Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-09-01
From the New York Ledger
HOW STEWART MADE HIS FORTUNE

From the New York Ledgcr.l
NOW srnxuARr MADE HIS FoRrr1Nn
Probably the most stupendous success in a
mercantile career, of no extraordinary length,
has been that of A. L. Stewart, the present
great wholesale and retail dty goods dealer.
a. I. Stewart is a countryman of O'Connell,
Brian the Brave, Curran, the nte Duke OF Wei
lington, Powers the actor, Grattan, the LIN
metts, and Teddy the liler. Forty-one yca
ago he landed or the western side of the At
lantc, alone and uniricnded. lie came from
the country Tyrone, near the bushes. When
he reached New York in 1919, Mr.. Stewart
must have been twenty-iour years old, and soon
after he could have been found at No. % Rose
street. directly opposite the Quaker church,
where che taught the young idea how to shoot"
or in plain IRISH kept school. How long Mr.
Stewart was occupied IN task that would lied
the patience of Job, dare not say, but | have
no doubt 1t was most excellent preparatory
school, to teach patience to the future immense
iavoritc, and successful waiter upon the caprices
OF lady dry goods purchasers
Mr. Stewart is now about the age OF sixty
four, having been born Ill Ireland III l'91 or
06. After the yellow fever in 1872, MIR. Stew
art opened retail dry good store in Broadway,
in an old wooden tenement directly opposite to
/ -. M r., 4
H. ,rs nov, door !; ,ho ooioi,rotod porof,ni;
nan, ell, c,r,,o,,ar a, ,L, ,;n,o A. S,o,,,
Nv, 7r,,o m .a', ,"s aior J., ,ho
,,,oat s,,,l,s liz s,oro ,,os no, l,roo onon,,h
H. W. hos;or,. laons M. 'oi ,n9 ,;IJans
and ,Lp ao,,i,' o,,ondoJ ,oVo, ,ho
',na, ,,',;,,, saIos 'i'sI' aiI ,''.,.. ,,,;.s'd
sai., ~ d.,' noo1l. =, H. H.,
I,o,ie o"'e S' U' sTu sIJs',, a. go. W.s Mil
{. NTrt,rn," iina7 n,,'so', g. 70 All n',;j
. '''''' 'l''o' ~ N0'' '''' i'"'' 'u
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h., "ii. ...ill >, ~. '''
orl, ,m,,,l;~,, a. .s,n,,Ja io,s "r,,,t Idlc
sai., snn,,iSs vo,,id ha e,,n,, ,,,on ,h, lon,
,aiJ, I'c.r' ,h a,,,,;.,.n wy
ba,Ii. ,ho,, 18Th ,,,,Il % ~ J. mT''H "
'',,"s '"u, d ,n',tI H. pun y" 'he eoo"N' p"
I, ,,.,' n',r;1'', ,h;I'G ~ H. ',I ,ho
-, '.'. ~ -. e"N
.,d,d ,h & '''T' 'iu a."
r;aIJ, Lon.,'t 'ho s,nII, i;a 't,'I c' '' ~ a,'
n'y;o,, IL L,J .oaahd ''' ''.I ~
n,,,,, c ,i,o or,;al,a -" I w. 80
,,',;!u,. l',. aJ L., ~ I s0''' ~,
|, ,,r,,.or,, a'a ,,l; WI, .''
,v,T cnsnd ~, ,ho ~ ,',,ii ,"i VI ia IA
", ."I' 'ne SI" N"u'' "V H"i'
T S,,,r, '.; ",G"'' L n'" L'ip "Il' nIl
cnntrrcd ,hrm ~, ,n b;s hi, .,,ro AMI as br
j .,s ....~.' 80, - ,,i'- q" ,,i,yes l,ces
hosiery, Nc., he would soon make his sdii:pii
lots equal to the original goods before they had
been muNSed at the auction sales. linen follow
ed the triumph of the patient, humble, little
tradesmnn.
lie could undcrsell anybody in that trade, OF
course, and ladies of fashion were not long in
finding out that fact. In this modest way he
worked along, slowly but surely, from lo22 To
ISIS. Then he found his business greatly IN
creased. lie was the best Judge OF Iaces IN
New York, and he sold the best ut the lowest
priccs-lower than the great dealers, Fountain
X Co.. and Nandervelt and fianden. Stewart
by practicing economy, industry and absolute
devotion to his profession and business, soor
came alongside of his great and sometimes over,
bearing rivals. lie was humble, attentive. solo
very cheap, and the best of goods. lie neither
tried on dodges or gouges. lie was regarded
rs worthy young beginner, and very sooi
thetashonable Misses Mason, Jones, Jay, Prime
Hone Oracle, Crosby, Stuyyesant, and ot1er'
OF their set, became his constant patrons, ant
he soon had all that profitable trade
lie was forced TO move. Three stores ha'
been erected in Broadway, between War; en- ant
, Chambers street. Bentijack Wecms moved in
to the corner store. Fountain Co. movet
, next, and Stewart into the third store. Hi
was only thirty feet deep. The rest were thci
present depth, and all only three stories high
but occupied above by families. In TINS stor
{ Stewart continued until 1882. Then he move
t tdown to a two story store between Murray am
|, Warren streets. His business increased so rap
idly that he had to enlarge his store by deepen
J., ing it an additional twenty feet and raised it
e three Stories In the course of five years more
a he was obliged to deepen it thirty feet or NOR
e and put on two more stories, making it fiv
= story store.
n About this time Stewart adopted the plan c
e employing as clerks the handsomest young fe
# lows he could pick up in this country or eve
r in England. His customers were the mos
}, dushing and fashionable young women in tn
! city and from the South. He hired handsom
: Boylc afterwards BOYLE and Humphreys) an
/, Durham. They were great fellows among tn
o women in 1888 and 1884, and drew crowds
i Stewards already fashionable store.
= MANY of our readers will well remember
{. partly bald headed man who used to walk u
v and down the store, when it was opposite Il
e CITY Hall. This walker was named johnson
l. He had been brought up in fashionable dl
r goods store. lie came to New York. and offe
>, cd to 90 into Stewards store for no salary. L
,- was accepted. The first year Stewart gave hi
S4OO; the second, $1,000; the third, S2jO(
1t and the next wear gave him an interest in Il