Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-02-02


him the $40, It would er able him to do n
times thai amount for them, through his stove
invention. They replied that they preferred
the $40 as donatiOn, 10 anything the stove
might do, and they took it. la subsequent
years thOse trustees were convinced OF their
mistake, but not TO the prsjudies of the ins.iiu.
ton, for when it was driven to the wall, " Mr.
Stewart gaveit his notes for 81 500 at one time,
and how many thousands he has given at other
times, very few, indeed, know.
Mr. Stewart came to this city in 1888, and
after encountering almost insurmountable diff
tculties, he got his stove before the pu blic aud
in connection with different m anufsc snrers, and
with the various improvements suggested by
experience, has annually turned off instalmerts
| OF thousands ever since. A chief difficulty On
the start was, that manufacturers preferred to
manufacture for tho mafket-a cheap stove,
got up in cheap way Stewarts stove could
not be produced in that way,-or if it could
Stewart would not permit it. II would have
it put upon the market according to his own
ideas of mechanical perfection, or not at all,
although it would render the stove the most ex-
pensive 10 the market, both to the manufacturer
and the public 1t was a long struggle, but
the stove worked its way to popular favor;--
Stewart held bravely up to his standard, ard
rivals were compelled in time to approximate
to the mechanical excellence of his pro-
duction. Down at the extensive works of
Messrs Fuller, Warren & Co, the Clinton
Foundry, Mr.. Stewart may always be seen of
a week day, with apron on and hammer in
hand, inspecting every piece Of casting and
lining and mounting Of his stoves. Were
even the manufacturers differently disposed,
not an imperlect stove would be permit them
to sell or put upon the market Many are
the stoves he gives away, but even the gift
stove to the poor widow will not be permitted
to be of inferior or secondary quality. The
manufacture Of this year has amounted to about
1900. and next year it will probably reach
| 600. (We do not profess to be painfully
accurate" IN this respect, for we have consul
ted with no one concerned in the business in
reference to it, but are confident the snbstan-
tial accuracy Of our figures and facts.) These
stoves permeate in every direction, and far
| into the South and West. It is to this success,
of an excellently made stove, therefore, that
the public are in great measure indebted for
the steaoy improvement in quality Of the trade
manufacture in general. Mr.. Stewart's net
income from the Clinton Foundry "Stewart
Stove" manufacture cannot now be less than
$4,000 a year.
To 90 back a little: The large four story
dwelling erected BY Mr.. Stewart on Fifth street,
dozen or fifteen years ago, was not by any
means intended as his family residence, nor is
itused Except to very limited eXteni), as such.
| It was built for Female Manual Labor School,
where pupils could earn their living while
being instructed, by light labor, and thus pre-
pared for missionary and other service as teach
ers. The scheme did not succeed, for the rea-
son, ss Mr.. Stewart jOcosely remarked, the gir's
of these latter days ''are too. proud to dress
plainly, and too lazy to work"
! Mr.. Stewart does not claim remarkable sue
cess in engrafting his vegetarian diet notions
upon others. The best disciples he ever had,
| were a man and his wife in this city, who
brought their living expenses down to S12 q
year for each. They got Tich-fell from grace
want to eating roast beef, and broke down.
| He has done better than S12 year, but his
servant girls rarely rdmire the system, and
generally leave. One Irish girl, however, fell
in love with the system, aud grew fat under it.
1t does certainly seem little odd to see man
with an income of $4,000 a year, restricting
himself to endorsement of his house, and living
at a rate of expense generally below that of
temperate bod carrier, but that, it should be
borne in mind, is a art of M. Stewards grand
economic and philanthrOPic system.
Mr.. Stewart seems to combine two elements
Of character Of natures essentially the opposite
of each other. They are Avarice and Benevo.
| Icnee, and both are in constant, active operas
ton. With the left hand he grasps money with
the cluch of miser,-but no sooner does it
strike the palm of the right hand than it is
scattered broadcast upon what he considers
worthy objects, whether individuals or institu-
tiOns. He is a general Philanthropist, and
loves money ehieis for the good he may do with
| itfoE his fellow men, How many poor people
he has relieved, will never be assoertained
from him-how much good he has done, OF
may DO, will only be revealed at the great reck-
Oning day.
There are some points in Mr.. Stewards char.
acter which are too radical to be successfully
held up as an example to be followed By the
great majority of the young meu of the country
In those respects, including that fthe intense
philanthropy, he is, we fear, as one of fifty
thousand. But then his successful psrssTe-
rance in the face of almost insurmQuntable husi
ness obstacles, may properly be held up as
beacon Of hope to the young man, struggling
for the attainment of high and worthy objects,
wherever he may be found. His system of
domestic economy, modified to a rational ex-
tent, might be made in practice a powerful
auxiliary to effoTtin in the struggle, and enlo.ce
success where success would be otherwise i'm
possible. Long may the living example remain
among US, to continue his glorious work to
Benevolence; to illustrate life of unspotted
integrity, and free from seetaTian narrowness,
and with impulses springing from motives which
are sanctioned by conscience and duty.
There are numerous incidents in Mr.. Stew~
arts life, and anecdotes respecting him, to
WHICH we would be glad to refer, but we find
that we have already written to the extent of
q single newspaper article. He delerves, how
ever, a written memorial of a much more ex-
t.,laJ ,,I G,rp,