The sides of the box are engraved with vignettes depicting the landing
of the cable, the planning group at work, science and industry united,
and Europe and America united. The bottom is engraved with the American
eagle and the British shield. The inside lid of the box is inscribed:
The City of New York to Cyrus W. Field commemorating his skill,
fortitude and perseverance in originating and completing the first
enterprise for an ocean telegraph successfully accomplished Aug.
5, 1858 uniting Europe and America.
[Illustration: Figure 13.--SILVER-MOUNTED TANKARD presented to Cyrus W.
Field by the workmen of Central Park, New York City. Loan of Metropolitan
Museum of Art. In Division of Political History. (Acc. 64761, cat. 26209;
Smithsonian photo 45992-H.)]
Significant of the enthusiasm with which Field was greeted in 1858 is a
silver-mounted tankard, made from the wood of the Charter Oak, that was
given to him in December by the workmen of Central Park. On August 18,
seemingly without advance publicity or elaborate preparations, there was
a parade on Broadway of the workmen of Central Park. The procession was
headed by a squad of policemen in full uniform, a band, and a standard
bearer with a muslin banner inscribed "The Central Park People." The men
marched in squads of four, and wore their everyday work clothes with
evergreens stuck in their hats. Each squad carried a banner giving the
name of its boss-workman. The procession included four-horse teams
drawing wagons in which rode the workmen of the Engineers' Department.
The parade was composed of 1,100 laborers and 800 carts from Central
Park and 700 laborers and carts from the new Croton Reservoir, making a
procession three miles long. Since it was altogether unexpected, it
created no little excitement and inquiry.[15]
The tankard (fig. 13) has a silver spout inscribed:
The Oak of this Tankard is a part of the tree in which was
preserved the Charter of the Liberties of the People of
Connecticut during a temporary success of tyranny A.D. 1687.
There is a silver shield on the left side with the monogram "C. W. F."
and a silver shield on the right inscribed:
The men, working in the Central Park Aug^st 17^th 1858 Present
this tankard to Cyrus W. Field, as an expression of their respect,
for the untiring labor which on that Day resulted in proving the
practicability of Trans-Atlantic Communication, by the Electric
Telegraph.
The knob on the lid is made of silver and is decorated with an anchor
and a rope in silver. No maker's mark is discernible.
While the public adulation was at its peak the cable suddenly stopped
working. Immediately public opinion changed and Field was accused of
being a fake. He suffered severe business reverses and in 1860 went into
bankruptcy. The outbreak of the Civil War prevented any further activity
on the cable until 1865. Field engaged the world's largest steamer, the
_Great Eastern_, to make the next attempt. The cable of 1865 parted in
midocean during the laying operations, but in 1866 experience and
technical improvements won the fight. The cable was laid and this time
it continued to operate.
Again Field was the darling of the American people and he was greeted
with enthusiasm. Immediately on his return to New York in 1866 he sold
enough of his cable stock to enable him early in November to write to
those who had been hurt by his bankruptcy in 1860 and send to each the
full amount of his indebtedness with 7 percent interest. The full amount
paid out reached about $200,000. For this action George Peabody of New
York City gave Field a silver service.
The silver cake basket[16] from this service is in the United States
National Museum. The shallow basket is on a pedestal with handles on
each side. The inside of the basket is gilded. Inscribed on a plaque on
one side is:
George Peabody to Cyrus W. Field in testimony and commemoration of
an act of very high Commercial integrity and honor, New York, 24
Nov. 1866.
The inside of the foot of the basket is marked with the lion, anchor,
and "G" of the Gorham Silver Company.
Field continued to be active in many business enterprises but the last
years of his life were again beset with severe financial difficulties.
He and his wife celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1890, and
in honor of this occasion their children presented them with a silver
gilt vase.[17] The vase contains a portion of the first Atlantic cable
mounted in the base, a part of the steamship _Great Eastern_, by which
the cable was laid, and the inscribed names of all the Field's children
and grandchildren. It is marked "Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver, M."