certain to issue--I believe it was this, and - this alone, which supported him with that confidence and decision - which through many difficulties and many disappointments has - carried him at last to the triumphant conclusion of this great - project. And, gentlemen, I rejoice to say that whilst as a - commercial enterprise it has come from the other side of the - Atlantic, it has been well seconded and supported by the - capitalists not only of America but of England. And surely this is - another link of friendly intercourse between the people of the two - countries. Now let me also say this--and this is a point which I - have ascertained from other sources--I believe so great was the - confidence of Mr. Field in the triumph of this great undertaking - that he risked every farthing of his own private fortune in - promoting its success. On these grounds, ladies and gentlemen, I - ask you to drink his health. But on one other ground also I ask you - to drink it, and that is this, that he is personally one of the - most genial and kindly-hearted of men. At a time when his country - was in great difficulty, and when many Americans thought at least - they had something to complain of in the tone of English society, I - was in the constant habit of meeting Mr. Field, and I never saw his - temper ruffled for a moment, I never heard any words fall from him - but words of peace between the two countries; and I often heard him - express a hope that a time would come when a better understanding - would arise in the minds of the people of this country and those of - the United States; and I have reason to believe that his services - and exertions in the United States have not a little contributed to - secure the return of that feeling, what I believe is the real and - permanent feeling of the people of those two great countries. Allow - me, then, to ask you most heartily to drink this toast with me--the - health of Mr. Cyrus Field, as the promoter of this great - enterprise, and as a gentleman whom we all know and honor." - -The Right Hon. Sir John Pakington said: - - "There are few men who, more than myself, have in their own - personal experience been struck by the greatness of the event which - we are now assembled to celebrate. I am one of the few--and they - are quickly becoming fewer--who made a tour in the United States - not only before electric telegraphs were thought of, but before - even steamboats had crossed the Atlantic. I went to America in the - quickest way it was then possible to go, in one of the celebrated - American liners; but it so happened that the wind was in the west, - as it generally is, and I was exactly six weeks from shore to - shore. My next personal communication with America was just ten - years ago. It then became my duty, on account of the office I - held, to attend the Queen upon the occasion of her visit to the - Emperor of the French at Cherbourg--one of those interchanges of - courtesy which have done so much to create and prolong good feeling - between France and England. One of the festivities during that - visit was a banquet given by the Emperor to the Queen, on board one - of his finest line of battle ships. I had the honor of being - present, and during the dinner a servant came to me and delivered a - letter which contained a telegram from the United States, - announcing the completion of telegraphic communication between - America and England. I can never forget the interest of such a - communication at such a moment, nor the feeling which it excited - among the distinguished persons of both nations by whom I was then - surrounded. - - "Another agreeable memory of the same period was the assistance - which my office enabled me to give by lending the ships of war of - this country for the accomplishment of that extraordinary event. It - is true that the communication so established was shortly - afterwards interrupted, but it is now restored. We may now, without - exaggeration, say that England and America are no longer separated - by the breadth of the Atlantic Ocean, for even during this dinner - we have been corresponding briskly with our American friends; and - it is impossible, gentlemen, to resist the conclusion that this - greatest triumph of modern science must have the effect of - softening prejudice, increasing and cementing good feeling, and in - every way promoting the welfare and the prosperity of the two great - peoples so brought together. - - "That communication, which at the time to which I first referred - occupied six weeks, may now be effected in as many minutes, and I - rejoice that I am enabled to attend here to-day to join in doing - honor to the man to whom, more than to any other human agency, we - are indebted for this wonderful change." - -Mr. John Bright spoke as follows: - - "In attempting to respond to the sentiment that has been submitted - to us, I have a certain anxiety with regard to a mysterious box - which is said to be on these premises, containing an instrument by - which every word we utter to-night, be it wise or be it foolish, - will be transmitted with more than lightning speed to the dwellers - on that part of the earth's surface which we describe as the - regions of the setting sun. But we are so entirely agreed that - there seems no possibility that anything will be said to-night - which any one who hears it will desire to contradict, and I hope we - may avoid the charge of saying anything that is foolish or hasty. - - "Sir Stafford Northcote has submitted this sentiment, 'The peace - and prosperity of Great Britain and the United States,' which - means, I presume, that we are here in favor of a growing and - boundless trade with America, and at the same time desire an - unbroken friendship with the people of that country. With one heart - and voice I presume to accept that sentiment, and without any fear - of contradiction we assert that we are on that point truly - representative of the unanimous feeling of the three kingdoms. - There are those--I meet them frequently, for there are cavillers - and critics everywhere--there are those who condemn the United - States, and sometimes with something like scorn and bitterness, - because at this moment the people of the United States are bearing - heavy taxation, and because they have a ruinous tariff; but if - these critics were to look back to our own position a few years ago - they would see how much allowance is to be made for others. During - the years which passed between 1790 and 1815, for nearly - twenty-five years the government and people of this country were - waging a war of a terrific character with a neighboring state. The - result of that war was that which is, I believe, the result of - every great war--enormous expenditure, great loans, heavy taxation, - growing debt, and, of course, much suffering among the people, who - have to bear the load of those burdens. But after that war, during - twenty-five years, from 1815 to 1841, there was scarcely anything - done by the government of this country to remedy the gross and - scandalous inequalities of taxation, and to adopt a better system - in apportioning the necessary burdens of the state upon the various - classes of the people. But since 1841, as we all know, we have seen - a revolution in this country in regard to taxation and finance, and - I need not remind you that this has been mainly produced by the - teaching of one who is not with us to-night, but who would have - rejoiced, as we now rejoice, over the great event which we are here - to celebrate, whose spirit and whose mind will, I believe, for - generations yet to come stimulate and elevate the minds of - multitudes of his countrymen. But this revolution of which I speak - is not confined to this country, for, notwithstanding what we now - see in the United States, it may be affirmed positively that it is - going on there, and that in the course of no remote period it will - embrace in its world-blessing influence all the civilized nations - of the globe. The United States have had four years of appalling - struggle and disaster. It was, nevertheless, in some sort a time of - unspeakable grandeur, and it has had this great result, that it has - sustained the life of a great nation and has given universal and - permanent freedom over the whole continent of North America. But as - was the case with our war, so with the American war: it has been - attended with enormous cost, with great loans, with grievous - taxation, and with a tariff which intelligent men will not long - submit to; but at this moment and for some time the strife has been - ended, the wounds inflicted are healing, freedom is secured, and - the restoration of the Union, surmounting the difficulties that - have interposed, is being gradually and certainly accomplished. I - conclude that such a nation as the United States--such a people, so - free and so instructed--will not be twenty-five years before they - remedy the evils and the blunders and the unequal burdens of their - taxation and their tariff. They will discover, in much less time - than we discovered it, that a great nation is advanced by freedom - of industry and of commerce, and that without this freedom every - other kind of freedom is but a partial good. This sentiment speaks, - also, of unbroken friendship between the two countries. May I say - now, in a moment of calm and of reason, that with regard to the - United States both our rulers and our people, and especially the - most influential classes of our people, have greatly erred? Men - here forget that, after all, we are but one nation having two - governments, we are of the same noble and heroic race. Half the - English family is on this side of the Atlantic in its ancient home, - and the other half over the ocean (there being no room for them - here) settled on the American continent. It is so with thousands of - individual families throughout this country. No member of my family - has emigrated to America for forty years past, and yet I have far - more blood relations in the United States than I have within the - limits of the United Kingdom; and that, I believe, is true of - thousands in this country. And I assert this, that he is an enemy - of our English race, and, indeed, an enemy of the human race, who - creates any difficulty that shall interfere with the permanent - peace and friendship of all the members of our great - English-speaking family. One other sentence upon that point. No man - will dare to say that the people of the United States or the - people of the United Kingdom are not in favor of peace.... But - leaving for a moment--in fact, leaving altogether--the sentiment - and the toast which have been submitted to us, you will permit me - to turn more immediately to the purposes of this banquet only for a - sentence or two. I rejoice very much at this banquet, because we - are met to do honor to a man of rare qualities, who has conferred - upon us--and, I believe, upon mankind--rare services. I have known - Mr. Field for a good many years, and although, I dare say, to any - sailor who may be here it is not much, to me it seems a good deal - that Mr. Cyrus Field, in the prosecution of this great work (not - being a sailor, always bear that in mind), has crossed the Atlantic - more than forty times; and he has, as you know, by an energy almost - without example, by a courage nothing could daunt, by a faith that - nothing could make to falter, and by sacrifices beyond - estimation--for there are sacrifices that he has made I would not - in his presence relate to this meeting--aided by discovery and by - science and by capital, he has accomplished the grandest triumph - which the science and the intellect of man have ever achieved. Soon - after the successful laying of the cable I had an opportunity of - referring to it in a speech spoken in the north of England, when I - took the liberty of describing Mr. Cyrus Field as the Columbus of - the nineteenth century; and may I not ask, when that cable was - laid, when the iron hand grasped in the almost fathomless recesses - of the ocean the lost and broken cable, if it be given to the - spirits of great men in the eternal world, in their eternal life, - to behold the great actions of our lives, how must the spirit of - that grand old Genoese have rejoiced at the triumph of that hour, - and at the new tie which bound the world he had discovered to the - world to which but for him it might have been for ages to come - unknown!... I believe no man--not Cyrus Field himself--has ever - been able to comprehend the magnitude of the great discovery, of - the great blessing, to mankind which we have received through the - instrumentality of him and his friends, the scientific men by whom - he has been assisted. I say with the greatest sincerity that my - heart is too full, when I look at this question, to permit me to - speak of it in the manner in which I feel that I should speak. We - all know that there are in our lives joys, and there are sometimes - sorrows, that are too deep for utterance, and there are - manifestations of the goodness, and the wisdom, and the greatness - of the Supreme which our modes of speech are utterly unable to - describe. We can only stand, and look on, and wonder, and adore. - But of the agency--the human agency--concerned we may more freely - speak. I honor the great inventors. In their lifetime they seldom - receive all the consideration to which they are entitled.... I - honor Professor Wheatstone and Professor Morse and all those men of - science who have made this great marvel possible; and I honor the - gallant captain of that great ship, whose precious cargo, not - landed in any port, but sunk in ocean's solitary depths, has - brought measureless blessings to mankind; and I honor him, our - distinguished (may I not say our illustrious?) guest of to-night, - for, after all that can be said of invention, and of science, and - of capital, it required the unmatched energy and perseverance and - faith of Cyrus Field to bring to one grand completion the mightiest - achievement which the human intellect, in my opinion, has ever - accomplished." - -Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe, in closing his speech, said: - - "If the share I had in bygone transactions between the two - countries is indifferent to you, as it may easily be, you will - feel, nevertheless, with me how naturally the Atlantic cable and - all its prospective advantages bring to mind that state of things - which formerly estranged us from America and threatened the - interruption of those friendly relations which so many motives of - interest and sympathy concur in urging both parties to maintain and - improve. Mr. Cyrus Field has called forth our present expressive - tribute to his character and merits of the signal exertion he made, - at so much hazard and self-sacrifice, to realize the grand - conception of the cable. He crossed the Atlantic more than forty - times in pursuit of that glorious object, and I, who have crossed - it but twice, have learned thereby to appreciate the results, as - well as the perils, of so immense an undertaking. Eternal honor to - him, and also to those of our countrymen who, in concert with him, - have enabled the two worlds to converse with each other." - -M. Ferdinand de Lesseps said: - - "Je viens d'etre charge de vous entretenir des avantages du - telegraphe electrique entre les diverses parties du monde. Les - hommes ont toujours cherche a creer et a perfectionner les moyens - de communiquer entre eux. Reunir les peuples par des voies rapides - et abregees est un progres veritablement chretien; car il nous - permet de nous aimer et de nous aider les uns les autres pour nous - rendre meilleurs et plus heureux. L'element essentiel de ce progres - est la propagation de la pensee par la parole, par l'ecriture, par - l'imprimerie, par la presse periodique et journaliere, enfin par la - telegraphie electrique, merveilleuse invention moderne mettant au - service de l'homme la force que les anciens donnaient pour embleme - a la divinite; et qui, au lieu de planer sur nos tetes en signe de - menace, poursuit une marche bienfaisante jusque dans les - profondeurs des mers. La telegraphie electrique est encore a son - debut et deja elle enveloppe le monde. Son application la plus - surprenante, celle qui a demande le plus de courage et d'efforts - perseverants, a ete la communication instantanee entre l'Amerique - et l'Europe. Honneur a Cyrus Field, qui a ete le grand propagateur - et fondateur de la telegraphie transatlantique! Honneur a ses - compagnons de travail et de victoire!" - -The Duke of Argyll sent the following message to his Excellency Andrew -Johnson, President of the United States, Washington: - - "I am now surrounded by upwards of three hundred gentlemen and many - ladies who have assembled to do honor to Mr. Cyrus Field for his - acknowledged exertions in promoting telegraphic communication - between the New and the Old World. It bids fair for the kindly - influences of the Atlantic cable that its success should have - brought together so friendly a gathering; and in asking you to join - our toast of 'Long life, health, and happiness to your most worthy - countryman,' let me add a Highlander's wish--that England and - America may always be found, in peace and in war, 'shoulder to - shoulder.'" - -Mr. Seward's answer from Washington was read during the evening: - - "Your salutations to the President from the banqueting-hall at - Willis's Rooms have been received. The dinner-hour here has not - arrived--it is only five o'clock; the sun is yet two hours high. - When the dinner-hour arrives the President will accept your pledge - of honor to our distinguished countryman, Cyrus W. Field, and will - cordially respond to your Highland aspiration for perpetual union - between the two nations." - -And before the company separated the Duke of Argyll said: - - "I hope you will allow me to read to you another thanks which I - have received by telegraph from Miss Field, New York: - - "'I thank you most sincerely for the kind words you have spoken of - my father, causing me to feel that we are friends, although our - acquaintance is thus made across the sea and in a moment of time.'" - -This testimonial banquet afforded a congenial text for the newspapers of -both countries, and some extracts follow from the comments of the London -papers. - -From the London _Times_: - - "Mere knowledge is itself a great possession; but we want things - done as well as known, and we are impelled by an irresistible - instinct to honor the men who actually do them, or get them done. - This is Mr. Cyrus Field's distinction. By general confession it is - to him we owe it that the science of men like Faraday and - Wheatstone was utilized, and that philosophers and sailors and - capitalists and governments were all united to produce one great - result. It is surprising even now to read his enumeration of the - agencies which co-operated in the work. Scientific investigations - above and beneath the sea, the survey of the Atlantic basin, the - manufacture of the cables, the mechanical appliances for laying - them, the skilful seamanship, the great ship, the enterprises of - capitalists, the ability of directors, the resources of - governments--in a word, the unexampled combination of nautical, - electrical, engineering, and executive resources--all these were - necessary to stretch that piece of wire from continent to - continent. We may imagine what energy, determination, and skill - were needed to set all these agents at work, and to maintain them - in working order in spite of disappointments; and it is as having - been the principal cause of this perseverance and co-operation that - Mr. Field received so handsome an acknowledgment the other - evening." - -From _The Daily News_: - - "The name which the general estimate of the public--an estimate - seldom erroneous in such matters--has associated with the idea of - transatlantic telegraphy is that of Mr. Cyrus Field, the guest of - last night's dinner. The credit of the undertaking is far too vast - to be monopolized by any single name, and common justice, as well - as regard for national honor, bids us remember that the material - resources of the enterprise were due in the main to English energy, - English wealth, and English perseverance. The organized power of an - old country was required to accomplish an undertaking too immense - to be successfully grasped by the not less powerful but less - concentrated resources of a new community. Still, if the glory of - the ultimate achievement rests with England, the credit of having - conceived and initiated the enterprise must be ascribed to America. - And of the American pioneers of the work, there is none who has - labored so indefatigably as Mr. Cyrus Field. The distinguished - guest deserves to be numbered among the 'representative men' of his - own country. If you want to understand how it is that America has - grown to be what she is, you must seek for an explanation in the - fact that men of the Field type are not only to be found among her - citizens, but are able to develop their peculiar powers after a - fashion impossible in an old-fashioned country like our own." - -From the _Morning Star_: - - "Mr. Cyrus W. Field is too earnest and energetic a man, too - completely devoted to great projects and great success, to have - much of mere egotism left in him. A life so thoroughly absorbed in - pursuits which belong to the business and benefit of the whole - world can have little time for the indulgence of vanity. But one - might well excuse a little self-gratulation and pride on the part - of a guest entertained as Mr. Cyrus Field was at Willis's Rooms - last night. Not often, certainly, is such a banquet given in - England to a man who is neither a politician nor a soldier.... Mr. - Field, when he glanced around that splendidly filled banquet-room - last night, may have felt but little personal pride in the - well-merited honors he received. But he must have felt gratified at - the evidence thus practically and brilliantly afforded that the - public of civilized nations are at last trying to unlearn the fatal - habit which made them so long ungrateful to some of their best - benefactors. - - "We never remember to have read of a public demonstration to any - individual in London which had less of a sectarian or sectional - character. The Duke of Argyll, one of the most advanced of our - Liberal peers, one of the most enlightened of our scientific - thinkers, was hardly more prominent in doing honor to Mr. Field - than was Sir John Pakington, the steady-going Tory of the old, old - school. Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, the great Elchi of Mr. - Kinglake's delightful sensation romance, sat side by side with Mr. - Bright, who denounced in such powerful and unsparing eloquence so - much of Lord Stratford's policy and conduct during the Crimean war. - Mr. Layard joined with Sir Stafford Northcote in the compliment to - the guest. Two common sentiments animated the whole of the - company--a company representing politics, science, literature, - arts, and commerce--the sentiment of personal admiration for Mr. - Field's labors and character, and that of cordial friendship - towards the great people of whose indomitable energy he is so - striking an illustration.... Much of the honor, of course, was - entirely personal. It was tendered to Mr. Field because he - individually had deserved it. Mr. Bright, in a few words, - accurately described Mr. Field's position as regards the Atlantic - telegraph. Other men may have thought of the project; other men - may, for aught we know, have thought of it even before he did; - other men may have mentally planned it out, and proposed schemes - for its realization.... The idea is not exclusively Mr. Field's; - nor is the success exclusively his. But assuredly his was the - energy, the prodigious strength of will, the unconquerable - perseverance, which forced the scheme upon the intellect, the - activity, and the influence of England and America, and never - desisted until the dream had become a reality. A slight and - delicate allusion was made once or twice last night to the - sacrifices Mr. Field had made, the responsibilities he had - incurred, the risks he had run, to bring forward his darling scheme - again and again after each new defeat and disaster. There are more - men by far who could bear to make the sacrifices than men who could - raise their heads as Mr. Field did, undismayed after every defeat, - full of new hope after each disaster. Certainly that glorious - vitality of hope is one of the rarest as it is one of the grandest - of human attributes. Mr. Field brought to the great project with - which his life will be identified more than the genius of a - discoverer--he brought the courage, the energy, the heart, and hope - of a very conqueror. Therefore was his share in the work so unique; - therefore did the company at Willis's Rooms last night do him - special honor. But in honoring him they honored also his country. - Better words, holier messages of peace and brotherhood, were never - sent along a wire than those which thrilled last night through the - depths of the Atlantic from the Englishmen around Mr. Field to the - brethren of their race in America." - -"ARGYLL LODGE, KENSINGTON, _July 3, 1868_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--I am much obliged by your kind note. I - assure you it gave me great pleasure to preside at your banquet. I - would rather have my name associated with the Atlantic Telegraph - than with any other undertaking of ancient or modern times. - -"Yours very sincerely, -"ARGYLL." - - - -"MORTIMER READING, _July 2, 1868_. - - "_My dear Friend_,--I was exceedingly sorry that I was prevented - from taking part, as I had intended, in doing honor to you last - night. You know that in all that number of admirers there was not - one whose feelings towards you were warmer than mine. Indeed, few - of them could feel the personal gratitude which I feel to the - author and the indomitable promoter of an enterprise the success of - which will link me, though far away, to my English home. - -"Ever yours sincerely, -"GOLDWIN SMITH." - - - -"CASTLE-CONNELL BY LIMERICK, -"_July 20, 1868_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--I saw by the papers that the great banquet - given to you at Willis's Rooms passed off most successfully, and - Mr. Bright, who has been staying a week with me, confirms even the - most favorable accounts. I think you may well be satisfied with - the honors that have been paid you on both sides of the Atlantic, - but should more be proffered you may readily receive them as - deserved.... - -"Very respectfully and truly yours, -"GEORGE PEABODY." - - - -When he sailed for England, in February, Mr. Field had taken to Mr. -Bright an invitation to visit this country, signed by many of his -American friends, and ending with these words: "Your presence at this -time would tend to strengthen the ties between your country and ours, -and we beg leave to suggest a visit during the ensuing spring." - -"TORQUAY, DEVON, _October 13, 1868_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--Your letter has been sent on to me, and has - followed me in my journey in Cornwall.... I rejoice at the - patriotism of your countrymen, many of whom have gone or are going - home to take part in the great election; and I hope most earnestly - that the Republican candidates may be elected by a grand majority. - - "In this country the elections seem likely to go strongly against - the Tories; they deserve to be well beaten. - - "As to the invitation from New York, I can say nothing except that - I am deeply indebted to your friends for their kind invitation, and - that I regret extremely that I have never yet been able to visit - your country. I need not tell you how many are my engagements here, - and how uncertain is the prospect of my being able to see the many - kind friends I have in the States. - - "I must ask you to thank the gentlemen who wrote to me, and to say - that I am very grateful to them for their kind remembrance of me. - - "I wish you a pleasant voyage and return. I almost envy you the - ease with which, after your long experience, you cross the - Atlantic. - - "I shall wait with confidence, but not without anxiety, what the - cable will bring us the day after your election. I see four States - have their elections to-day, from which something may be judged of - what is to come. - -"I am, always very sincerely, your friend, -"JOHN BRIGHT." - - - -November 2, 1868, in writing to a friend he says, "I returned home last -Thursday in time to vote for General Grant." - -On December 29, 1868, a banquet was given to Professor Morse, who in -closing his speech said: - - "I have claimed for America the origination of the modern telegraph - system of the world. Impartial history, I think, will support the - claim. Do not misunderstand me as disparaging or disregarding the - labors and ingenious modifications of others in various countries - employed in the same field of invention. Gladly, did time permit, - would I descant upon their great and varied merits. Yet in tracing - the birth and pedigree of the modern telegraph, 'American' is not - the highest term of the series that connects the past with the - present; there is at least one higher term, the highest of all, - which cannot and must not be ignored. If not a sparrow falls to the - ground without a definite purpose in the plans of infinite wisdom, - can the creation of an instrumentality so vitally affecting the - interests of the whole human race have an origin less humble than - the Father of every good and perfect gift? I am sure I have the - sympathy of such an assembly as is here gathered if, in all - humility and in the sincerity of a grateful heart, I use the words - of inspiration in ascribing honor and praise to Him to whom first - of all and most of all it is pre-eminently due. 'Not unto us, not - unto us, but to God be all the glory.' - - "Not what hath man, but 'what hath God wrought.'" - -"DEPARTMENT OF STATE, -"WASHINGTON, _January 7, 1869_. - - "_Sir_,--Pursuant to the resolution of Congress of March 2, 1867, - the President has caused to be prepared for presentation to you, in - the name of the people of the United States, a gold medal, with - suitable devices and inscriptions, in acknowledgment of your - eminent services in the establishment of telegraphic communication - by means of the Atlantic cable between the Old World and the New. - This testimonial, together with an engrossed copy of the resolution - referred to, is herewith transmitted to you by direction of the - President. - -I am, sir, your obedient servant, -"WILLIAM H. SEWARD." - - - -Two years had passed since this resolution was adopted and the medal -ordered, and the reason for its not having been given before this time -was a strange one. In 1868 he had received word that the medal would be -presented to him on his going to Washington, but upon his arrival there -he was asked not to name the subject. The medal had been shown at a -meeting of the Cabinet and had disappeared. Another had been ordered, -and would be sent to him as soon as possible. The mystery was not solved -until 1874, when in London he received a cable message from Washington. - - "The missing original Congressional gold medal, a duplicate of - which was made and presented to you, has been found. Its value is - about $600. Secretary Treasury wishes informally to know whether - you wish to possess it. If so, it will be given to you on receipt - of value." - -Soon after his return home he was in Washington, and while there was -told this story: One day a clerk in the Treasury Department asked the -Secretary why Mr. Field had never received the medal ordered for him. -When desired to explain his question, he answered that he had been -directed to put the medal away _carefully_ after the meeting of the -Cabinet, and that he had not heard the subject mentioned since that day; -neither had he known that the medal was sought for. And now when Mr. -Field called for the "original medal" he was told that it had been given -to the Mint in Philadelphia. A telegram was sent to the director, and -only just in time, for already a hole had been drilled in it. - -Mr. Varley wrote this letter on his visit to New York, but it was over -a year before the suggestions that he made were acted upon. - -"FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL, -"NEW YORK, _October 6, 1868_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--I hope you will pardon me for addressing you upon - the subject of the Atlantic circuits. - - "I am a small shareholder in the New York, Newfoundland, and London - Telegraph Company, a larger in the Anglo-American and Atlantic - Telegraph companies; and it is with deep regret that I see that the - latter two companies are fighting instead of working. - - "It seems as if they were re-enacting just the same farces that - were performed when we were endeavoring to raise funds both for the - 1865 and the 1866 cables. I venture unhesitatingly to assert that - we should not have succeeded but for the indomitable energy and the - excellent judgment of Mr. Cyrus Field. - - "I do not believe the present attempt at an adjustment will end in - any useful results unless some one like Mr. Cyrus Field, enjoying - the confidence and personal regard of those interested on this - side, as well as such men as Brassey, Hawkshaw, Fairbairne, Fowler, - Gladstone, Bright, Whitworth, and others in Europe, go to England - empowered to act on behalf of your company. The jealousies and - conflicting interests existing between the directors on the other - side prevent them from acting with that vigor and integrity of - purpose so necessary to command success, and which qualities are - possessed to so large an extent by Mr. Cyrus Field, to whom the - world is mainly indebted for the Atlantic cables. He of all others - is, in my opinion, the one most capable of effecting the settlement - we are all so interested in. He succeeded in restoring public - confidence, in harmonizing the disputants, and in raising the money - when the enterprise had twice proved a failure, and had as often - been virtually abandoned by its natural protectors. How much the - more, then, will he succeed now when he reappears amongst his old - supporters and his true friends, backed this time not by failure, - but by triumphant success, and with all his predictions - realized!... - -"Very truly yours, -"CROMWELL F. VARLEY. - -"PETER COOPER, Esq., New York." - - - -On January 20th Mr. Field sailed from New York in the steamship _Cuba_ -and joined his wife and two of his daughters, who were in Pau. He was in -England early in the spring, and among the cable messages sent to him we -find this, dated the 10th of May, which he was asked to forward to -General Dix in Paris: - - "Completion of Pacific Railway celebrated to-day by Te Deum in - Trinity Church." - -He was back in New York early in June, and almost immediately after his -return his country-house at Irvington-on-the-Hudson was opened; this was -the first summer that he passed there. - -"IRVINGTON-ON-THE-HUDSON, _June 24, 1869_. - - "_My dear Mr. Sumner_,--Many thanks for your letter of the 13th - instant; it should have been answered at once, but it was sent to - my house in Gramercy Park. - - "I thank you for your letter to Secretary Fish. I do most sincerely - hope that we shall soon have a better feeling between this country - and England, and I know of no one that can do more to bring about - this desirable result than yourself. - - "You may be sure that I shall do all I can. I wish you would write - our mutual friend, Mr. John Bright, frankly. - - "I hope soon to have the pleasure of seeing you again and renewing - our late conversation. - -"With great respect I remain, my dear Mr. Sumner, -"Very truly your friend, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -"NEW YORK, _August 9, 1869_. - - "_My dear President Woolsey_,--I have this day read in the _New - Englander_ for July with great pleasure your very able article on - the _Alabama_ question, and I cannot help writing to thank you for - it. I shall mail it Thursday to my friend, Mr. John Bright. - -"With great respect, -"I remain, my dear President Woolsey, -"Very truly your friend, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - -"NEW YORK, _August 9, 1869_. - - "_My dear Mr. Bright_,--Since my return from England I have seen - many of our ablest men, including the President of the United - States, the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Senator - Sumner, several other members of the Senate, and members of the - House of Representatives, the Governors of several States, leading - editors in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, and I - have found only one that advocated war with England. - - "I am more than ever convinced that if the English government would - send to Washington yourself, the Duke of Argyll, and Earl Granville - as special ambassadors to act with the British minister, the whole - controversy between England and America could be settled in a few - months. Please give this matter your careful consideration. I send - you by this mail the _New Englander_ for July, containing an - article on the _Alabama_ question written by President Woolsey, of - Yale College. - - "With kind regards to your family and with great respect, - -"I remain, my dear Mr. Bright, -"Very truly your friend, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -"ROCHDALE, _August 24, 1869_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--I am glad to have your letter, and note its - contents with much interest. I do not see how your suggestion can - be adopted at present. - - "Whatever is done now towards a settlement must necessarily come - from your side. We have done all we can. Your government sent an - envoy with the unanimous assent of the Senate. He came avowedly - with the object of arranging an existing difficulty. He made - certain propositions on the part of his government. These were - considered by our government, and finally were adopted and - consented to. A convention was signed, including everything your - minister had asked for, and this convention was rejected by your - Senate. Who knows that it will not reject any other convention? If - you have an envoy who has no power to negotiate, and an executive - government which cannot ratify a treaty, where is the security for - further negotiation? We cannot come to Washington and express our - regret that Reverdy Johnson did not ask for more. We gave him all - he asked for, all that Mr. Seward asked for, all that the then - President asked for. What could we have done, what can we now do - more? - - [Illustration: ARDSLEY, IRVINGTON-ON-HUDSON - - (Home of Cyrus W. Field)] - - "It is clearly for your government to explain why the convention - failed, and what, in their opinion, is now required from us. The - civilized world, I am quite sure, will say that we are on a certain - vantage-ground, having consented to all that was asked from us, the - convention not having failed through our default. - - "I could easily suggest a mode of settlement which all mankind, - outside the two countries, would approve of; but how do I know what - your government can do? If there is passion enough for Mr. Sumner - to appeal to, or believers in his wild theories of international - obligation, how can any settlement be looked for? There is abundant - good feeling here to enable our government to do what is just, but - no feeling that will permit of any voluntary humiliation of the - country. - - "Until something is known of what will content the powers that will - meet in Washington in December next, I do not see what any mission - from this to you would be likely to effect. I have read the article - in the _New Englander_. It is moderate, and written in a good - spirit. I do not know that there is anything in it that I could not - freely indorse. Upon the basis of its argument there could be no - difficulty in terminating all that is in dispute between the two - countries. But the article is in answer to Mr. Sumner; and the - question is, does your government, and will your Congress, go with - Mr. Sumner or with the review article? And what view will your - people take? - - "I write all this privately to you. It is not from a Cabinet - minister, but from an old friend of yours, who is a member of the - English Parliament, and who has taken some interest in the affairs - of your country. You will consider what I say, therefore, as in no - degree expressing any opinion but my own. I have abstained from - writing or speaking in public on the subject of the dispute. I - could say something to the purpose probably if I thought men on - your side were in a mood to listen and to think calmly. But after - what has happened in connection with the convention I think we can - only wait for some intimation from your side. - - "There is a good opinion existing here with regard to your - government, and especially as regards your Secretary of State. I - hope he may have the honor of assisting with a wise moderation to - the settlement of the disputes on which so much has been said and - written and so little done.... - - "Believe me always sincerely your friend, - -"JOHN BRIGHT." - - - -He answered this letter on September 14th: - - "I regret Mr. Sumner's speech and his course about the _Alabama_ - claims more than I can express, and shall do all I can to - counteract the effect of his actions, and you can help me, I think, - very much, if you will take the trouble to write your views - fully.... I am anxious to do all in my power to keep good feeling - between England and America." - -And on November 1st he wrote again to Mr. Bright: - - "I do hope and pray that all matters in dispute between England and - America will be honorably settled, and I felt encouraged when I - read the sentence in your letter, 'I feel sure that some more - successful attempt at settlement cannot be far off.'" - -Dean Stanley's words, spoken at the breakfast given to him by the -Century Club on his visit to New York in 1878, describe Mr. Field's life -during these years: - - "The wonderful cable, on which it is popularly believed in England - that my friend and host Mr. Cyrus W. Field passes his mysterious - existence, appearing and reappearing at one and the same moment in - London and New York." - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -INTERNATIONAL POLITICS--RAPID TRANSIT - -(1870-1880) - - -The journey to England in December, 1869, was taken in order, if -possible, to effect the consolidation of the Anglo-American and the -Atlantic Cable companies; this was done, the latter losing its name and -being absorbed in the other. Mr. Field also made a working arrangement -between the Anglo-American Telegraph Company, the French Cable Company, -and the New York, Newfoundland, and London Company, and a division of -revenue was arranged between the three companies. - -He returned to his home in February, and he was in Washington in March, -and while there had a talk with Mr. Sumner on the settlement of the -_Alabama_ claims. - -The New York _Herald_ of March 22d says: - - "Mr. Field proposes that the United States shall name three eminent - persons, crowned heads, as arbitrators, from whom Great Britain - shall select one, and his decision of the case shall be binding on - both parties. Or that Great Britain shall name the arbitrators, and - that the United States shall make the selection of the fated - individuals. Mr. Field had a long conference yesterday with Mr. - Sumner upon the subject. The latter does not favor the proposition. - With all his respect for royalty, he does not think the United - States will get a fair show from any of the crowned heads of - Europe. He is opposed to all sorts of arbitration in this matter, - because he considers it beneath the dignity of our government to - submit to anything of the kind." - -Fourteen months later a treaty had been made and was before the Senate -of the United States. - -On the evening of May 23, 1871, Mr. Field gave a dinner to Her Britannic -Majesty's High Commissioners. The Marquis of Ripon said in his speech: - - "It is sufficient for me to say that I believe--aye, I think that I - may say that I know--that it is an honest treaty, that it has been - the result of an honest endeavor to meet the just claims of both - countries. I do not doubt that if this treaty had been written - exclusively in London or exclusively in Washington it would have - contained different provisions from those now found in it. The - treaties which are not compromises, which represent only one side, - can be dictated only under the shadow of a victorious army. These - are not the treaties, these are not the conventions, that are made - between free and equal people." - -Before the evening closed the Marquis of Ripon said that he wished to -propose the health of the host of the evening, and then added: - - "He trusted that both branches of the late commission had done - their share ... but far greater credit was due to the little wire - which tied the two nations so close together." - -He had written to Mr. Field two weeks before from Washington: - - "I am delighted to hear that you are inclined to look with favor - upon our work. I believe the treaty to be equally fair and - honorable to both countries; and if it is to be confirmed by the - Senate it will, I trust, lay the foundation of a firm and lasting - friendship between the two nations." - -On May 18th Professor Goldwin Smith wrote: - - "No doubt you rejoice, as I do, in the treaty. I suppose it is - safe." - -Thirteen years later the Marquis of Ripon wrote, expressing regret that -he would not be able to dine with his host of 1871, and added: - - "Also because I might thus have had an opportunity of bearing my - testimony to the very important part which the telegraph cable - played in the negotiations for the treaty of Washington. If it had - not been for the existence of the cable, those negotiations must - have been protracted in a manner which might have been very - injurious to their success." - -And at the same time Lord Iddesleigh, who as Sir Stafford Northcote had -served as a member of the commission, wrote of the use of the Atlantic -cable during the Washington negotiations: - - "There can be no doubt that it was a main agent in the matter. We - usually met our American colleagues at midday, and we were by that - time in possession of the views of our home government as adopted - by their Cabinet in the afternoon of the same day." - -At a dinner given by Mr. Field in London on Thanksgiving Day, November -28, 1872, Mr. Gladstone said: - - "The union of the two countries means, after all, the union of the - men by whom they are inhabited; and among the men by whom they are - inhabited there are some whose happy lot it has been to contribute - more than others to the accomplishment of what I will venture to - call that sacred work. And who is there, gentlemen, of them all - that has been more marked, either by energetic motion or by happy - success in that great undertaking, than your chairman, who has - gathered us round his hospitable board to-night? His business has - been to unite these two countries by a telegraphic wire; but, - gentlemen, he is almost a telegraphic wire himself. With the - exception of the telegraphic wire, there is not, I believe, any one - who has so frequently passed anything between the two countries. I - am quite certain there is no man who, often as he has crossed the - ocean, has more weightily been charged upon every voyage with - sentiments of kindness and good-will, of which he has been the - messenger between the one and the other people." - -It is appropriate here to introduce a note from Mr. Beecher of May 7, -1870: - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--On Friday noon, as I sat writing in the - _Christian Union_ office, about twelve of the clock, it suddenly - flashed across me that I had engaged to breakfast with you at nine - of the morning, alas! and have only to say in excuse that I forgot. - - "Ordinarily that would be an aggravation, for it would argue - indifference; but in a man who forgets, he is grieved to say, - funerals, weddings, and social engagements; who forgets what he - reads, what he knows, it ought not to be considered as a specific - sin so much as a generic infirmity. I pray you forgive me, and - _invite_ me again! Then see if I forget. - -"I am very truly yours, -"HENRY WARD BEECHER." - - - -It was about this time that Mr. Field's thoughts were turned to the -possibility of laying a cable across the Pacific, and in that way -carrying out his favorite project of completing the circuit of the -globe. - -In writing on April 22, 1870, he says: - - "I enclose a memorial and bill before Congress in regard to a - submarine cable from California to China and Japan." - -On April 23d: - - "If I obtain (as I hope) my telegraph bill, I propose that the - Pacific Submarine Telegraph Company make an agreement, offensive - and defensive, with the submarine lines from England to China _via_ - India. Our cable would give an alternate route from China to - England, and I would suggest that we have a joint office in China, - and that parties there have the option of sending by either line; - and in case one line should be down, messages should be immediately - forwarded by the other." - -"_August 20, 1870._ - - "At the request of prominent members of the United States - government we have decided to adopt the following route for the - Pacific cable: - - San Francisco to Sandwich Islands 2,080 miles. - Sandwich Islands to Medway Island 1,140 " - Medway Island to Yokohama 2,260 " - Yokohama to Shang-Hai 1,035 " - ------ - 6,515 " - - "Medway Island is the new coaling station of the steamers between - California and Japan." - -He writes to Captain Sherard Osborn in August, 1870: - - "In your letter of 10th June you state the total length required - for the Pacific cable as 7842 nautical miles, and give the price - for the whole, complete, as L2,900,000 sterling. This is at the - rate of over L382 9_s._ per nautical mile." - -From a letter written on January 21, 1871: - - "It is uncertain what Congress will do with regard to the Pacific - telegraph." - -On the 13th of June, 1871, he sailed from New York as one of the -deputation from the American branch of the Evangelical Alliance, -commissioned to wait on His Majesty the Emperor of Russia in behalf of -religious liberty for all his subjects. - -It was upon his return to England that he wrote the following letter to -the Grand Duke Constantine, and the one of September 19th on his return -to New York: - -"LONDON, _11th August, 1871_. - -"To His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke CONSTANTINE: - - "_Sir_,--With this I have the honor to enclose a memorial addressed - to His Majesty the Emperor of Russia respecting the establishment - of a submarine telegraph communication between the west coast of - America and the eastern shores of Russia, China, etc. - - "I shall esteem it a great favor if your Imperial Highness will be - so good as to forward the memorial to His Majesty, with any - observations on the subject which may be thought desirable. - - "With respect to the gentlemen mentioned in the memorial as - prepared to join me in the enterprise, I may explain that they are - among the very first merchants and capitalists of the United - States.... As I am leaving for the United States this evening, my - address will be Gramercy Park, New York. I would express my sincere - thanks for the great kindness shown to myself by your Imperial - Highness, and for the interest you have taken in the subject I have - so much at heart. - -"I beg to subscribe myself, -"With great respect, -"Your most obedient servant, -"CYRUS W. FIELD. - - - -"'_To His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia_: - - "'The memorial of Cyrus West Field, a citizen of the United States - of America, respect fully thereto, - - "'That having taken an active part in the establishment of electric - telegraph communication across the Atlantic Ocean between America - and Europe, and having been also interested in the laying of the - existing submarine telegraph lines between Europe and the East, he - is now desirous of submitting to your Majesty a project for - completing the electric telegraph circle round the globe by uniting - by submarine cables the western coast of America with the eastern - shores of your Majesty's dominions, and with China or Japan, or - both, as may be found most expedient. - - "'Having regard to the complete success, both scientific and - practical, of the submarine telegraph cables now working, which are - in the aggregate about 40,000 miles in length, your memorialist - deems it wholly unnecessary to enlarge on the perfection attained - in the manufacture of telegraph cables, or the facility and - certainty with which they are laid in all parts of the world. - - "'Experience has proved that submarine telegraph cables can readily - be recovered and repaired in case of accident, so that there is - practically no limit to the length of line which may be employed - or the depth of the water in which they may with perfect safety be - submerged. - - "'Memorialist is aware of the strong desire existing in the United - States of America for the establishment of a telegraph cable across - the Pacific Ocean in order to the furtherance of commercial - interests and to the strengthening of the friendly relations which - have for so many years existed between the United States and your - Imperial Majesty's government. - - "'From communications which memorialist has had with the government - of the United States and with many leading members of Congress, he - is able to say with confidence that both the government and the - legislature take a deep interest in the subject, and that, as - memorialist believes, they will readily join with your Majesty in - making such arrangements as may be found necessary to carry out the - enterprise. - - "'Memorialist has made diligent inquiry from the persons best able - to advise with respect to the practicability of uniting the two - great continents by telegraphic cable, and he has received most - satisfactory assurances on the subject. - - "'The proposed line would be about 6000 miles in length, and would - be made in at least two lengths, landing at one or more of the - islands of the Pacific Ocean. - - "'From this point the line would extend on the one hand to Russian - territory, where it would be connected with the imperial system of - land lines, and on the other hand it would run to the western coast - of the United States, joining there the American wires, and thus - give direct communication between Russia and the whole continent of - America, and, by means of the cables now laid, with every important - telegraph line in the world. - - "'Your Majesty will not fail to appreciate the importance and value - of such a communication to Russia as well as to the United States - of America. - - "'It would be an act of presumption on the part of memorialist to - affect to point out to your Majesty the advantages of the line in - its international and political aspect. The cost of the line cannot - be ascertained until the route is definitely settled, but it will - be manifest that for such an undertaking the very best description - of cable must be used. - - "'From the best information which could be obtained, and from the - experience of existing lines, memorialist is led to believe that - for some years such a line would not in itself be remunerative as a - commercial speculation, although there would doubtless be a large - amount of business passing through it; and, further, that having - regard to the risks necessarily incident to so great a work, it is - and will be impossible to raise the capital required for - establishing the line without material aid from the governments - directly interested. - - "'Memorialist is therefore led to look to your Majesty and the - United States government for assistance in carrying out this great - undertaking, and, having taken counsel of his associates in former - telegraphic enterprises as to the best means of effecting the - desired object in the shortest time, he respectfully submits to - your Majesty the following project: - - "'1. That the proposed Pacific telegraph line should be established - by a company formed by responsible persons experienced in - telegraphic business, under the sanction and supervision of your - Majesty's government and the government of the United States of - America. - - "'2. That the respective governments should each appoint a - permanent director of the company. - - "'3. That the course of the line, its termini and stations, and - other needful arrangements be determined under the joint approval - of the official directors representing the two governments. - - "'4. That each government should guarantee for twenty-five years - interest at three per cent. per annum on the cost of the line, the - net receipts for each year (after providing for maintenance and - repairs) being applied pro rata in relief of the guarantees. - - "'5. That one-half net profits above six per cent. per annum be set - apart as a sinking fund for return of capital, and the balance - divided equally between the stockholders and the government. - - "'6. That at the end of twenty-five years of guarantee the company - shall retain the cable and other property, but without any - exclusive right. - - "'Memorialist believes that with such assistance as is indicated - above the cables could be made and laid within three years. - - "'The following eminent citizens of the United States have - expressed their willingness to join memorialist in this important - enterprise: - - "'Peter Cooper, - Moses Taylor, - Marshall O. Roberts, - Wilson G. Hunt, - Prof. S. F. B. Morse, - Dudley Field, - Wm. H. Webb, - Darius Ogden Mills. - - "'Memorialist now humbly seeks your Majesty's approval of the above - project, believing that if so approved the government of the United - States will give their concurrence, and that the work will be - speedily accomplished. - -"'CYRUS W. FIELD, -"'of New York.'" - - - -"GRAMERCY PARK, -"NEW YORK, _19th September, 1871_. - - "_Sir_,--Referring to my personal interviews with you, and to my - letter of 11th ultimo, in which I enclosed a memorial to His - Majesty the Emperor of Russia respecting the establishment of a - submarine telegraph cable between Russia and the United States of - America, I now beg respectfully to submit to your Imperial Highness - the following modifications of the propositions contained in that - memorial, which I think will commend themselves to your good - judgment: - - "1. The proposed guarantee of three per cent. _not_ to commence - until the day the cable is completed and in successful working - order. - - "2. The amount of capital guaranteed _not_ to exceed L3,000,000. - - "3. The company to bind itself not to kill seals, nor to deal in - furs on any portion of Russian territory. - - "4. The cable not to be landed on the island of Saghalien. - - "5. In the event of any dispute arising between the cable company - and any subject of His Imperial Majesty, the question to be - referred to the Russian courts. In disputes between the cable - company and American citizens, the courts of the United States to - have sole jurisdiction. - - "May I respectfully solicit your Imperial Highness to take these - proposed modifications into your consideration, and, should they - meet with your approval, I would beg the favor of your laying them - before His Majesty the Emperor, with such suggestions as may seem - to you advisable. - - "It is important that I should know the views of His Imperial - Majesty's government at the earliest moment, as the Congress of - the United States meets on the first Monday in December. - - "I beg again to express my sincere thanks for the great kindness - shown to myself by your Imperial Highness, and for the interest you - have taken in the subject I have so much at heart. - -"I have the honor to subscribe myself, -"With great respect, -"Your Imperial Highness's most obedient servant, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -In January, 1872, he was again in Russia, but after that time there -appears to be no mention made of that government's taking any interest -in a Pacific cable, and it is only possible to give bits of -correspondence in connection with this project, to which he gave so much -of his time and thought. - -On the 27th of November, 1876, he wrote: - - "I strongly advise that the Pacific cable be landed a few miles - south of San Francisco, at a spot which I selected two years ago. - There is a most excellent sandy beach, and the cable could be - easily connected with the existing telegraph lines across the - continent." - -"_July 11, 1878_. - - "When the Hawaiian government fulfil their promise to me in regard - to landing cables on their shores, the question of a Pacific - submarine telegraph may be entertained by me. Until then I - certainly shall do nothing towards the accomplishment of the - enterprise _via_ the Sandwich Islands." - -"HAWAIIAN LEGATION, _March 10, 1879_. - - "_Sir_,--The twenty-fifth anniversary of the formation of the - company for laying the Atlantic cable seems an appropriate occasion - for giving an impulse to the great work of extending a cable across - the Pacific. - - "I am sure that you will not be satisfied with anything less than a - cable round the world. - - "The Hawaiian Islands have a very central position for the - navigation of the North Pacific. They are a great resort for the - naval and mercantile marine of the commercial countries. - - "His Majesty the King has long realized the great importance of a - submarine cable to his kingdom, as well as to all nations whose - vessels and citizens visit there, and has authorized me, by advice - of his Cabinet, to grant you, your associates and assigns, the - exclusive privilege of landing a submarine cable or cables on any - of the Hawaiian Islands, and for using the same for connection with - the United States, or any other country, and crossing any or all of - the islands, and this for the period of twenty-five years. - - "Any land which you may find necessary to have for any of these - purposes will be furnished by the government free of expense to - you, not intended to include land for offices or houses. - - "It is to be understood that if you do not within five years begin - the construction of the cable necessary to connect the islands with - the United States, and establish the connection within ten years, - this grant is to cease. - - "The King and Cabinet, having the greatest confidence in your - ability and energy, anticipate the completion of the cable to the - islands at an early day. - -"I have the honor to be, sir, -"With great respect, -"Your obedient servant, -"ELISHA H. ALLEN, - - "His Hawaiian Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister - Plenipotentiary." - -It was on the evening of the 10th of March, 1879, that he said: - - "One thing only remains which I still hope to be spared to see, and - in which to take a part: the laying of a cable from San Francisco - to the Sandwich Islands ... and from thence to Japan, by which the - island groups of the Pacific may be brought into communication with - the continents on either side--Asia and America--thus completing - the circuit of the globe." - -Two months later this note was sent: - -"NEW YORK, _May 17, 1879_. - - "_Dear Judge Allen_,--I sail for Europe on Wednesday next, the 21st - instant, and shall be absent five weeks from this city. During my - visit there I shall confer with my friends in regard to the Pacific - cable, and I am willing to head a subscription list with my own - subscription of one hundred thousand dollars. - - "I shall be happy to confer with you on my return to this country. - - "I have had a bill introduced into Congress granting permission to - land and operate cables in the United States, which I hope will - pass during this session. - -"With great respect, -"I remain, dear Judge Allen, -"Very truly your friend, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -To follow his steps more closely, it is best to turn back to the fall of -1871. It was on October 10th that he cabled to London: - - "A great fire has been raging in Chicago for the last two days, and - more than 100,000 persons are homeless and destitute of food, - shelter, and clothing. Five square miles in heart of Chicago - utterly destroyed. Loss between two and three hundred millions. All - principal business houses, banks, and hotels destroyed. Could not - you, Captain Hamilton, and Mr. Rate call upon the large - banking-houses connected with America, such as Morgan, Baring, Jay - Cooke, Morton, Brown, Shipley, and others, and endeavor to organize - a relief committee for the purpose of rendering the assistance that - is so much needed? The large cities of the United States are acting - nobly in this fearful calamity that has befallen Chicago, and the - citizens subscribe liberally." - -The cablegrams that he received and forwarded on this occasion were -numberless. Those that follow were sent by Mr. Mason, the Mayor of -Chicago: - - "We are sorely afflicted, but our spirit is not broken." - - "God bless the noble people of London." - - "Receive our warmest blessing for your most noble response to our - stricken city. It was received by our committee in tears." - - "Your generosity defies space, as these wonderful gifts have been - flashed to us from all parts of the earth. We are lifted from our - desolation. The arm of the civilized world is thrown around us. - Heaven bless you for this needed help and for the language of - encouragement and deep love which it speaks to an afflicted - people." - - "Our people, lifted from despair by this regal aid, are to-day in - the work of restoration, full of hope. We read in these gifts the - determination of the universal world that we shall go forward." - -Mr. Field received an official invitation from the Italian government, -and he was also the representative of the New York, Newfoundland, and -London Telegraph Company, to attend the Triennial Telegraphic Convention -of representatives from the various governments and telegraph companies -of the world appointed to meet in Rome in December, 1871. - -On the 4th of that month Professor Morse wrote: - - "I have wished for a few calm moments to put on paper some thoughts - respecting the doings of the great telegraphic convention to which - you are a delegate. - - "The telegraph has now assumed such a marvellous position in human - affairs throughout the world, its influences are so great and - important in all the varied concerns of nations, that its efficient - protection from injury has become a necessity. It is a powerful - advocate for universal peace. Not that, of itself, it can command a - 'Peace, be still' to the angry waves of human passions, but that, - by its rapid interchange of thought and opinion, it gives the - opportunity of explanations to acts and to laws which, in their - ordinary wording, often create doubt and suspicion. - - "Were there no means of quick explanation it is readily seen that - doubt and suspicion, working on the susceptibilities of the public - mind, would engender misconception, hatred, and strife. How - important, then, that in the intercourse of nations there should be - the ready means at hand for prompt correction and explanation! - - "Could there not be passed in the great international convention - some resolution to the effect that, in whatever condition, whether - of peace or war between nations, the telegraph should be deemed a - sacred thing, to be by common consent effectually protected both on - the land and beneath the waters? - - "In the interest of human happiness, of the 'Peace on earth' which, - in announcing the advent of the Saviour, the angels proclaimed with - 'good will to men,' I hope that the convention will not adjourn - without adopting a resolution asking of the nations their united, - effective protection to this great agent of civilization." - -This telegram was sent from Rome on December 28th: - - "Telegraphic conference to-day, after a long debate, by a unanimous - vote, adopted Mr. Cyrus Field's proposition to recommend the - different governments represented at the conference to enter into a - treaty to protect submarine wires in war as well as peace, and - recommended that no government should grant any right to connect - its country with another without the joint consent of the countries - proposed to be connected." - -In speaking of this convention he said: - - "It represented twenty-one countries, six hundred millions of - people, and twenty six different languages." - -The proposal of Professor Morse was so obviously in the interest of -peace and humanity that it may seem that its adoption was a matter of -course. In fact, however, the opposition to it was at first so strong -and general that it would have been defeated but for the personal -exertions of Mr. Field in its behalf, and his own narrative of how the -adoption was brought about is so interesting as to deserve being given -in full. In his report, dated Rome, January 14, 1872, to the directors -of the New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company, he said: - - "The International Telegraph Conference adjourned this afternoon - after a session of six weeks and three days.... - - "The conference opened on Friday morning, December 1st, but I did - not arrive here till the 20th ultimo. On my arrival I was very - sorry to learn that the representative from Norway had on the 4th - of December proposed to the conference that they should recommend - to their different governments to enter into a treaty to protect - submarine cables in war as well as peace, and that his proposition - had met with such opposition that he had withdrawn it, as he was - sure it could not pass. As soon as I got all the facts, I - determined my course. It was to get personally acquainted with - every delegate and urge my views upon him before bringing them - before the conference. Finally, on Thursday, the 28th ultimo, I - presented my views in a carefully prepared argument to the - conference. Every single member was in his seat, and finally, after - a long discussion, in which there were forty-nine separate - speeches, my propositions were carried without a dissenting voice. - The representatives of nine governments, although personally in - favor of it, were not willing to take the responsibility of voting - without positive instructions from their governments, so they - simply abstained from voting. - - "The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Visconte Venosta, will - prepare a circular and send it to the different governments, - inviting them to enter into an international treaty to protect - submarine cables in time of war. - - "I shall leave here to-morrow morning for New York _via_ Vienna, - St. Petersburg, Berlin, Paris, and London. In each of these cities - I hope to persuade the American minister to help on this treaty, - which I believe will add much to the security of submarine - telegraph property." - -Soon after he reached London he received this note from Mr. Gladstone; -he refers, doubtless, to the letter already given in this memoir, -setting forth the view he entertained, during the early part of the -civil war, of the hopelessness of endeavoring to restore the Union by -arms. It had not, however, been published in 1872, nor has it appeared -until the publication of this volume. - -"11 CARLTON HOUSE TERRACE, -"_February 10, 1872_. - - "_Dear Mr. Cyrus Field,_--Will you kindly refer me, if you can, to - a letter of mine, I think addressed to you respecting my - declaration in 1862 that the leaders of the South had made a - nation--as to its date, and, if possible, without inconvenience, as - to any publication in which I might find it, though probably the - date will suffice? - -"Believe me, -"Very faithfully yours, -"W. E. GLADSTONE." - - - -Mr. Field was in London during the excitement caused by the claims for -indirect damages which were to be put forward by the American agents at -Geneva. These letters refer to that controversy: - -"HOUSE OF COMMONS, -"LONDON, _March 1, 1872_. - - "_Dear Mr. Field,_--As I hear, with regret, that you are detained - here by illness, I take the liberty, as an old acquaintance, of - asking whether you cannot do something in your compulsory leisure - to help our countries in this untoward business as to the case. - - "If you, who are so well known here, believe your government to be - in the right, and that they never did waive, or meant to waive, the - claim for indirect damages, and if you will make this statement - publicly here, in any manner you please, it would certainly go far - to induce me, and I think most of the other public men who were - strong Unionists during your civil war, to advocate the submission - of the whole case as it stands to the Geneva board. On the other - hand, if you cannot do this, I really think we may ask for your - testimony on the other side. - - "If you do not see your way to taking any action in the matter, - pray excuse this note, for which my apology must be that this is no - time for any of us who are likely to get a hearing to keep silence. - -"I am always yours very truly, -"THOMAS HUGHES." - - - -He thanked Mr. Hughes for his "kind note," and at the same time gave to -him the letter he had written to Mr. Colfax on February 24th, and this -letter Mr. Hughes sent to the _Times_: - -"LONDON, _24th February, 1872_. - - "_My dear Mr. Colfax,_--Having read this morning a brief - telegraphic summary of the speech which you delivered at Brooklyn - on Washington's Birthday, I feel constrained to address you on the - subject upon which you have spoken with so much emphasis. I refer - to the Treaty of Washington. I share your opinion that neither - nation will dare, in the face of civilization, to destroy the - treaty; but nevertheless the crisis is a grave one. It therefore - behooves every one who can assist to bring about a better - understanding on the points of difference between the two countries - to make his contribution to that end. This is my apology for - addressing you. - - "The grave misunderstanding which has arisen between Great Britain - and the United States is due to the widely different manner in - which the Treaty of Washington has been from the outset interpreted - by the two nations. I have not met a single person on this side of - the Atlantic who expresses any desire "to back out" of the treaty, - or refuse the fulfilment of any one of the obligations which it is - believed to impose; nay, more, my conviction is that if the British - people were satisfied that the principle of referring vague and - indefinite claims to arbitration had somehow or other crept into - the treaty, they yet would, while passing emphatic votes of censure - on their representatives at Washington, at the same time never - dream of calling back the pledge which Lord Ripon and his - colleagues had given on their behalf. - - "The excitement which followed the publication of the American case - was occasioned by the belief--universal among all classes of the - English people--that their own interpretation of the treaty was the - right one, and that indeed no other interpretation had ever been - or would be given to it. It is desirable that Americans should - remember this fact--that until the publication of the American case - nobody on this side of the water had the remotest idea that the - Washington Treaty contemplated more than arbitration with reference - to the direct losses inflicted by the _Alabama_ and other - Confederate cruisers which escaped from British ports during our - civil war. This is not a matter of surmise; it is demonstrable on - the clearest evidence. I therefore contend that whether the public - sentiment of England be well founded or not, its existence is so - natural that even if we Americans are wholly in the right we ought - to make every allowance for it--in fact, treat it with generous - forbearance. - - "So early as June 12th last, when Lord Russell, in moving a - resolution for the rejection of the treaty, charged the Americans - with having made no concessions, Lord Granville retorted by - pointing to the abandonment of the claim for consequential damages. - 'These were pretensions,' he said, 'which might have been carried - out under the former arbitration, but they entirely disappear under - the limited reference.' There could be no mistake as to his - meaning, because in describing the aforesaid 'pretensions' he - quoted the strong and explicit language which Mr. Fish had - employed. We are bound to believe that Lord Granville spoke in - perfect good faith, especially as the American minister was present - during the debate, and sent the newspaper verbatim report of it to - his own government by the ensuing mail. When the debate took place - the ratification of the treaty had not been exchanged. If Lord - Granville was in error, why did not General Schenck correct him? - - "On the same occasion the Marquis of Ripon, also replying to Lord - Russell's taunt, remarked that 'so far from our conduct being a - constant course of concession, there were, as my noble friend - behind me [Earl Granville] has said, numerous occasions on which it - was our duty to say that the proposals made to us were such as it - was impossible for us to think of entertaining.' This, also, was - understood to refer to the indirect claims. - - "Turning to the debate which took place in the House of Commons on - the 4th of August, one searches in vain for any remark in the - speeches of Mr. Gladstone, Sir Stafford Northcote, or Sir Roundell - Palmer which indicated any suspicion that the _Alabama_ claims had - assumed the portentous character which now attaches to them. The - doubt which Lord Cairns at one time entertained had been set at - rest by the ministerial explanations made at the time in the House - of Lords, and not a single argument advanced in the Lower House, - either in support of or in opposition to the treaty, touched upon - the question of these claims. Even Mr. Baillie Cochrane, the - well-known Conservative member, who denounced the treaty on all - sorts of grounds, and whose avowed object was to pick as many holes - in it as possible, was unable to allege that England had consented - to an arbitration which might involve her in indefinite - liabilities. - - "Sir Stafford Northcote, in the course of his humorous speech--a - speech instinct with good feeling towards the United States--said - that 'a number of the claims under the convention which was not - adopted [the Johnson-Clarendon Treaty] were so vague that it would - have been possible for the Americans to have raised a number of - questions which the commissioners were unwilling to submit to - arbitration. They might have raised the question with regard to the - recognition of belligerency, with regard to constructive damages - arising out of the recognition of belligerency, and a number of - other matters which this country could not admit. But if honorable - gentlemen would look to the terms of the treaty actually contracted - they would see that the commissioners followed the subjects very - closely by making a reference only to a list growing out of the - acts of particular vessels, and in so doing shut out a large number - of claims which the Americans had previously insisted upon, but - which the commissioners had prevented from being raised before the - arbitrators.' All this points unmistakably to the definite and - limited character of the claims which, in the judgment of the - English negotiators, were alone to be submitted to arbitration. - - "It seems to me that Judge Williams, in the speech he made at the - banquet I had the honor to give to the British High Commissioners - in New York, expressed sentiments which can only be similarly - construed. 'Many persons,' he said, 'no doubt, will be dissatisfied - with their [the Joint High Commissioners'] labors; but to deal with - questions so complicated, involving so many conflicting interests, - so as to please everybody, is a plain impossibility; but in view of - the irritation which the course of Great Britain produced in this - country during our late rebellion, and in view of the one-sided and - generally exaggerated statements of our case made to the people, - the American commissioners consider themselves quite fortunate that - what they have done has met with so much public favor in all parts - of the country and among men of all political parties.' - - "That true friend of America, the Duke of Argyll, speaking in the - Upper House, was equally emphatic. 'The great boon we have secured - by this treaty,' he said, 'is this: that for the future the law of - nations, as between the two greatest maritime states in the world, - is settled in regard to this matter, and that for this great boon - we have literally sacrificed nothing except the admission that we - are willing to apply to the case of the _Alabama_ and that of other - vessels those rules, I do not say of international law, but of - international comity, which we have ourselves over and over again - admitted.' It is impossible that the duke would have expressed - himself in language so hopeful and so contented if behind 'the case - of the _Alabama_ and that of other vessels' he had seen looming up - the colossal demands which were originally embodied in Senator - Sumner's memorable oration. - - "The views thus put forward sank deep into the public mind, and the - treaty was accepted and ratified by popular opinion on this basis. - General Schenck, several months after the delivery of the above - speeches, in addressing a Lord Mayor's banquet at the Guildhall, - bade the English ministry and Lord Ripon 'congratulate themselves - upon the success with which they have endeavored to bring about - friendly relations between the United States and Great Britain.' - - "People here ask how he could congratulate the British government - if he knew all the while that their construction of the treaty, - which was to cement the friendship of the two countries, fatally - differed from the construction put upon it by the government at - Washington. - - "I have not given my own but the English view of the matter. When - such momentous issues are at stake--when a false move on the - diplomatic board may endanger the peace of two kindred nations--it - is absolutely necessary that our people should know what is the - English side in this controversy. The first duty of a loyal - American citizen is to ascertain the whole truth, and not by - ignorance or obstinacy to commit himself to a wrong course. - - "Many hard words have been lately spoken and written about Mr. - Gladstone. I therefore feel it incumbent upon me to bear my - testimony to the large and statesmanlike view of American affairs - which he has taken for several years past, and to the cordial good - feeling he has shown towards our country since he has been at the - head of the present government. In spite of temporary - misunderstanding, I will continue to hope that the Treaty of - Washington will bear the fruit which he anticipated; that, to quote - his own eloquent words in the House of Commons on the 4th of - August, that treaty will do much 'towards the accomplishment of the - great work of uniting the two countries in the ties of affection - where they are already bound by the ties of interest, of kindred, - of race, and of language, thereby promoting that strong and lasting - union between them which is in itself one of the main guarantees - for the peace of the civilized world.' - -"With great respect I remain, -"My dear Mr. Colfax, -"Very truly your friend, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -Mr. Bright wrote to him at this time: - - "This trouble about the treaty is very unfortunate. I think your - letter admirable, and I hope it will do good in the States, where, - I presume, it will be published. I confess I am greatly surprised - at the 'case' to be submitted to the Geneva tribunal. There is too - much of what we call 'attorneyship' in it, and too little of - 'statesmanship.' It is rather like a passionate speech than a - thoughtful state document. And what a folly to offer to a tribunal - claims which cannot be proved. No facts and no figures can show - that the war was prolonged by the mischief of the pirate ships; and - surely what cannot be proved by distinct evidence cannot be made - the subject of an award. This country will not go into a court to - ask for an award which, if against it, it will never accept. An - award against it in the matter of the indirect claims will never be - paid, and therefore the only honest course is to object now before - going into court. Has the coming Presidential election or - nomination anything to do with this matter? Or is Mr. Sumner's view - of the dispute dominant in Washington? I should have thought your - government might have said: 'We will not press the claims objected - to before the tribunal, but we shall retain them in our "case" as - historic evidence of our sense of magnitude of the grievance of - which we complain.' - - "This, I dare say, would have satisfied our government and people, - and practically it would have satisfied every reasonable man in the - States. To such as would not be content with it, friendship and - peace would, in the nature of things, seem to be denied." - -Soon after his return home he received the following letter, and -returned the answer to that of Mr. Bright: - -"WASHINGTON, 1512 H Street, _29th March_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field,_--I cannot tell you how grieved I have been at - the difficulty which has arisen respecting the Washington Treaty. - - "I do not think that anything would have induced me to accept the - appointment which brought me here but the pride I felt in taking a - part, however humble, in the execution of a treaty which I thought - the glory of the age and which seemed to me so full of promise to - all civilized nations. - - "I cannot think with patience of all our hopes being dashed to the - ground by what Bright truly describes as a 'passionate speech,' - followed by a claim utterly extravagant, from which the party - making it never expected to get a farthing. - - "I confess that I should not have been afraid to go to arbitration - upon it, but I see the difficulty which any government would have - in justifying themselves to their people in leaving it to any five - persons to say whether a fine of two hundred millions should be - inflicted on them. - - "You have done your part excellently, but why do not others raise - their voices against this tremendous folly which is not unlikely, - sooner or later, to lead us into war? - - "I fully believe that both governments are very anxious to - accommodate matters, but I confess that I do not see how that - accommodation is to be brought about without a concession, which it - is very difficult for a government to make on the eve of a - Presidential election. - -"Believe me -"Very sincerely yours, -"RUSSELL GURNEY." - - - -"GRAMERCY PARK, -"NEW YORK, _2d April, 1872_. - - "_My dear Mr. Bright,_--I arrived on 25th March, after a very rough - passage of sixteen days.... - - "Since my return I have devoted much of my time to ascertain the - real sentiment of the people of this country in regard to the - Washington Treaty, and as far as I can judge, after seeing many - persons of different political parties, it appears to be almost - unanimous that our government has made a great mistake in including - these indirect claims in the 'case.' I am convinced that the best - people in England and America desire to have this question settled - in a fair and honorable manner. In fact, many say to me that they - have got tired of hearing about the indirect claims.... - -"With great respect and kind regards to your family, -"I remain, my dear Mr. Bright, -"Very truly your friend, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -It was while he was in London, in December, 1872, that Mr. Junius Morgan -said to him that he had just received a letter from Mr. John Taylor -Johnston about the Cesnola collection, then in London, and he asked him, -if he had the time to do so, to examine it and give him his opinion. Mr. -Field went at once to see it, and he was much impressed with its value. -Of this time General Cesnola writes: - - "The officers of the British Museum had already examined the - collection, and it was perhaps on their report that Mr. Gladstone - came to see the collection; but whether he came with a view to - securing it for the British Museum or not I cannot say. Your father - asked me to drive back with him to Mr. Morgan's office, and - suggested to Mr. Morgan (as agent for Mr. Johnston) to close the - purchase of the collection with me _verbally at once_, and a - payment was made on account without delay, and without waiting for - the papers to be drawn up. - - "It was through your father that my collection became the property - of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was he who introduced me to - Mr. Gladstone, Earl Granville, Mr. Adams, then United States - minister in London; also to the Dean of Westminster and Lady - Augusta Stanley, and to many other of his English friends. He - invited a large party to meet me at dinner, and also brought many - to see my Cypriote collection. I doubt if, without the great - personal interest shown by your father, it would ever have become - the property of the Metropolitan Museum; because it was only after - this that the London press went wild over securing it for England. - - "I have said, and shall always say, that it is chiefly, if not - wholly, due to Cyrus W. Field that my discoveries are in this city - to-day." - -The sale of the New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company was -made early in this year, and on July 2, 1873, he writes to Mr. Orton, -the president of the Western Union Telegraph Company: - - "The New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company, having - been consolidated with the Anglo-American Telegraph Company, - Limited, drafts will hereafter be made upon your company, and - communications made in the name of the said Anglo-American - Telegraph Company, Limited." - -Among the cable messages sent during the autumn of this year these are -of interest: - - "September 19th.--Great panic here in money market." - - "September 20th.--Confidently believed, reliable quarter, - government will take measures relieve market before Monday, but - thus far panic has exceeded anything ever known." - - "Saturday, October 30th.--Most of the firms that have suspended are - those that have been doing too much business for their capital, but - confidence is so shaken that many stocks are being sold at whatever - they will bring. Think perhaps have seen worst, but don't yet see - signs permanent improvement." - - "Monday, November 1st.--Western Union sold before panic at 90. Has - sold in last few days less than 44." - -We find these entries in his diary: - - "January 13th, 1874.--Arrived in London." - - "February 14th.--Sailed from Liverpool for New York in the _Cuba_; - fifty-sixth voyage." - -This letter followed him to New York: - -"11 CARLTON HOUSE TERRACE, -"_March 31, 1874_. - - _"My dear Mr. Cyrus Field,_--When I was about to thank you for your - kind letter of the 10th, I received that of the 17th announcing to - me the funeral of Mr. C. Sumner, and the great manifestation of - feeling which it called forth. - - "His loss must be heavily felt, and his name will long be - remembered in connection with the abolition of slavery, which was - wrought out in the United States by methods so wonderful and so - remote from the general expectation. - - "As respects events in this country, they have brought about for me - a great and personally not an unacceptable change. I have always - desired earnestly that the closing period of my life might be spent - in freedom from political commotion, and I have plenty of work cut - out for me in other regions of a more free and open atmosphere. - - "As respects the political position, it has been one perfectly - honorable for us, inasmuch as we are dismissed for or upon having - done what we undertook or were charged to do; and as respects the - new ministry, they show at present a disposition to be quiet. - -"Believe me, my dear Mr. Field, -"Yours very faithfully, -"W. E. GLADSTONE." - - - -The following extract is taken from Mr. Field's private papers: - -"The bill for the expansion of the currency, which at this period passed -both houses of Congress, after exhaustive debates, created much alarm -among the leading financial men of New York and the Eastern States. -Meetings were held at various places to protest against it, and to -request the President to exercise his veto." - -A number of the leading bankers, capitalists, and merchants of New York -assembled on April 15th at Mr. Field's house on Gramercy Park to -consider what action should be taken in the matter. A petition very -extensively signed was read, and the following resolutions were adopted: - - "_Resolved_, That the following gentlemen be appointed a committee - to take charge of and present the foregoing petition to the - President, bearing the signatures of all the 2500 leading bankers - and business firms of the City of New York, asking him to interpose - his veto to prevent the enactment of the Senate currency bill, - which has recently passed both houses of Congress; or any other - bill having in view the increase of inconvertible currency. - - "_Resolved_, That the Senators from the State of New York, and such - members of the House of Representatives from this State as - entertain the views indicated in the foregoing resolution, be added - to the committee, and their co-operation invited. The members of - this committee are: - - "J. J. Astor, Rev. Dr. Adams, Ethan Allen, W. H. Aspinwall, W. A. - Booth, James M. Brown, August Belmont, S. D. Babcock, S. B. - Chittenden, E. C. Cowdin, George S. Cole, John J. Cisco, W. B. - Duncan, W. M. Evarts, Cyrus W. Field, Wilson G. Hunt, B. W. Jaynes, - J. T. Johnston, A. A. Low, W. J. Lane, C. Lanier, C. P. Leverich, - W. H. Macy, C. H. Marshall, R. B. Minturn, Royal Phelps, Howard - Potter, M. O. Roberts, A. T. Stewart, J. H. Schultz, Isaac Sherman, - Jonathan Sturges, Moses Taylor, J. A. Agnew, J. D. Vermilye, G. C. - Ward, etc." - -Mr. Field, with many influential members of this committee, proceeded to -Washington with the petition, and had an interview with the President, -who promised to give the subject his mature consideration. It is thought -that the arguments adduced by the committee on this occasion had great -weight with the President, and, combined with other influences, finally -determined him to veto the bill, which he did shortly afterwards in a -message in which he committed himself strongly against any further -inflation of the currency. Had this bill passed into a law it would have -been the first step towards national repudiation, for the wedge once -inserted, it is impossible to predict how far it would eventually have -been driven, and what effect even a moderate addition to the -inconvertible currency would have had, not only on commerce, but on the -moral conscience of the nation. A return of government bonds held in -foreign countries would have been the inevitable result, and all values -would have been unsettled. Reasoning and thoughtful men foresaw the -crisis that was impending, and the country owes a debt of gratitude to -the Chamber of Commerce for its prompt action, and to President Grant -for listening attentively to the arguments of the committee for saving -the country from threatened disaster. - -On May 6th, Mr. and Mrs. Field were members of a large party which left -New York for California, and on the 12th, at Omaha, Canon Kingsley and -Miss Kingsley joined them. The journey was a pleasant one, but -uneventful. Friday, May 22d, he writes: - - "After breakfast I sent a telegraphic message to Dean Stanley, - informing him that Canon Kingsley was well and would preach for us - in the Yosemite Valley on Sunday." - -In his sermon on the afternoon of Whit Sunday, Dean Stanley alluded to -this message. - -Early in June he sailed for England, and of his journey to Iceland, -undertaken during this summer, Mr. Murat Halstead writes: - - "My judgment is that your father had no business reasons for going - to Iceland. Really the trip was a sentimental adventure. Mr. Field - had been a profound student of the North Atlantic, and was familiar - with the fact that Iceland is but nine hundred miles from Scotland - and Norway and three hundred from Greenland. 'It seemed so near, - and yet so far.' ... In the spring of 1874 Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus W. - Field visited Cincinnati, and at a reception given by Mr. Probasco - Mr. Field said to me: 'Come and go with me to Iceland; it is the - millennial year of the settlement of the island. It would be very - interesting. The King of Denmark is to be there, and the whole - affair will be extraordinary.' I asked how one could get to - Iceland, and Mr. Field had evidently made the subject a close - study. He said there were monthly boats from Copenhagen touching at - Leith, the port of Edinburgh, and we should sail from Scotland, and - Iceland was about a thousand miles from Scotland. - - "Mr. Field must have gotten his impulse to go to Iceland from his - familiarity with the North Atlantic during the anxious years he - spent in studying it with reference to the cable. He was struck by - the narrowness of the ocean between Greenland and Norway, with - Iceland between just below the arctic circle. He had, of course, - contemplated a cable by way of Greenland and Iceland to Scotland if - it should be found impracticable to cross the Atlantic between - Newfoundland and Ireland. When it became known that Mr. Field was - going to Iceland there were conjectures that he thought of a cable - to the island; but that was a mere fancy. There was not a chance - for business over the line. There would be no news except of - volcanoes and the price of codfish. If there should ever be a cable - connection with Iceland it would be for the weather reports. - - "I was thinking of a trip to Europe in the summer of 1874, when Mr. - Field spoke to me, and a few weeks later decided to go. Mr. Field - was going earlier than I could, and just before he sailed I - telegraphed, asking on what date it would be necessary for me to - meet him in London in order to go with him to Iceland. His reply - was, 'July 9th.' On my arrival at Southampton by the Bremen boat I - remembered the day was the 9th of July, and that night about ten - o'clock I found Mr. Field at the Buckingham Palace Hotel, and he - said he had been expecting me, and was waiting to see me before - going to bed. That, I suppose, was a joke, but it was not all a - joke. I found in London Bayard Taylor, going to the Icelandic - millennium for the New York _Tribune_, and Dr. I. I. Hayes, the - arctic explorer, going for the New York _Herald_; Dr. Kneeland, of - the Boston Institute of Technology, and Professor Magnussen, of - Cambridge University, an Icelander by birth. I resolved to go, and - we chartered the steam yacht _Albion_, Captain Howland, sailing - from Leith. Mr. Field and I made a tour through the Highlands, and, - passing Balmoral and the Earl of Fyfe's hunting and fishing lodge, - found the rest of the party at Aberdeen, where it was necessary for - us to enlist as British seamen, and we were paid a shilling each - for our services during the voyage, which was one of great interest - and considerable hardship. We halted at the Orkney, Shetland, and - Faroe islands, at the latter place falling in with the king's - fleet. Our Icelandic experiences are familiar, as Mr. Taylor and - Dr. Kneeland published books on the subject. Mr. Field's Iceland - party, for he was our leader, attracted much attention--almost as - much sometimes as the king's procession. We rode across the lava - beds to the geysers, saw Mount Hecla--and the Great Geyser would - not spout for the king." - -It will have been observed, in the course of this narrative, that with -Mr. Field, so inexhaustible was his energy, rest was only a "change of -motion." - -When he sought relaxation from exhausting business cares he found it in -fatiguing journeys, and he preferred that these should be as difficult -and adventurous as possible. This was the case in his journey to the -Andes with Mr. Church in his earlier manhood. It was the case with the -excursion in ripe middle age beyond the "furthest Thule" of the -ancients. He was now again, thanks to his own exertions, and after years -of struggle and of doubt that to others meant despair, independent in -circumstances, and, as it seemed, beyond the power of fortune, and he -was nearing his sixtieth birthday. Most men would have regarded this -condition as an occasion to "rest and be thankful." But it was in this -condition that Mr. Field undertook a new and arduous enterprise, for -which he had had little specific training. It is evident that its very -difficulty, as in the case of the Atlantic cable, was to him an element -of attractiveness. But there was this difference between the Atlantic -cable and the elevated railway system of New York. He was the pioneer, -the projector, of the former. The latter had already been undertaken, -and practically, it may be said, to have failed. Indeed, there was no -"system" of elevated railways. The fragmentary roads that were in -operation or projected were unrelated to each other in ownership, -management, and traffic. Financially and practically they were -languishing. It will be seen from the letter which will presently be -given that the company with which he proposed to ally himself, the New -York, which possessed the franchise for Third Avenue, had been so far -from successful that sixty cents on the dollar was held to be a fair -price for its securities. It may fairly be said that the elevated -"system" is due to Mr. Field. Whoever remembers the conditions of -transit in New York before 1877, and indeed for some years after, must -own that the creation of this system has constituted a public -benefaction. Many millions have been transported, with a loss of life -that has been infinitesimal in comparison with the volume of the -traffic, at a cost no greater than that of the conveyances which the -system has superseded, and at a rate of speed that has built up the new -and large cities, one on the east and one on the west side of Manhattan -Island, which before it went into operation were outlying districts, -practically inaccessible to busy men for purposes of residence. It was -on May 16, 1877, that Mr. Field made this entry in his diary: - - "Bought this day a controlling interest in the New York Elevated - Railroad Company and was elected president of the company." - -[Illustration: CERTIFICATE OF DISCHARGE] - -Some of the conditions on which he had made this investment and venture -are set forth in the following letter to his friend, Mr. John H. Hall: - -"NEW YORK, _14th May, 1877_. - - "_My dear Mr. Hall_,--It is possible that I may purchase a majority - of the stock of the Elevated Railroad, but _before deciding_ I wish - to ascertain whether, if I do, you will remain in the board with - Mr. David Dows, myself, and some other gentlemen of character and - financial strength, and also whether you will take bonds at sixty - cents for the debt now due you. If I have anything to do with the - company I want it free from _all floating debt_, and everything - purchased at the lowest price for cash. - - "Mr. Dows has told me this morning that he will remain in the board - and will take bonds for the $25,000 due him, provided I make the - purchase and accept the presidency of the company. - - "Will you have the kindness to see our mutual friend, Mr. A. S. - Barnes, and ascertain whether he will take bonds for the debt due - him and remain as a director. If I go into the concern I shall be - willing to be president, but _without salary_, for the enterprise, - to be a success, must be managed in every way with the greatest - economy. - -"An early answer will oblige. -"Very truly your friend, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -His promptitude and energy are shown in the fact that on June 4th, less -than three weeks after he took charge, a public meeting in favor of -rapid transit was held. - -"_The Evening Post_, -"NEW YORK, _June 4, 1877_. - -"TO CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq.: - - "I cannot be present at the meeting to be held this evening at - Chickering Hall, but I am heartily with you and your friends in - the object of the meeting. I hope that a decided expression will be - given to the conviction that an absolute necessity has arisen of - instituting some method of conveying passengers between the upper - and lower parts of the city which shall unite the greatest - convenience with the utmost possible speed. - -"Yours faithfully, -"WM. C. BRYANT." - - - -Mr. Charles O'Conor wrote on the same day to the chairman of the -meeting: - - "I much regret my inability to attend the meeting in favor of rapid - transit, the state of my health not admitting of my doing so. I - fully sympathize, however, with the objects sought to be obtained, - and here repeat the remarks which I made in closing my address - before the New York Historical Society at the Academy of Music on - the 8th of last month: - - "'It is said, and doubtless with truth, that the great cities have - hitherto been destroyers of the human race. A single American - contrivance promises to correct the mischief. The cheap and rapid - transportation of passengers on the elevated rail, when its - capacity shall have been fully developed, will give healthful and - pleasant homes in rural territory to the toiling millions of our - commercial and manufacturing centres. It will snatch their wives - and children from tenement-house horrors, and, by promoting - domesticity, greatly diminish the habits of intemperance and vice - so liable to be forced upon the humbler classes or nurtured in them - by the present concomitants of their city life.'" - -On the 26th of September of this year the new president wrote: - - "I believe that the early completion of the New York Elevated - Railroad from the South Ferry, passing Wall, Fulton and Catharine - Street ferries up the Bowery and Third Avenue to the Grand Central - Depot, will be a benefit to the three great railroads the trains of - which start from the depot." - -And on the 1st of November, 1878, he was able to report to the -directors: - - "It is not eighteen months since I purchased from some of your then - directors a majority of the stock of your company at such a price - that to-day it sells for more than five times as much as it cost - me; and at the same time I bought from the same parties a very - large amount of bonds, and to-day they sell for more than double - what they cost me, including seven per cent. interest to date. The - above stock and bonds I purchased on the express condition that the - contracts of the company with certain parties to build this road - for one million two hundred thousand dollars per mile ($1,200,000), - payable one-half in stock and the balance in first mortgage bonds - of this company at par, should be cancelled. The amount that has - been saved to this company by the cancelling of this contract you - all well know." - -William O. McDowell, in _Harper's Magazine_ for June, 1893, writes: - - "At the time of the strike of the engineers on the elevated road in - New York I had a part in bringing the representatives of the - engineers and the late Cyrus W. Field, a director in the elevated - company, to a meeting that resulted in a quick understanding - between the conflicting interests and an ending of the strike. Mr. - Field was so pleased with the fairness of the committee - representing the engineers with whom he had to deal that he invited - them at once to dine with him at Delmonico's, an invitation which - their representatives declined for them, fearing that its - acceptance might be misunderstood. Mr. Field, however, continued to - feel that he wished to extend some social courtesy to the employes - of the elevated road, and at a later date, when he was all-powerful - in that corporation, he issued a formal invitation to the employes - to a reception at his house. To a large number the initials 'R. S. - V. P.' on the lower corner of the invitation were a great mystery, - and, as the story goes, the invited compared notes and sought an - explanation of them. At last one bright young man announced that he - had discovered what they meant, and he explained to the others that - 'R. S. V. P.' stood for 'Reduced salaries very probable.'" - -This story is true, but the end is not given. The men accepted the -invitation, enjoyed their supper, and listened with great interest to a -speech made by Mr. Peter Cooper, which lasted over an hour. Mr. Cooper -told the men of New York as it was in 1800, and the story of his life. - -Dean Stanley preached in Calvary Church on Sunday evening, October 7, -1878. He came to Mr. Field's home at Irvington the following morning. -Soon after breakfast on Tuesday the family realized that their guest was -more familiar with the history of this part of the country than they -were. It was just above Tarrytown that Major Andre had been captured; he -was executed across the river. That was enough to excite the curiosity -of the visitors, and at dinner on Tuesday evening it was proposed to the -dean that the next morning he should cross the river to Tappan and find -the spot. This was not easily done; no one knew the exact place. There -was Washington's headquarters, and he had closed his shutters so as not -to see Andre hanged, so that the scene of the execution must have been -near that house. At last an old man of over ninety came and said that in -1821, when Andre's body was removed to England, he had stood by and had -seen the grave opened; and that the roots of an apple-tree, which he -pointed out, were twisted about the head of the coffin. The drive had -been so long that it was past three o'clock before the party returned; -and not until dinner did they tell that their search had been -successful. It was then that Mr. Field said: "Mr. Dean, if you will -write an inscription I will buy the land and put up a stone, and then -the place will be known." His idea was simply to mark an event in the -history of the country; but a part of the press insisted that an -American had erected a monument to a British spy, and this was -reiterated far and wide, and flew from the Atlantic to the Pacific. - -Dean Stanley felt this keenly, and wrote: - - "If you find that there is really a feeling against it, pray do not - think of it. The game is not worth the candle. Poor Major Andre, - engaging as he was, is not worth the rekindling forgotten - animosities." - -The monument was twice injured by explosion of dynamite. After the -second of these, on November 3, 1885, Mr. Field refused to replace the -stone. He said that the spot was now sufficiently marked. On the stone -were these words: - - +-----------------------------------------------------------+ - |Here died, October 2, 1780, | - |Major John Andre, of the British Army, | - |Who, entering the American Lines | - |On a Secret Mission to Benedict Arnold, | - |For the Surrender of West Point, | - |Was taken Prisoner, tried, and condemned as a Spy. | - |His Death, | - |Though according to the stern code of war, | - |Moved even his enemies to pity, | - |And both armies mourned the fate | - |Of one so young and so brave. | - |In 1821 his remains were removed to Westminster Abbey. | - |A hundred years after the execution | - |This stone was placed above the spot where he lay | - |By a citizen of the United States, against which he fought,| - |Not to perpetuate the record of strife, | - |But in token of those better feelings | - |Which have since united two nations | - |One in race, in language, and one in religion, | - |With the hope that this friendly union | - |Will never be broken. | - | | - | ARTHUR PENRHYN STANLEY, Dean of Westminster. | - +-----------------------------------------------------------+ - -The twenty-fifth anniversary of the signing of the first cable contract -was remembered on the evening of March 10, 1879. To use the words of the -New York _Evening Post_: - - "It was a notable anniversary which Mr. Cyrus W. Field celebrated - last night, with the assistance of a multitude of his - fellow-citizens, many of them eminent in various departments of - public life. The obvious sentiment of the occasion, and the words - with which everybody would describe it, are contained in the - telegraphic message sent from Westminster Abbey by Dean Stanley, - who calls it the 'silver wedding of England and America,' and says: - 'What God hath joined together let no man put asunder.' The event - which was commemorated is scarcely more remarkable than the rapid - advance of all nineteenth century events which the recollection of - this one suggests. It is only twenty-five years since a determined - effort was made to realize what had been wildly dreamed of; it is - considerably less than twenty-five years since the dream became a - reality; yet already instantaneous communication between the Old - World and the New has been consigned to the commonplace book of - history. It has become one of those familiar things which we forget - all about because they are familiar, but which are also - indispensable, as we would be sharply reminded if we should lose - them for a day, or an hour--things which are of the highest value, - but of which it is hard to speak without talking platitudes. With - this great event the names of Mr. Field and other men of business - whose intelligence, liberality, and energy make the work of Morse - and other men of science a practical triumph will be always and - honorably associated." - -A short extract is given from the speech of Rev. Dr. William Adams: - - "I have no intention of saying a word in laudation of the Atlantic - cable. The time for that has passed. 'He is of age: ask him: he - shall speak for himself.' Though the ear catches no articulate - words passing along its quivering strands, yet this polyglot - interpreter is speaking now, with tongue of fire, beneath the - astonished sea, in all the languages of the civilized world." - -[Illustration: THE ANDRE MONUMENT, TAPPAN, NEW YORK] - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -THE PACIFIC CABLE--THE GOLDEN WEDDING - -(1880-1891) - - -The winter and early spring of 1880 were passed in the South of France -and in Algiers. - -Mr. Field was back in New York in April; and on the 8th in a letter -says: - - "I have already written to London in regard to the estimated cost - of manufacturing and laying a telegraphic cable across the Pacific. - The route I have suggested is as follows: One cable from San - Francisco to the Hawaiian Islands; one cable from the Hawaiian - Islands to Japan; one cable from the Hawaiian Islands to Australia, - touching at the Fiji Islands and New Caledonia." - -In a letter to England on the 9th, he writes that he had received a -letter from Washington in which the hope was expressed that he would -give some attention to the transpacific cable before he left America. He -answered the question as to the expense of manufacturing a cable -briefly: "A submarine cable, like a watch, can be manufactured at a -great variation in price." - -The two letters that follow were sent to Washington, the first on August -19, 1880: - - "Referring to my letters to you dated May 26th and June 10th, in - relation to a telegraphic cable across the Pacific Ocean, I would - suggest: - - "1. That the United States government obtain from some eminent - electrician specifications for the best description of cable - suitable for the great depths and the great lengths required to - connect the western with the eastern coasts of the Pacific. - - "2. That the government advertise for tenders to manufacture and - lay such description of cable, one-fourth the amount to be paid - when the cables are all manufactured, one-fourth when they are on - board the steamers and the steamers ready to sail, one-fourth when - the cables have been successfully laid, and the remaining fourth - when they have been worked successfully and without interruption - for thirty days. - - "By adopting this course I think you would obtain a good cable at - the lowest price. - - "The government could pay for such a cable by selling its four per - cent, bonds, having a long time to run, at a considerable premium; - and the revenue from such a cable would, in my opinion, steadily - increase from year to year, and at no distant day be a source of - revenue to the country." - - * * * * * - - "I thank you for your letter of yesterday, and for the interest you - are taking in the matter of the proposed Pacific cable. - - "Have you ever written to the American ministers in Japan and China - on the subject? If the United States government desired it, and - took the proper steps, I think that England, Russia, France, Japan, - and China would each do something towards encouraging the - enterprise." - -The latest mention I find of this project is on the 30th of April, 1884, -and then it is suggested as only possible as far as the Sandwich -Islands, and that it would cost L650,000. There had been no enthusiasm -shown, and as no company had been formed the grant given on March 10, -1879, had become valueless; but as long as his brothers dined with him -the thought of a Pacific cable was recalled by the favorite toast of Mr. -David Dudley Field, who would say, before the family left the table, -"And now, Cyrus, we must not forget to drink to the world encircling." -The recent revival of the subject has evidently been rather political -than commercial. It was during the summer of 1880 that this was written: - - "I decided some weeks ago upon leaving New York, on my trip around - the world, on October 13th, provided I could find some Democratic - friend who would pair off with me; and if I cannot accomplish this - I shall wait and vote on November 2d, and leave on the 3d." - -And on September 13th: - - "It appears to me to be all-important that the Republican party - should carry the election in Indiana in October.... I have now - decided not to leave for San Francisco until after the Presidential - election." - -And two days later, September 15th: - - "After mature reflection, I have determined to remain until after - the election and do all I possibly can to secure the success of the - Republican ticket by working until the polls close on the evening - of November the 2d, and then leave on the morning of the 3d for San - Francisco, and sail from thence in the _Oceanic_ on the 18th.... By - remaining and working I hope to induce others to vote for our - mutual friend, James A. Garfield." - -These letters were sent to the New York Historical Society on September -17th and 20th: - - "I am glad to hear that it is proposed to erect a monument to - Nathan Hale. Many years ago I joined with others in such a memorial - at Coventry, Conn., where he was born. But one ought to be erected - in this city, and, if possible, on the very spot where he died. - That spot you have, I understand, ascertained to be at or very near - the armory of the Seventh Regiment. What an inspiration would a - monument there be to our young soldiers! There ought to be - inscribed on it his own immortal words: 'I only regret that I have - but one life to give for my country.' - - "If the New York Historical Society will obtain permission to have - a monument erected there, I will, with pleasure, bear the whole - expense." - - * * * * * - - "I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter 18th - instant. - - "Enclosed I send you a printed slip of an inscription which I - propose to put upon the stone which marks the spot where Major - Andre was executed, should the New York Historical Society decide - to accept the same, as suggested by me in a verbal conversation - with Mr. George H. Moore." - -This letter was received on September 30th: - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq, New York: - - "_Dear Sir_,--A few of your neighbors and personal friends are - desirous of meeting you in a social and informal way before you - start upon your tour round the world. They will be glad if you will - give them the pleasure of your company at dinner on some evening in - the latter part of October. Tuesday, the 26th, is suggested as a - suitable time; but if any other day will better comport with your - convenience, you have only to name it. They are not willing you - should go away without their greeting and God-speed." - -In his reply to the toast to his health he said: - - "Some of you began your business and professional life with me, and - it will be pleasant to take so many of my old friends by the hand - and to receive their kind wishes for a prosperous journey and safe - return." - -Mr. Field thoroughly enjoyed the evening. General Horace Porter closed -his speech with these words: - - "Now let me simply say that beyond the sentiment of friendship we - all have a profound admiration for one who, at a period of life - when most men, having surrounded themselves with the rich things of - earth, in personal comfort, art, and literature, would be content - to retire to some shady Arcadia and enjoy the rest to which they - were so fully entitled, is bristling with all the activity of - youth, seeking new worlds to conquer and projecting new - enterprises. - - "I know I speak the sentiment of all in saying that the hearty - leave-taking and hand-shaking will be surpassed by the cordial - welcome extended to him when, after passing over many lands and - many seas, he will gladden the hearts of his fellow-countrymen by - once more setting foot upon his native shore." - -He left New York, as he proposed, at four o'clock on the morning of the -3d of November, and it will surprise no one who knew him to hear that he -was in the South of France early in March and arrived in New York on May -the 15th. - -"DEPARTMENT OF STATE, -"WASHINGTON, D. C., _23d May, 1881_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--Welcome, thou wanderer! We intend now to - anchor you for some time in your native waters. - - "Your arrival is timely. You can be of great service to the country - and to the administration, which counts you among its chief - friends.... - -"Hastily and truly, -"JAMES G. BLAINE." - - - -And on June 3d: - - "With reference to your kind invitation to visit you at Irvington - on the Hudson about the 29th of June, I beg to say for myself that - it is doubtful as to whether I shall be able to accompany the - President upon his proposed visit to Williams College. Should I do - so, however, it would give me the very greatest pleasure to accept - of your hospitality. I have taken the liberty to transmit your - letter to the President, and presume that he will write you - directly with reference to his ability to become your guest." - -This entry was made in his diary on June 6th: - - "I have invited President Garfield to come to Irvington for a visit - and then go to Williamstown for Commencement on July 6th." - -To quote again from his private papers: - - "Mr. and Mrs. Garfield, with several members of the Cabinet and - their wives, were to come to us at Irvington, pass Sunday with us, - and on Monday leave for Williamstown. It was as Mr. Garfield was - leaving Washington, that he was shot in the Pennsylvania depot." - -In a letter he writes: - - "When the first excitement had in a measure subsided, I wrote to a - friend in Washington and asked if in case of Mr. Garfield's death - his family would be left in comfortable circumstances." - -It was on July 6th that he sent this message by cable and telegraph to -friends in Europe and America: - - "If President Garfield should die from the wounds received on 2d - instant he would leave for his wife and five children about - $20,000. I shall to-morrow, Thursday, morning exert myself to the - utmost to raise a sum of money to be presented to him at once, as I - feel confident it would help his recovery if he knew that in the - event of his death his family would be provided for. I shall - cheerfully subscribe $5000 towards the sum to be raised. If you or - any of your friends would like to join, please telegraph to me - early to-morrow, Thursday, for what amount I may put your name, and - oblige." - -The subscriptions were from $5000 to a ten-cent piece (given by an -office-boy), and there was deposited in the United States Trust Company -$362,238 52. - -A silver coin of the value of ten cents was sold, and he sent this note -to the child who made the donation: - -"145 BROADWAY, -"NEW YORK, _15th July, 1881_. - - "_My dear young Friend._--I was very much pleased to read your nice - letter enclosing the silver coin you had kept so long. I showed - your letter to a gentleman who came to see me at my office, and he - kindly said he would give one hundred times the value of the coin, - and handed me twenty dollars in exchange for it and your letter, - so that you see your little offering to Mollie Garfield's mamma has - realized quite a large sum. - - "I thank you very much for your contribution, and am - -"Very truly your friend, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -"MR. FIELD: - - "_Dear Sir,_--I thought it was very funny to see my little letter - printed in the newspaper, and I think it was so kind of that - gentleman to give twenty dollars in my name. I wish I knew who it - was, so I could thank him for it. Will you please thank him for me? - I am seven years old. - -"BERDIE HAZELTON. - - "I don't know Mollie Garfield very well, for I never saw her, but I - am so sorry for her, 'cause her poor papa got shot." - -With the invitation to attend the Garfield memorial service came this -note: - -"WASHINGTON, _February 18, 1882_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field,_--You must come to the address on the 27th, - Monday. You will go on the floor with me. I should feel that my - audience was incomplete if you were not present. - -Sincerely, -"JAMES G. BLAINE." - - - -As he had received the thanks of Congress, he was entitled for life to -the privilege of going upon the floor. - -A message sent from the Yorktown celebration, in October, 1881, to Mr. -Gladstone, called forth this answer: - -"HAWARDEN CASTLE, CHESTER, -"_October 21, 1881_. - - "_Dear Mr. Cyrus Field,_--I thank you for your telegram. The - gratifying intelligence which it contains may probably come through - another channel. In the meantime, unofficially, I express the hope - that we may one and all consider it a personal duty to cherish and - foster the feelings so admirably expressed in the President's - order, and prevailing, happily, alike on both sides of the - Atlantic. - -"I remain, very faithfully yours, -"WM. E. GLADSTONE." - - - -In April, 1882, he suffered quite a disagreeable experience. One evening -a police officer and two or three gentlemen came to the house, bringing -the torn and burned remains of a package addressed to him. It had been -in the mail-bag which a postman threw on the platform of the Third -Avenue elevated road as he stepped off the train. As the bag fell there -was an immediate explosion, and, upon examination, the box and wrapper -of the package were found. The wrapper was an old German newspaper with -Mr. Field's name on it, and another like package in the bag bore the -name of Mr. Wm. H. Vanderbilt. - -He took the matter very calmly, only afterwards telling the butler that -no package brought to the house must be delivered until it had first -been plunged in a bucket of water. This order spread consternation among -some members of the family, who trembled for their new spring clothes. - -On August 25, 1884, he left Tarrytown in the car "Railway Age," with -several members of his family, for a journey that lasted six weeks, and -during that time he travelled 11,000 miles by rail and 300 by boat. On -September 12th he left Portland, Oregon, for Tacoma, and early on the -morning of the 13th, as he was waiting at Utsaladdy for the tide to -carry the _North Pacific,_ the boat he was on, through Deception Pass, -went on shore, and found that it was from this place that the wooden -mast for the _Great Eastern_ had been cut. It was sent to England by -the way of Cape Horn. - -September 22d he joined Sir Donald Smith and his party at Silver -Heights, and his car was attached to their special train. Four days were -given to crossing the Rockies and returning to Winnipeg, to the then -western terminus of the Canadian Pacific. On the afternoon of September -24th the cars stopped in front of a large tent; it was the station, and -has since been known as Field. - -A few hours earlier, as we all stood looking up at Mount Stephen, and -then off at the mountains, Sir Donald Smith turned to Mr. Field and -said, "That is Mount Field." One of the employes of the road suggested -that it had been already named, but that was of no account; Sir Donald's -word was law, and Mount Field it became. - -It was upon one of his Western journeys that he stopped at a telegraph -office, wrote a message, and handed it to the clerk to send. Instead of -turning at once to his instrument, the man studied Mr. Field intently, -and then said, "Are you the original Cyrus?" - -On his return home he was much interested in the Presidential election; -but he accepted the result quietly, and wrote to a friend: - - "I thank you for what you say in regard to the election. Whoever - has received a majority of the votes will be declared elected. I do - not know of any human being who wishes to defeat the popular will - when known. In my own opinion, no one can tell who is elected until - after the official count." - -This year was that of the long and painful illness and affecting death -of General Grant. Mr. Field's sympathy with the sufferer was intense, -and it was with regret that he received this letter, and also one from -one of General Grant's sons, to which he refers in his answer: - -"NEW YORK CITY, _January 6, 1885_. - - "_My dear Sir_,--Through the press and otherwise I learn that you, - with a few other friends of mine, are engaged in raising a - subscription for my benefit. I appreciate both the motive and the - friendship which have dictated this course on your part, but, on - mature reflection, I regard it as due to myself and family to - decline this proffered generosity. - - "I regret that I did not make this known earlier. - -"Very truly yours, -"U. S. GRANT. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq." - - - -"_6th January, 1885_. - - "_My dear General Grant_,--I have this moment received your letter - of this date, and I shall, as requested in the letter from your - son, send a copy immediately to Messrs. A. J. Drexel and George W. - Childs, of Philadelphia; to General W. T. Sherman, St. Louis, and - Mr. E. F. Beale, of Washington. - - "I have for several days been very anxious to call and see you, but - have been prevented by press of business and a severe cold. - -"With great respect, I remain, -"Dear General Grant, -"Very truly your friend, -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -He was in London part of the summer of 1885, and the extracts that -follow are made from a letter written to the New York _Tribune_ by Mr. -Smalley on July 5th, in which he gives an account of the Fourth in -London, and of a dinner given on the evening of that day. There were but -thirty present, and only eight Americans. - - "The toast of the evening was proposed by Mr. Field, and responded - to first by the American minister and then by the Duke of Argyll. - Mr. Phelps's speech had the one fault of being too brief. All he - said was to the point, and was said with genuine feeling and in - good taste. The duke has grown to be a venerable figure.... He - speaks to-night with a depth of regard for America and Americans - which goes straight to every American heart. The best friends of - his life, he tells us, have been Americans--Prescott, Charles - Sumner, Motley, Longfellow, and his host, Mr. Cyrus Field. He has - brought back vivid memories of his brief visit to America, and - paints for us one or two vivid pictures of American scenery and - American life. He rejoices in our joy; in our independence; in the - triumph of the Union over the rebellion; in the triumph we have - since won here in England over English unfriendliness. And he says, - truly, that it is difficult now to find an Englishman who is not - convinced he was on our side all the time. - - "Mr. Bright followed. He is seldom heard in these days.... He gave - us of his best. He went back to the days of the civil war, when, as - he told us, and as I have heard him say often, he used to spend the - week in anxious expectation of the news which the Saturday steamer - was to bring of events in America, I forget whether it was in this - speech or later in the evening that Mr. Bright described the - emotion with which he received the tidings of the defeat of Bull - Run. At the first moment he thought, as so many of us in America - thought at the first moment, that all was over. 'No calamity ever - seemed to me greater,' said this English friend of America. The - ultimate victory of freedom over slavery filled his life with - happiness.... If anything could make us free-traders it might well - be Mr. Bright's eloquence, and his unequalled power of seeing the - one side of the question in which his faith is so fervent. As long - as I hear his voice I suspend my convictions.... - - "This dinner of Mr. Cyrus Field's, though private in one sense, was - pretty fully reported in the London papers.... Mr. Field's health - was proposed by the Duke of Argyll, and drunk with all the honors. - Telegrams were read to and from General Grant and the President of - the United States." - -Just a month later Mr. Phelps, then American minister in London, wrote -to Mr. Field: - - "You will be glad to know that I have a message from the Queen, who - desires to send a representation to our service. I have also a - telegram that Mr. Gladstone will attend, and Lord Harrowby, Lord - Privy Seal, for the government." - -The service referred to was the eulogy on General Grant, delivered at -Westminster Abbey, on August 4th, by Archbishop Farrar. - -To this service these two letters also refer: - -"_August 6, 1885_. - - "_My dear Mr. Field,_--I had a long search for you among the crowds - at Westminster, after the service, when I found that you were not - among those bound to the dean's lodging, but failed to find you, - and I therefore write a line to thank you for having asked me to - attend the service in memory of our great friend, as I was grateful - for the opportunity to be again among so many of your countrymen, - and to do honor to the memory of a most remarkable citizen. - - "I think Farrar's oration was excellent, and the place--the common - shrine of so much of our past glories, to which both nations can - equally look with pride--a very fitting one for the expression of - our common mourning. - -"Believe me, dear Mr. Field, -"Yours very truly, -"LORNE." - - - -This is from Professor Roswell D. Hitchcock, of the Union Theological -Seminary in New York: - - "I hardly need say how glad I am that such a service has been - provided for. Your countrymen owe you much gratitude for the lead - you have taken in the matter." - -It was after his return home this year that this telegraphic -correspondence occurred between him and his brothers and Mr. George -Bancroft, then at Newport: - - "Most hearty congratulations on your eighty-fifth - birthday--congratulations which we hope to renew for many years to - come. - -"DAVID, STEPHEN, CYRUS, and HENRY FIELD." - - "_Dear David, Stephen, Cyrus, and Henry Field_,--Thanks for your - good-will, and when I am gone keep the departed traveller kindly in - memory. - -"Ever yours, -"GEORGE BANCROFT. - -"_6th October_." - - - -Mr. Field was again in London in 1886, and was at a dinner given on July -16th by the Liberal Club to Mr. Chesson, who, in his speech, said: - - "My personal acquaintance with Mr. Field dates back for more than - twenty years--from the period when the first Atlantic cable was - laid; and I had reason then, as I have had greater reason since, to - admire his indomitable perseverance, his unwearied patience, and - his great ability. I was for a time on board the _Great Eastern_ - with him in 1866, when the Atlantic cable was successfully laid and - permanent telegraphic communication established between the two - continents. I saw him daily, and held constant social intercourse - with him until the splicing of the shore end of the cable with the - huge coil which filled the vast tank of the _Great Eastern_ took - place; and I noticed that there was nothing in his demeanor to - distinguish him from other persons on board, although when some of - us cast wistful looks at the big tank we knew that it contained all - his worldly goods, and, for aught he knew to the contrary, his - fortune was destined to be buried, with the cable, at the bottom of - the Atlantic." - -The last of August and part of September this year were spent in another -journey to the Pacific coast, in which he was much impressed with the -marvellous beauty of the Canadian road. - -From a New York paper of November, 1886, this is taken: - - "Mr. Field has fought almost since the very beginning of the system - as a public conveyance for a uniform charge of five cents at all - hours for passengers on all the New York elevated lines, and the - morning of the 1st of October, 1886, first saw the complete - victory which attended his effort in this direction." - -When, in 1882, he bought a large tract of land in the valley of the Saw -Mill River, adjoining on the east his home at Irvington, he intended -building there a number of small but comfortable houses for working-men. -Around each house he proposed that there should be a plot of ground, and -the rent was to be from ten to twenty dollars a month for house and -land. The building of the new aqueduct made it impossible for him to -carry out at once this project, and before the aqueduct was completed he -suffered, in 1887, heavy financial losses from the sudden decline of the -stock of the New York elevated roads, in which he was so largely -interested. - -The last message that passed between Mr. Field and Mr. Bright was on the -11th of December, 1888, when he cabled: - - "_The Right Hon. John Bright,_--Your friends in America read with - interest the news that comes daily from your sick-room. Accept the - affectionate remembrance of one who has known and loved you for - more than a quarter of a century. - - "It may comfort you in your long illness to know that your name is - on the lips and in the hearts of millions on this side of the - Atlantic, who can never forget how you stood by the cause of their - country. - -"CYRUS W. FIELD." - - - -December 2, 1890, was a day that his family had long looked forward to. -It was on this day that these messages and telegrams were received, and -that many friends came to offer their congratulations. Among the -messages of good-will was this poem from President Henry Morton, of the -Stevens Institute: - - "MR. AND MRS. CYRUS W. FIELD - -"ON THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR MARRIAGE - - "Golden light the sun is shedding, - Ushering in this golden wedding, - As he did on that bright day - Fifty golden years away. - Then as now the 'golden flowers,' - Lingering after summer's hours, - The chrysanthemums, foretold - Anniversary of gold. - Golden love and golden truth - To gold age from golden youth, - In the fire of life, thrice tried, - Pure themselves, yet purified - By the sorrows borne together, - By the stress of stormy weather; - This pure gold, outlasting earth, - Proves its own celestial birth, - And shall shine with golden light, - Star-like, from heaven's dome of night." - -"CYRUS W. FIELD, Esq., Gramercy Park, New York: - - "_Dear Sir,_--We, the undersigned, who have known you for many - years, and some of whom have been long and intimately associated - with you, desire to express to you and to your amiable and devoted - wife our earnest and heartfelt congratulations on your - golden-wedding day, the 2d of December, 1890. - - "We earnestly wish you both many years of health and happiness, - enjoying the fruits of your useful and well-spent lives, and seeing - on every side the wide-spreading development of the submarine - telegraph enterprise in which you, Mr. Field, have labored so long, - so zealously, and so successfully. This great work, pursued by you - with unflagging energy and perseverance for many years, through the - greatest difficulties and hinderances, has now become a first - necessity of national and commercial life, and you have the - profound satisfaction of knowing that its object and its results - are, and ever have been, peaceable and beneficent in their - character. - - "We ask you to accept this message of our good-will and good - wishes, which will be sent to you both over and under the sea. - - Very faithfully yours, - "Argyll, - Frederic W. Farrar, - Mouck, - W. E. Gladstone, - W. H. Russell, - Douglas Galton, - Tweeddale, - Henry C. Forde, - W. Andrews, - H. Weaver, - G. von Chauvin, - J. H. Carson, - Samuel Canning, - Richard C. Mayne, - C. W. Earle, - Catherine Gladstone, - J. S. Forbes, - Caroline Roberts Van Wart, - G. W. Smalley, - Gerald Harper, - William Barber, - L. M. Rate, - John Muirhead, - George Draper, - Richard Collett, - W. Leatham Bright, - Latimer Clark, - R. T. Brown, - F. A. Bevan, - H. D. Gooch, - W. Thomson, - G. Shaw Lefevre, - J. Russell Reynolds, - John Pender, - James Anderson, - W. Cunard, - William Ford, - George Elliot, - George Henry Richards, - W. Shuter, - Henry Clifford, - Willoughby Smith, - W. S. Cunard, - Julius Reuter, - H. A. C. Saunders, - G. W. Campbell, - H. M. Stanley, of Alderley, - John H. Puleston, - George Cox Bompas, - James Stern, - H. L. Bischoffsheim, - Louis Floersheim, - T. H. Wells, - J. H. Tritton, - W. H. Preece, - C. V. DeSauty, - George Grove, - Jane Cobden, - Thomas B. Potter, - Charles Burt, - Margaret Anderson, - Robert C. Halpin, - Edward Satterthwaite, - Frank H. Hill, - J. C. Parkinson, - William Payton, - Henry Dever, - Kenneth L. M. Anderson, - Charles W. Stronge, - Oscar Wilde, - Lewis Wells, - John G. Griffiths, - Robert Dudley, - Emily F. Lloyd, - Ch. Gerhardi, - W. T. Ansell, - Julian Goldsmid, - John Chatterton, - Frances Baillie, - Constance Wilde, - B. Smith, - John Temple, - Montague McMurdo, - Philip Rawson." - - "WINCHESTER HOUSE, - "50 OLD BROAD STREET, - "LONDON, _December_ 3, 1890. - - "_My dear Mr. Field_,--It came to my knowledge last month that the - 2d of December was the golden-wedding day of Mrs. Field and - yourself. It happened when we were in Paris at the telegraph - conference in the month of June that my birthday occurred, aged - sixty-six. (Is it not terrible that one should be so old?) But it - was also fifty years since I went to sea as a sailor boy, and it - was just twenty-five years since we made our first voyage in the - _Great Eastern_. - - "Mr. Charles Burt, who was in Paris representing the Anglo-American - Company, was kind enough to get up a dinner in my honor, and I was - presented with an illuminated memorial or address. It occurred to - me that it would be a pleasing act on our part to get up a similar - address upon the occasion of your golden wedding, and no doubt you - would have the result yesterday. - - "Mr. Charles Burt and the staff of the Anglo have cordially done - all they could to get as many names as we could recall, but as they - are a good deal scattered it has taken more time than we - anticipated. Then, oh, how many have passed away! It is like - calling the roll after a battle--so few could be found. We are - to-day trying to get at a few more, who we feel sure would like to - add their names. I was looking up Sir William Drake, but he was too - ill, and died this morning.... - - "Now, my dear Mr. Field, let me once more wish Mrs. Field and - yourself every sort of kind good wish. The days and years are - rolling away, and we may well cling to the memory of exciting and - active days when we were twenty-five to thirty years younger and - the future filled with nervous uncertainties. - -"Always yours sincerely, -"JAMES ANDERSON." - - - - "In the glow of the morning was the song of rejoicing, - Ye twain are now one till death shall you part; - In the calm of the evening is the song of thanksgiving, - Ye twain are still one in life and in heart. - - "It was faith in the morning, it is knowledge this evening, - We sang of the future, we sing of the past; - But this jubilee hour finds the refrain unchanging, - We twain are still one, only one at the last. - - "We wait in the evening for the dawn of the morrow, - But the song of our lives will not end with the day; - 'Midst the music celestial hear the anthem of glory-- - We twain are still one, for ever and aye." - - D. J. B. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -LAST DAYS AND DEATH--IN MEMORIAM - -(1891-1892) - - -The golden wedding was to be almost the last gleam of brightness and -happiness that came to the home of Mr. Field. It was in March, 1890, -that his children had been told that any sudden excitement might end his -life, and in April, 1891, they realized that their mother's illness must -soon come to a fatal termination. Both father and mother were watched -with eager solicitude throughout the summer of 1891. - -The family dined together for the last time on the 28th of August in -that year--Mrs. Field's birthday--and her brother-in-law, Mr. David -Dudley Field, proposed her health and gave this toast: - - "Mary Stone Field, the wife of Cyrus W. Field, the mother of seven - children and of sixteen grandchildren, a perfect wife, a perfect - mother, a perfect grandmother. God bless her." - -It was on the 23d of November that Mrs. Field died. An old friend writes -of the married life thus ended: - - "Oh, what a family theirs was--so loving, considerate, and true! - How many hearts must be full of gratitude to them and all their - benevolence! For theirs was true charity 'that vaunteth not - itself,' not letting the left hand know what the right hand doeth." - -And of her the Rev. Dr. Arthur Brooks wrote in _The Churchman:_ - - "Mrs. Cyrus W. Field was one whose death has been felt as a great - loss in New York City. By those who have shared her gracious, - kindly, and intelligent hospitality she will never be forgotten. - - "For her large charity, wide information, quick memory, and - unfailing tact made her the warm friend of all who met her. The - position in which her life placed her was one which made great - demands, and she met them all. As the centre of a large family - circle, involving wide and important interests, and also as the - intimate friend of men and women of leading position, she never - failed to manifest the ready wisdom and large sympathy for which - each occasion called. She was calm under all trouble, reasonable in - all perplexity, and thankful in all happiness. - - "Mrs. Field's earnest and deep religious spirit was recognized by - her intimate friends as the foundation of those graces which were - evident to all. Her Christian faith was eminently strong and - simple. It grew as the emergencies of life called for its exercise, - and her intelligence and information were in the closest relation - with her faith at all times. Her love for nature and her knowledge - of trees and flowers were remarkable, and, to those who did not - know her deep and large nature, surprising in one whose life in the - city was so engrossing. Her interest in missionary undertakings was - equally marked; it laid hold of her large experiences as a - traveller in all parts of the world, and made them helpful to a - large understanding of all movements in foreign lands. - - "One recalls with constant pleasure all the circumstances of so - large, devoted, and refined a life, which, wherever it moved, - brought new brightness and larger confidence and deeper faith. Her - passage from this world to the larger realm of the life which is - unseen is but the farther expansion under perfect conditions of the - character which, while it was amongst us, was ever going from - strength to strength." - -It was at this time that disasters in business and calamities that were -calculated to affect him far more keenly fell upon him, and what -remained of his life was full of great anguish, both mental and -physical. On his seventy-second birthday, November 30th, he found that -of the fortunes that he had invested in the Atlantic cables, the -elevated roads, and the Washington Building, but one thousand pounds of -Anglo-American cable stock remained, and had it not been for the -kindness of his friend Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan, he could not in May, -1892, have gone to his country home. It was Mr. Morgan also who advanced -the necessary money to keep in force the premium on Mr. Field's -life-insurance policies. That in the New York Mutual Insurance Company -had been taken out in 1843, and was number 421. It was thought that the -change to the country would benefit him, but in fact it only increased -his distress and his weakness. Early on the morning of July 12th his -family were called, and watched by his side from half-past four until -ten minutes before ten, when the rest he so longed for was given. It was -with a prayer of thanksgiving that they laid his tired head back on his -pillow. During those long hours he had spoken but once, and that was to -ask for air, but his loving eyes followed them almost to the end. - -From the New York _Tribune_ of July 15th these sentences are copied: - - "As simple and as unostentatious as he would have wished was the - funeral of Cyrus W. Field, which was held yesterday. There was no - eulogy, and there were few floral tributes. The simple Protestant - Episcopal service was read." - -He was buried in Stockbridge. - -Some mention of his personal traits may not be unwelcome here. - -His disposition was sunny and genial, and he thoroughly enjoyed his -home. All his life he was subject to periods of depression, but they -were quickly over, and, in connection with the trials that come to all, -he would say that this or that had been for the best, and that it had -brought with it good results. When asked how he was his answer -invariably was, "Jolly," and his telegrams ended with the words "All -well," or, "In good health and spirits." - -His love for children was great. No matter how forlorn or poor the child -was, he would stop and speak to it, and offer to buy the little one, and -assure it that it was "an angel baby." And he delighted to gather his -family and friends around him. Both summer and winter he was up by six -o'clock, and by seven was in his library. It was there that he planned -his work for the day. Each morning a list was made of those he wished to -see and the order in which he desired to meet each one, and this list -was placed in his hat on his way to breakfast. That meal was served at -the instant; and once when reproached for not having waited until all -were at the table, he answered that he could not afford to lose ten -minutes in the morning, for that meant seventy in a week, or rather -sixty hours, two and a half full days, in the year. Telegrams or letters -received late in the evening were placed on his desk unopened. He would -say, "If they bring me bad news I shall not sleep if I read them, and if -the news is good it will keep until morning." - -Letters that if seen would cause others pain or might be misunderstood -were instantly destroyed. Questions put to him that it would be -indiscreet to answer were apparently not heard. - -An important paper was never thrust loosely into his pocket, but was -placed in an envelope and his name and address distinctly written upon -it; the same care was given to any package that he carried. His reason -for so doing was that if, after having taken this precaution, he lost -either paper or package, it would be at once returned to him. - -His quick and energetic manner often amused his guests, and when a -friend was with him in 1885, he said, "It seemed like living on the top -of a 'bus." On Sunday evening, in reply to the question as to whether or -no he would be obliged to leave the next morning, this guest said: "I -shall go to town with you Mr. Field. At what hour do you breakfast?" The -answer surprised him: "At half-past seven o'clock sharp." The reply was: -"I am ready now." It was then past eleven. - -These extracts are taken from two of Mr. Smalley's letters sent from -London to the New York _Tribune_: - - "Those in England who regret the great American's death on the - grounds of private affection are many, and among them some of the - best and most prominent Englishmen now living.... - - "Mr. Cyrus Field was at one time almost as well known in London as - in New York. The tributes now paid him show that he was not - forgotten in the later years of his life, and that such misfortunes - as befell him did not shake his hold on his English friendships. Of - these he had a considerable number among the most eminent men in - England. Mr. Gladstone was one, Mr. Bright and the Duke of Argyll - were two others. These relations lasted for many years. They lasted - in Mr. Bright's case till his death, and there was between him and - Mr. Field something which might be called affection. The great - orator spoke of the great American in terms which he did not bestow - lavishly, and never bestowed carelessly. His respect for Mr. - Field's public work was sufficiently shown in the splendid eulogy - he passed upon him. To be called by such a man as Mr. Bright the - Columbus of the nineteenth century is renown enough for any man. - The epithet is imperishable. It is, as Thackeray said of a similar - tribute to Fielding in Gibbon, like having your name written on the - dome of St. Peter's. The world knows it, and the world remembers. I - heard Mr. Bright use the phrase, and he adorned and emphasized it - in his noblest tones. He had, indeed, a deep regard for great - service done to the public, and for the doer of it, and he did not - stint his acknowledgments. He was great enough to be willing to - acknowledge greatness in others. Mr. Cyrus Field, for his part, - returned the good-will shown him with fulness. He took a great - pleasure in such friendships as these I have named. To secure Mr. - Bright as a speaker at one of his dinners was a delight to him; and - Mr. Bright made at least one of his most admirable speeches on such - an occasion.... Even those who thought Mr. Cyrus Field somewhat - masterful in business matters could not overcome their liking for - the man. I have in mind one or two men, famous in telegraphy, who - resented very strongly Mr. Field's handling of certain matters, and - said strong things about it. I do not know whether he was right or - whether they were right, nor does it matter. The point is that - these very men remained attached to him, and were among his friends - to the last in England. The secret of his power of winning over men - might be difficult to define. Whatever it was, he possessed it in - no ordinary degree. He had an affectionate and persuasive manner. - No doubt, I think, ever crossed his mind that his aim, whatever it - might be, was a right one. This conviction, arising in his own - breast, he was able to impart to others. That is not an explanation - of the mystery, it is only another way of stating it. - - "He seemed to me never to forget a friend, whether in prosperity or - adversity. If, as his adversaries sometimes asserted after their - defeat, he was hard in business matters, that is only what must be - said of all successful men of business. It is a condition of - success. He none the less had fine and generous impulses, and, - unlike some others, acted on them. A good impulse unacted on seldom - seems to be of any particular use to anybody--least of all to him - who controls it. There was in Mr. Field none of that cynicism which - led Talleyrand to say you must suspect your first impulse, because - it is generally a good one. He was not cynical, whatever else he - was. - - "He made himself liked, or rather he was liked whether he tried to - be or not. He was genial, serviceable: liked to do a kind thing, - and to give pleasure. His sterner and more efficient traits of - character are known to everybody; on them there is no need to - dwell. Every message that flashes through the Atlantic cables is - his eulogy. His virtues are written in water in a new sense; and - the memory of his indomitable courage; of his just sense of the - right means to the right end; of his enthusiasm, and of his power - of generating enthusiasm in others; of his fortitude; of his wise - generalship; of his large views, and of much else, will endure." - -The next extract is taken from the report of the Century Club for 1892. -It was written by Judge Howland, the secretary of the Century: - - "The name of Cyrus W. Field is worthy of association with those of - Fulton, Stephenson, Morse, and Ericsson as benefactors to mankind. - Inheriting from a vigorous ancestry a capacity, energy, and - perseverance that would brook no obstacles--characteristic of other - members of his family as well--he strode from poverty to wealth, - through various vicissitudes, but with unstained integrity. Engaged - in gigantic enterprises, he stood on the brink of financial ruin in - promoting them; endured failure on the verge of success, despair on - the heels of hope, ridicule swift after praise, long unbroken; - wearying suspense, varying with exaltation and depression, until - after thirteen years of doubt and trial and tireless labor his - triumph came, and with it fame and the honors of two continents. - The Atlantic cable is a monument to his memory that shall endure - while time shall last, but as the promoter of the elevated railroad - in New York, at a time when its feasibility was problematical, - success uncertain, and capital was timid, he is entitled no less to - the grateful memory of our people. - - "Despite mistakes (and who has not made them?), what single - enterprise since the building of the Erie Canal has done more to - enhance the wealth and prosperity of the metropolis than this last - monument to his foresight and energy? Deceit and betrayal at - various times by his associates he bore without a murmur; but at - the last, when domestic sorrows came upon him--not as single spies, - but in battalions--he sank beneath them, and our pity follows him - as did our praise." - -At the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce on October 6, 1892, Mr. Orr -said: - - "With sincere regret I announce the death of seven of our members - during the summer. Two were honorary members, namely: - - "Cyrus W. Field, elected August 21, 1858, and died 12th July, 1892. - - "George William Curtis, elected March 5, 1891, and died 31st - August, 1892. - - "As resolutions of respect and sympathy are to be presented for - your consideration, I beg permission to suspend, for a short time, - the general order of business, and call upon Mr. William E. Dodge - to present the resolutions relative to the late Mr. Field." - -Mr. Dodge thereupon offered the following preamble and resolutions: - - "_Whereas_, The death of Cyrus W. Field has removed from this - country one of its most distinguished citizens, and from this - chamber one of its oldest and most honored members, we wish to - place on record our sincere regard for his memory and our esteem - for his invaluable services to the cause of civilization and the - progress of commerce; therefore, be it - - "_Resolved_, That the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York, - in common with the citizens of all portions of our country, - sincerely mourns the death of Cyrus W. Field, the first honorary - member of this chamber, as one who had through a long and useful - life been closely identified with the commercial interests of this - city, and by his great ability, tireless activity, and large - achievements, had greatly honored the name of American merchant. - - "_Resolved_, That by the successful carrying out of the project for - uniting the Old World with the New by the Atlantic cable he has - brought all nations into instant touch and given lasting honor to - his name, as among those who have done the world great service. - During the long and weary years of discouragement and failure - before this magnificent work was accomplished he showed an - undaunted courage, a fertility of resource, an unwearied patience - and untiring ability for work which won the wonder and admiration - of two continents. The example of his success was at once followed - by like communication across all seas, so that as the result of his - supreme effort the conditions of commercial and friendly - intercourse throughout the world have been changed, and instant - communication made between all nations. - - "_Resolved_, That we wish to recall to our membership the words of - eulogy and sincere appreciation spoken at the brilliant banquet - given by this chamber to Mr. Field on the final successful laying - of the cable more than twenty-five years ago, and to indorse and - emphasize them by our action to-day. - - "_Resolved_, That as a loyal and enthusiastic American, a useful - and enlightened citizen, and as a warm and faithful friend, Mr. - Field's memory will always be held sacred by all who knew him here, - and his invaluable service to mankind will make his name honored in - all the civilized world. - - "_Resolved_, That the Executive Committee be requested to suggest - to the chamber some plan by which an appropriate and lasting - memorial to Mr. Field's great work may be procured for this city. - - "_Resolved_, That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the family - of Mr. Field, with the assurances of our profound sympathy and - regard." - - "Mr. President, in presenting these resolutions for your - consideration may I be allowed to say a few words as to the - character and life of our honored friend? Mr. Field needs no - eulogy. His fame and his place in history are secure. The news that - comes to us every morning from all parts of the world; the daily - quotations on which we base our business action; the friendly - messages which assure us of the instant welfare of dear ones in - far-off countries, are ever-recurring reminders of his great - genius. Although nothing we can say will add to the lustre of great - deeds, still it is well for us, from time to time, to refresh our - memories as to the full meaning of the great achievements which - mark the progress of the world. In the rush and hurry of modern - life, what at first startles us soon falls into the commonplace - and is perhaps undervalued. In the pamphlet published in 1866 at - the time of the banquet given to Mr. Cyrus W. Field by this - chamber, the statement was made that 'the success of the Atlantic - telegraph was one of the great events of the nineteenth century.' - History will point to it as one of the landmarks of modern - progress. On the morning after the landing of the cable at Valentia - the London _Times_ said: 'Since the discovery of Columbus nothing - has been done in any degree comparable to the enlargement thus - given to the sphere of human activity.' This was confirmed by - unanimous statement of distinguished men and leading journals in - all parts of the world. - - "Our country was filled with enthusiasm and the world with wonder. - John Bright, in a splendid tribute to 'his friend Cyrus Field,' - spoke of him as 'the Columbus of modern times, who, by his cable, - had moored the New World alongside the Old.' Mr. Evarts said: - 'Columbus found one world and left it two. Cyrus W. Field found two - continents and left them one.' - - "In all the years that have passed, this cord of connection between - the Old World and the New has grown more practical and useful, and - the old cities in the far Eastern world can now communicate with - the new cities of our Pacific shores in a few moments of time. What - will be the result of these facilities we cannot estimate. Already - practical schemes for the establishment of communication by - telephone are under advisement, and it may be but a short time - before we can converse with friends thousands of miles across the - sea. - - "We do not claim for Mr. Field the discovery of the possibilities - of the cable, but it was owing to his superb and almost superhuman - exertions that the project was made practicable. It is hard for us - to estimate the severe trials through which he passed. For nearly - thirteen years he labored against every obstacle, crossing the - ocean more than forty times, spending months with the cable ships - on the stormy Atlantic, exhausting himself in the swamps and inland - forests of Newfoundland and Cape Breton, with alternations of hope - and fear, of success and discouragement, that would have exhausted - almost any other man. - - "This was the great work of his life, but his energy, vigorous - thought, and executive ability enabled him to carry out many other - business enterprises, which were of great value to this city and - country. - - "He was born of sturdy and choice New England stock. His father, - the Rev. Dr. David Dudley Field, was a distinguished clergyman in - Massachusetts, and his grandfather an officer in the Revolution. - - "His home training, in New England, was of the kind that has - developed so many able men in the history of our country. - - "He very early entered in business, but a few months afterwards, - through no fault or action of his, his firm became insolvent, and - although from his youth and small capital he was to a certain - extent exempt from the responsibility, he showed his nice sense of - honor by devoting his first earnings afterwards to the payment of - principal and interest of all the debts of the firm with which he - had been connected. Years afterwards, when he had been most - successful in his chosen line of enterprise, owing to the disturbed - condition of affairs he again became involved in business - difficulties, but with the same pluck and courage he resumed his - work, and paid principal and interest on all his indebtedness. - - "But no details of ordinary business could confine his wide grasp - of affairs, and he took hold of telegraph and cable with a faith - and energy which deserved success. - - "Time and distance were as nothing to him on carrying out his - projects. Although a loyal and enthusiastic American, he was, in - the best sense, a 'citizen of the world.' I remember meeting him - many years ago in southern Europe, and asking him to join some - excursion for the following day. He told me how much pleasure it - would give him, but that he unfortunately had to attend a meeting - the next day. I found that he left that night by the fast express, - and rushed through to London to spend two hours at a meeting of a - committee, and without rest returned immediately to the place where - I had met him. - - "His last years were crowded with sorrow and disappointment, under - circumstances most pathetic and terrible. In all of this he had the - warm sympathy of loving friends and of all his business associates. - - "I have felt that the terrific strain upon his whole system during - the thirteen years of trial, when the efforts were being made to - lay the cable, with their alternations of hope and fear and the - great exposure, told upon his constitution more than he knew, and - that when the reaction came he had not, perhaps, the same clearness - of vision and wise power of judgment as before. - - "All the disappointment and sadness of his later life will be - forgotten, and history will only remember the great loyal American, - whose intense power and large faith enabled him to carry through - one of the greatest and most beneficial enterprises the world has - ever known." - - "Ah, me! how dark the discipline of pain - Were not the suffering followed by the sense - Of infinite rest and infinite release! - This is our consolation; and again - A great soul cries to us in our suspense: - 'I came from martyrdom unto this peace!'" - -THE END - - * * * * * - -RHODES'S UNITED STATES - - History of the United States from the Compromise of 1850. By JAMES - FORD RHODES. 8vo, Cloth, Uncut Edges and Gilt Tops. Vols. I. and - II., 1850-1860, $5 00; Vol. III., 1860-1862, $2 50. - - If there is a book now in course of publication which supplies an - urgent want, it is the "History of the United States from the - Compromise of 1850," by James Ford Rhodes.... It was high time that - the service herein rendered by the author of this work should have - been performed.--_N. Y. Sun._ - - Mr. Rhodes's pages bring before us a vivid picture of what we were - forty years ago.... The author's candid and impartial spirit are as - evident as his intelligence.--_N. Y. Times._ - - In no single publication can the student of American politics - obtain a more satisfactory and reliable account of the slavery - agitation beginning with the Compromise measures of 1850 and - culminating in civil war a decade thereafter than in the first two - volumes issued by Mr. Rhodes.... The third volume, now before us, - fully maintains the high character and complete research of the - first two volumes.--_Philadelphia Times._ - - A work which no serious student of American affairs can afford to - overlook. In wealth of erudition, in breadth of view, in attainment - of the true historical perspective, it has qualities of obviously - high and impressive merit, while in the charm that comes from - graceful literary expression it has nothing to lose by comparison - with the histories of the country that have heretofore ranked as - standard.--_Boston Beacon._ - - Volume III. is the fitting and able sequel of the two which have - preceded it. It is an informing work. The author draws from a - multitude of sources, digests his material well, and writes in a - style that is at once readable and instructive.... Such a history - as that which Mr. Rhodes is furnishing has great and permanent - value.--_Observer_, N. Y. - - Mr. Rhodes is a historian, not a partisan; a chronicler of truth, - not an advocate, yet possessing a style which makes his chronicles - interesting and refreshing. Carefully sifting his material, with a - keen appreciation of literary and historical values, he has earned - a prominent place in the ranks of American historians.--_Boston - Advertiser._ - -PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK - -_For sale by all booksellers, or will be sent by the publishers, -carriage prepaid, on receipt of the price._ - -BIGELOW'S LIFE OF TILDEN - - The Life of Samuel J. Tilden. By JOHN BIGELOW, Author of "Life of - Benjamin Franklin," "France and the Confederate Navy," Editor of - "Writings and Speeches of Samuel J. Tilden," etc. With Portraits - and Illustrations. Two Volumes. 8vo, Cloth, Uncut Edges and Gilt - Tops, $6 00. (_In a Box._) - - A complete and vivid portrait of a memorable figure in the public - life of the Empire commonwealth and of the nation, and also - materials of great value for the political history of the country - during the momentous period that intervened between 1830 and - 1880.--_N. Y. Sun._ - - Mr. Bigelow's long and close intimacy with Tilden, and his own - large experience in politics and in authorship, made him naturally - the literary executor of his friend, as he was a trustee of his - estate. The resulting biography, now before us, has an assured - historical value, corresponding to the importance of Mr. Tilden's - career.--_Nation_, N. Y. - - Intensely interesting, because they deal with things that are - common to the knowledge of all Americans who have followed the - progress of the events of the last twenty-five years.--_N. Y. - Herald._ - - The author has acquitted himself of his trust with rare skill, - judgment, and delicacy; and while there is never absent from the - pages of this memoir a distinct appreciation of the character and - achievements of its subject, it is happily free from the suggestion - of fulsome eulogism.--_Philadelphia Press._ - - Of the literary quality and the fairness of this work nothing need - be said. Mr. Bigelow's name is a guarantee of excellence, of - faithfulness, and fairness. The work will have first rank among the - biographies of the year.--_Boston Advertiser._ - - The most important American biography that has been published in - many years. Moreover, its importance and interest are progressive - and cumulative.--_Philadelphia Inquirer._ - - The Writings and Speeches of Samuel J. Tilden. Edited by JOHN - BIGELOW. Two Volumes. 8vo, Cloth, Uncut Edges and Gilt Tops, $6 00. - (_In a Box._) - -PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK - -_For sale by all booksellers, or will be sent by the publishers, -carriage prepaid, on receipt of the price._ - -CAMPBELL'S THE PURITAN - - The Puritan in Holland, England, and America. An Introduction to - American History. By DOUGLAS CAMPBELL. Two Volumes. 8vo, Cloth, - Uncut Edges and Gilt Tops, $5 00. (_In a Box._) - - The tone of the work is calm and judicial, and the style of the - writer is clear and dignified, possessing a literary finish which - gives the work a place of honor among our national histories. It - will modify many prevalent conceptions of American history with its - novel way of accounting for some of the things existing among us; - but the facts the author summons from the results of his wide - researches, and his well-balanced judgment in dealing with these - results, amply sustain him in the novel positions he assumes. The - work is a classic of American history, and is an addition to the - literature of the country of which we may be proud.--_Observer_, N. - Y. - - The more one scrutinizes this book the firmer becomes conviction - that the brilliant and scholarly author has made his point and - accomplished his end. The tone is rational and wholesome, and the - book itself a memorial of careful and laborious - investigation.--_Philadelphia Ledger._ - - A more interesting book of the kind has not appeared since Mr. - Green wrote his "Short History of the English People."--_N. Y. - Herald._ - - The central idea of Mr. Campbell's book is that our country with - its institutions is not as much a child of English parentage as it - is of Dutch.... It is a book remarkable for boldness, for breadth, - for analytical power, for commanding generalization, and for piling - up all this mass of learning and argument with comprehensive - system, and in a way to interest as well as instruct any reader of - intelligence.--_Chicago Times._ - - This work is destined to create a revolution in our early American - history, as written by our standard historians.... In many respects - it is the most important contribution to the colonial history of - America that has yet been written.--_Lutheran Observer_, - Philadelphia. - - A book of intense interest to every student of American - institutions and character, and the development of its republican - ideal.... This book is significant and suggestive.--_Presbyterian_, - Philadelphia. - - Mr. Campbell enters very thoroughly and conscientiously into the - examination of his subject, and his book is one that is valuable to - the student of history, and full of interest for readers of all - classes.--_Louisville Courier-Journal._ - -PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK - -_For sale by all booksellers, or will be sent by the publishers, -carriage prepaid, on receipt of the price._ - -CURTIS'S ORATIONS AND ADDRESSES - - Orations and Addresses of GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS. Edited by CHARLES - ELIOT NORTON. With Photogravure Portrait. Vol. I. Orations and - Addresses on the Principles and Character of American Institutions - and the Duties of American Citizens. Vol. II. Addresses and Reports - on the Reform of the Civil Service of the United States. Vol. III. - Historical and Memorial Addresses. 8vo, Cloth, Uncut Edges and Gilt - Tops, $3 50 per volume. (_In a Box._) - - An exceptionally interesting speaker, he is on record here--as so - often before now--as an exceptionally interesting writer. To young - Americans they are golden volumes that present the mind of such a - citizen and such a cultivated, discriminating literary mind.--_N. - Y. Mail and Express._ - - It is a great book which these addresses make [Volume III.]. All - young men ought to read it and ponder it. Its insight into - character, uplifting of lofty ideals, and deep, sturdy patriotism - would cause it to live quite apart from its in their own way - equally admirable literary ability and grace.--_Congregationalist_, - Boston. - - A splendid memorial of that ideal man and patriot, George William - Curtis. The books are a much-to-be-desired addition to any - library.--_Interior_, Chicago. - - Mr. Curtis made a contribution of inestimable value in the - application of morals to politics--an application needing all the - time to be made, and which those noble discourses will assuredly do - much to promote.--_Literary World_, Boston. - - The brilliancy, depth, power, and insight characteristic of the - orations included in the first volume of this series are in the - second volume displayed in a field Mr. Curtis had made peculiarly - his own.--_Jewish Messenger_, N. Y. - - The eloquence of many of these addresses is of the highest order of - public oratory, and merely as examples of the art of expression - they are of permanent interest.--_Boston Beacon._ - -PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK - -_For sale by all booksellers, or will be sent by the publishers, -carriage prepaid, on receipt of the price._ - - * * * * * - -Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber: - -From you affectionate son=> From your affectionate son {pg 20} - -Agamennon=> Agamemnon {pg 77} - -arbritration=> arbitration {pg 285} - -plus herueux=> plus heureux {pg 254} - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Cyrus W. Field; his Life and Work, by -Isabella Field Judson - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CYRUS W. 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