The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-10-17
GenfMl Misfellanu.
How 4. 4. Stewart made his $40, ,OOO,-
600.
From the y. y. Leader.


Probably the most stupendous success in
mercantile career, of no extraordinary
length, has been that of \. T. Stewart, the
present great Wholesale and retail dry goods
dealer.
y. I. Stewart is a countryman of O'Con-
nell, Brien the Brave, Curran, the late Duke
Of Wellington, Powers the actor, Grattan,
the Emmetts, and Teddy tie 1'iler. Forty
one Years ago he landed on tie Western side
Of the Atlantic, alone and ui.trienLed. He
came from the County Tyrone, near the
bushes. When he reached New York, in
1919, Mr.. Stewart must have been twenty
four years old, and soon after he could have
been found at No. 50, Rose street, where she
taught the Young idea how to shoot" or. in
plain Irish, kept school. How long Mr.. S.
was ouccupied i'll a task that would have
tried the patience ofJob. dare not say, bat |
have no doubt it was most excellent pre-
paratoiy school, to teach patience to the tu-
! ture immense favOrite and successful waiter
upon the caprices Of lady dry goods purchas
erS.
Mr.. Stewart is now about the age Of sixty
four, having been born in Ireland in 1885 Or
| SO. After the yellow fever, in 1922, MIR.
Stewart opened retail dry goods store in
! Broadway, in an old wooden tenement di-
! rectly opposite where lis great marble pal
ace now stands. Stewart's store may have
been twenty-five feet wide and about twenty
I feet deep. lie was next door to the celebra
! ted Bona(anti, now nearly forgotten. At tht
time, MIR. Stewart was not large or even {
small dealer in the great staples. His store
was not large enough. lie kept hosiery, la
ces, silks, gloves, ribbons, and the more cost
ly fabrics. lie attended the great auction
sales regularly, and never missed a sale of
dry goods. He invariably, upon these occa
sCns, bought what was called "tumbled lots,
or, more properly speaking, sample lots
Al a great "shelf SALE" samples would b
flung upon the long table, before the auction
eer. The buyers would handle them, stretch
pull, try on the goods, if gloves, and tumbl
them in fine style.
1t was curious to philosopher to watc
the rapid transition over Stewards face. II
always stood close to the auctioneer, and a
he invariably bought the sample lot, his fac
expressed anxiety, his hands reached out AM
grasped as mary Of the articles as he coul
compass, especially laces, and he drew ther
near himself to prevent more tangling.-
When lot of goods was closed out, then tn
samples would be sold separate, and rarel
brought half price. Then Stewart was i
his glory. He bought all, conveyed them t.
his little store, and, Us he was very expert i
re-dressins gloves, laces, hosiery, &C., h
would soon make his sample lots equal to tn
original goods before they had been musse
at the auction sales. Then followed the tr
umph of the patient, humble, little trade
man. lie could undersell anybody in tn;
trade OF course, and ladies Of fashion wei
not long in finding out that fact. In tn
modest way he worked along, slowly b
surely from 1922 to 1928. Thea he foun
his business greatly increased. lie was Il
best Judge of laces in New York, and he SO
the best at the lowest prces-lo~er than Il
great dealers. Stewart, by practicing econ
my, industry, and absolute devotion to
T. profession and business, soon came alongsl
' of his great and sometimes overbearlng
walls. He was humble, attentive, sold We
cheap. and the best Of goods. lie nel'n
:. :. tried on lodges or souges. lie was resar
ed as worthy young beginner, and 'e
S soon the fashionable Misses Mason, jon
Prime, Jay, Homes, Oracle, Crosby otu!'
SAINT, and others of their set, became his &C
t: T.; slant patrons, and be soon had all that p'
fitable trade.
He was forced to move. Three stores h
: been erected in Broadway, between War;