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[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