Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-09-15

great fellows among the women in 1888 and 1884
and drew crowds to Stewards already fashionable
store.
Many Of our readers will we'll remember a par
tly bald-headed man who used to walk up and
down the store, when it was opposite the City Hall.
This walker was named johnson. lie had beer
brought up in q fashionable London d~ry-goods
store. lie came to New York, and offered to go
into S.owart's store for no salary, lie was accept
ed. The first year Stewart gave him $500 the
second, $1,000 the third, $4,000, and the next
year gave him an interest in tho business Of one
eight. lie left the concern o. A. T.. Stewart & Co.
some ten years after, in 1913, with 100000, and
wen, to England taking $4,000, and leaving $780,,
600, which Stewart invested in Kentucky bonds.
johnson was a bachelor. When he reached Eng
land he was induced TO start a club house. He
sold out his SSO.O 900 Kentucky stock, lost every
dollar, and came back to New York, and wanted
Stewart to take him in again. But Mr.. Stewart
had meanwhile sent to England for MIR. King,
(who had previously been a clerk with him. and
taken him into partnership consequently, there
was no vacancy for the unfortunate johnson, lilo
is now in Italy. Ills wife will mako one OF the
first singers in the world, equal to Malibran, after
having had some practice in the Italian school,
Her voice is unoqualled. johnson married her in
England.
In 1881, Mr.. Burroughs was book keeper. Stew
art took him in as a partner, and gave him one
eighth in 1888. lie died last year, and his share
was just one million of dollars.
Mr.. King was ia the concern long enough to
make $3.50, 900, and then he retired to England
where he also died last year.
Ireland had been the birthplace of many re-
markable men, but never has she sent from her
shores a more sagaciOus one than A. I. Stewart.
Our land has fostored the Frenchman Girard, Of
Philadelphia, and the German Astor, and they died
worth millions. But they never, even at o great
age, reached the wealth of the Irishman Stewart.
lie is yet in the gristle of his success, and not
hardened into the bone Of mammoth overgrown
wealth. Stewart is this day worth from fourteen
to twenty millions of dollars. He owns more real
estate than Astor, and if he lives ten years longer,
Mir. Stewart will be worth from eighty to one hun
bred millions Of dollars.
In the year 1888, when all was gloom and con-
fusion in the commercial world ; when failures
were SO common that the concern that did not fail
, was regarded with establishment; when all the
banks suspended, and merchants begged OF the
i Government mercy, and not to be forced to pay
their bonds and duties in specie, Stewart was as
=, lively in tie crash of commercial elements as a
= stormy peril in q wild hurricane. Everybody was
= breaking. What did the far seeing Stewart do 7
lie reduced his stock to cost, and sold for those
l. prices. Ginghams and such %stuffs, that had been
% retailing for 81 cents per yard, he sold at 20 cents,
l. calicoes in the same proportion. What was the
- consequence Old women who had stockinged
D, their gold and silver, marched to Stewards to take
h advantage of the awful sacrifice tn unfortunate
merchants were making, and though they did moi
= want the goods, yet, like Mrs. Toodles, they might
~ want 'em one of these days. when they could
not be had at such unheard of low prices. Stew
"A art was overrun with cash. lie took the same
money received for goods sold at cost, went into
the market, and bought the same style If goods,
- calicoes, etc.. that he had sold, for 40 per cent.
less than he had obtained In one purchase he
- bought $50, 900 worth of silks, half cash, and half
|, for sixty days, at sixty per cent. leFs than the
cost of the silks to import. On this transaction he
realized $4,000. During all that disastrous pan
ic Stewart retailed every day $1,000 worth of
A goods. While others all around him were break
o ing ne was coiHing money. He was tho father OF
the Selling of at Cost He was the originator
of an idea among retail dry goods dealers that has
, saved thousands of men from ruin, and made for
,. tunes for tens Of thousands Of h~umbugs, by sell
$ ing off at cost
Mr.. Stewart moved quietly and calmly amOnE
tho tumultuous commercial elements of 1887.
In 1913 he moved to his present marble palace
He had bought Washington Hall of young Johl
Q Coster, for $50, 900, and for q few thousand dollar
IS more, two additional buildings and lots on Broad
v way, corner of Chamber street. Upon this mag
nifcent site he erected the present store. Tn
,e whole cost of the ground and the palace crecte
d did not reach $500, OOO. To-day it would sell a
p auction for from $4,000. 900 to 81. 900. 200.
lie paid PATRON Van Rensselaer, $4,000 70
h, the Metropolitan Hotel and out-buildings. 1t i
now worth and pays an interest of ten per cent
e on 81 900 900, and would bring at auction $780,
900. lie owns nearly all of Blocker street, be
tween Broadway and his present residence, and il
~ fact owns more real estate than any other man i
New York, except it may be Mr., VIM, B. Aston
n But Mr.. Astor's income is not 50 large as Stew
IA arts.
nj In January, 1859, he was worth fourteen millio
10 dollars His sales at the store are $l0.000.00
hs annually. His profits exceed $500 900, Of whic
bo BIO now and ever has received one half.
bo He lives moderately and quietly. His hous
70, was built ty Depau, but cost Stewart only 500
nd 900.
g. lie married Miss Clinch,a sister of Clinch of tn
I'd grocer firm of Townsend, Clinch & Dyke. The
"a have no childIen. SO unostentatiOus is Mr.. Stew
Ia art in his religious opinions, that few know whetl
err he is O Catholic OF q Protestant.
Mr.. Stewart lives plainly and is very simple i
On his habits. lie never ~splurges, and cares nothin
v. for fashionable society, or for any but the set hal
of it has flung him among. lie now and then give
on a great dinner party. His guests are found anon
the substantial commercial men Of his acquain
en- ance. At Stewards dinner the service is of soil
gold. He can ard does entertain splendidly.
or 1t is useless to speculate in regard to the disp
W. sal Of this vast property, when its present own
passes from among Us,