“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: