Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1869-03-19

STs-.&s'
TsiC srI-apby or tf,c late
Secretary o. tIlo
Tr'c.1S,rEx.y.
From tie New yo7;s World.

Ts'c:as'tGx'y.
r,orn tie Ecw vo-s World.
Alexander r. Stewart, the new
Fccretary Of the Treasury, Yves Dor,
ut or near Belfast about sixty.fivt
years ago, Of q fanr.fy descended from
one or the ScDttish colonies which
have from time to time, for centur.
leg, been established In the north Of
ireland. lie was left an orphan III
fiis eighth year, and from that time
nntil his eighteenth was under the
care of his maternal grandfather,
who intended him FOR clergyman.
With the view Of training him for
that profession he was sent, In COM
mon with the rest of the youth Of
Ireland, TO Trinity College, Dublin,
where he il reported to have taken II
creditabIe stand in his classes. Short
ly after his graduation, and in the
year 1923, he came to New York, and
for some time thereafter supported
Himself 10y teaching. IT was only n
few months after that lie tired Of
pedagogy ard taol; to trade. lie had
small shop opposite City hall Park,
where he dealt chiefly In laces, gloves,
and other like trifles Of haberdashcry,
and by industry and thrift amassad,
in the course of few years, money
enough TO build the warehouse be-
tween Rea6c and Chambers streets,
on Broadway, which is now his
wholesale department" and which
was the Grst marble building on
broadway. A few years since he
built another, and larger one of iron,
on the corner of broadway and
Tenth street, which has succeeded
the lower building as one of the lions
Of New York, aud which is now n
- fresh topic OH account of the recent
md extensive engagements of it.
His fortune is estimated at $25, 000,-
600. and is supposed to be the largest
which in any country has been ac-
curnuinted strictly by trade. Besides
the TIVE buildings mentioned, which
were the most notable In the city at
the dates Of their respective erection,
Mr.. Stewart's residence on Fifth
avenue, just finished, is the most
striking dwelling in the city, by its
size, its material, which is of white
marble, and its architecture, which |
is hidecus.
Mr.. Stewart has on several occa- |
sious made munificent gifts to public |
objects. At the time Of the Irish
famine he fitted and loaded a vessel |
at his individual expense, with pro-
visions for The sufferers, and on her
return the vessel brought q cargo Of
immigrants, for whom he had pro- |
rlded situations before they landed. |
1t is reported, also, that during the
war he gave at one time $4,000 to .
the Christian Commission. being |
moved thereto by the offer of another
rich man TO give as much as Mr..
Stewart"
Mr.. Stewart has never assumed SO
prominent position in social move
ments in this city as his mercantile /
experience would warrant. Various
stories ere current concerning him
but they are for the most part I'M
trustworthy. Some of them have
got from time TO time into the news
papers, and have brought their au-
thora into trouble. About three
years since the st. Louis Republican
published letter from its New York
correspondent, detailing a scandalous
story derogatory to Mr.. Stewart, who .
promptly vindicated his character
. by suing the journal in question for
libel; and when one Of its proprie-
tors visited New York pending the .
suit, he was arraignCd and held to
bail, and an explicit retraction made,
Of the charges of immorality, upon
which the suit was withdrawn
About tho same time a similar suit
wes begun against q weekly paper in
this city for charge of the same
kind against Mr.. Stewart. In this
case also an ample Eetraction was
made by the offending print.
Mr.. Stewards political life has been
almost Us private as his social life.
Before the war he avowed himself
Democrat, but took no public part in
/, politics. in May, 1861, letter was
published from him to a debtor in
Memphis, who had sent him an
nvowal Of his purpose not to pay
what he owed in case the report was
true that Mr.. Stewart had offered a
lean of 81 900, 0G0 to the Government.
This letter stated that although Mr..
Stewart had not expressly made that
effer, yet lie was ready to dedicate all
chat he had, and, if need were, his
life to the service Of the country, to
which, lie mentioned, he was bound
by the strongest ties Of affection and
duty. Ee also ren?arked-"All that
l have of position and wealth owe
10 the free institutions of the United
States, under which, in common with
fall others North aAd South, protec-
ltion to life, liberty, and property
sbave been enjoyed In the fullest
lmanner." Until recently lie never
identified himself with any political
party, unless that term be applied to 8
the nondescripts styling themselves
Pie "War Democracy at the meet
Sngs of which his name used occa-
Eionally TO figure in the list OF off,
Icers. On the occasion of President
.Johnson's visit 20 New York, en- route
10 the tomb Of Douglas, Mr.. Stewart
headed the committee Of citizens
which received him, and was promi-
rent among the guests at the banquet !
lht Delmonico's where the President
made bis famous speech. At the
ftime Of the Philadelphia Convention
he was eopnted as one of the favorers
5pf the third party which that assem-
lbiage WAS intended to inaugurate. Ii
"A NAV Inyuayap CfiiI he cIatp,oI ]