Chicago Tribune, January 27, 1881
The trade and commercial circles generally were startled yesterday forenoon by a rumor that Mr. L. Z. Leiter had determined to withdraw from the great dry-goods house with which his name had been so prominently connected for the past sixteen years, and that at the time the rumor was in circulation the parties interest were actively engaged in putting the finishing touches to the negotiations. Shortly after noon a Tribune reporter called at the headquarters of the firm, and asked to see the two principals. He was informed that they were busily engaged in one of the private offices, to which access could not be gained without running the gauntlet of about 100 persons, and would not be seen until late in the afternoon.
Shortly after 4 o’clock the news gatherer returned to the charge, and found Messrs. Field and Leiter in the main office attending to the usual run of business with just as much sangfroid as if their protracted interview had relation to the extension of a customer’s note, or the drop of a quarter cent a yard in domestic cottons. As the reporter approached both gentlemen smiled. They evidently divined the nature of his errand.
“Is it true that there has been a dissolution of the firm?”
?” queried the newegatherer of Mr. Field.
“Yes. You’llfind it in the evening papers, and an advertisement in THE TRIBUNk of tomorrow morning will notify its readers.”
“And the new flem will consist of —”
“Oh, you’ll ind that in the advertisement.”
“This is a genuine surprise to the trade.”
” Yes, we kept it very quiet.”
“And the terms ”
* Are strictly private. Mr. Leiter retires from the business. He has been anxious to do so for some tima.”
“And the name of the gew frm is?”
“Marshall Field & Co.
Mr. Letter, who was sitting near and evidently enjoying the situation, was the next subjeet of reportorial attack.
“Now that
you have retired from the dry-
goods trade, is it true that you are about TO ENGAGE IN BANKING ?
It is currently, reported this afternoon, Mr.
Loiter, that such is your intention.
“Not at all.
Iknow nothing about banking,
and it I did
????
should
engage
16
would hure
to work as hard as I do
nOw.
No. I am not going into any active busi-ness. For two or three years I bave been desirous to retire from business. I have made
engugh to live on, and the time bas come when E should take n rest.
I have a good many outside
investments that will occupy as much time as L care to devote to work.
Some of my leisure
time I shall derote to trout-lishing;
“And boatns on Geneva Lake?
“Probably.
” The
public, by whom the firm of Field
Leiter & Co. have long been revarded as one of the greatest
commercial landmarks
the
Northwest, will without doubt ligure largely on the finaneinl interest involved, and this thought suggests that I should ask what are
Leave a Reply