Philip Vinyard Field
Philip Vinyard Field, who died at his home here, in the old Field
house, Friday, Feb. 9, 1923, was the only surviving member of
the Field family, one of the few families remaining in Golconda
who were intimately connected with the early history of the town.
He was born in Golconda, September 30, 1848, and always claimed
this as his home.
Funeral services, conducted by Rev. T. O. Holley, were held at
the M. E. church, and his body was laid to rest in the family
lot, in the old cemetery, Saturday afternoon.
In his early teens, Mr. Fields was given an appointment from this
congressional district to Annapolis, but failing to pass the physical
examination, he returned to Golconda and was employed as clerk
on a steamboat, which position he filled during the latter years
of the Civil War. Later he entered the firm of Ragon Bros., wholesale
grocers, of Evansville, Ind., as shipping clerk, afterwards becoming
one of their most successful traveling salesmen.
In 1874, he was married to Miss Fannie Gilbert, daughter of the
late Capt. John Gilbert, of Evansville, Ind.
In the late 70's and early 80's he was engaged in newspaper work
here.
Field's tastes were literary, and he was at his best doing newspaper
work, or work of that character, For awhile he was connected
with the Cairo Bulletin, and afterwards went to St. Louis Historical
Publishing Company, publishers of the books of the late James
W. Buel. For several years he was associated with that author
and gave him valuable assistance in securing data for some of
his most successful books. Later he went to a Chicago publishing
house. About fourteen or fifteen years ago, he conceived the idea
of establishing a hunting and fishing club at the Kentucky lakes
across the river from Bay City, Ill., and began keeping a hotel
on a houseboat, "The Bounding Bessie," for the accommodation
of the club members. The flood of 1913 carried the Bounding Bessie
away and a club house was built near where she was beached. Excepting
an interval of three or four years, when, after the death of his
mother and sister, he kept the Field house here, he has ever since
been engaged in that enterprise.
Mr. Field had a wide acquaintance and a host of friends. He had
a most sympathetic and generous nature. He had no faults, as
anyone has, but few men have had his faculty of making you forget
the faults, that hurt him, while you remembered his virtues that
helped you. He loved everything that was beautiful and hated
everything that was false or hypocritical.
He wrote some very creditable verse. One of the last poems he
wrote, "Our Patriot Brave," which was set to music,
would, if it had been written and published thirty years ago,
when Union soldiers were still glorified, by everyone in the north
at least, and before the passing of their generation, have made
him famous.
Mr. Field's second marriage occurred April 18, 1912, his bride
being Mrs. M. J. Field, of Rosiclare, Ill., sister of Mrs. Robert
Twitchell, of E. St. Louis.
_______A Friend.
___copied