North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-03-17
McGREGOR, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, MAR. II, 1869.
Stewart---Biography Of the Late Sec.
retnry OF the Treasury.

/ stewart.--Biography Of the Late Sec.
rotary OF the Treasury.
From the Now York World.
| Alexander L. Stewart, the new Secre,
tary OF the Treasury, was born a: or neal
Belfast, about sixty-five years ago, of q
family descended from one of the Scottish
colonies, which have from time to time
for centuries, been established in the north
of Ireland. lie was left an orphan in his
eighth year, and from that time until his
eighteenth was under the care of dis ma.
ternal grandfather, who intended him for
a clergyman. With the view Of training
him for that profession he was sent, in
common with the rest of the youth of Ire
land, to Trinity College, Dublin, where he
is reported to have taken cveditablc
stand in his classes. Shortly after his
graduation, and in the year 1923, he came
to New York. and for some time thereafter
supported himself by teaching. 1t was
only few months after that he tired of
pedagogy and took to trade. He had a
small shop opposite City Hall Park, where
he dealt chiefly in laces, gloves, and other
like triflcs of haberdashcry, and by in
dustry and thrift amassed, in the course
of few years, money enough to build the
warehouse between Read and Chambers
streets, on Broadway, which is now his
wholesale department" and which was
the first 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, and which is now a
fresh topic on account Of the recent and
extensive enlargements Of it. His fortune
is estimated at $4,000, 900, and is sup>
posed to be the largest which in any coun.
try has been accumulated stricktly by trade.
Besides the two buildings mentioned,
which were the most notable in the city
at the dates of their respective erection,
MIR. Stewards 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 hideous.
Mr.. Stewart has on several occasions
made muniticent gifts to public objects.
At the time of the Irish famine he fit I'd |
and loaded a vessel at his individual ex-
pensc, with provisions for the sufferers, !!
and on return Of the vessel brought
cargo Of immi igrants, for whom he had !
provided situations before they landed. |
1t is reported. also, that during the war
he gave ut one time $4,000 to the Chris
tian Commission, being moved thereto by |
the offer of another rich man to ':giye as
much as Mr.. Stewart
Mr.. Stewart has never assumed so
prominent position in social movements
in this city as his mercantile experience
rent concerning him hut they are for the
most part untrustworthy. Some of them
have got from time to time into the news
papers, and have brought their authors
into trouble. About three years since the
St. Louis Republican published letter
from its New York correspondent, detail |
ing scandalous story derogatory to Mr..
Stewart, who promptly vindicated his
character by suing the journal in question
for libel; and when one of its proprietors
visited New York pending the suit, he |
was arraigDed aud held to bail, and an
explicit retraction made of the charges Of
immortality, upon which the suit was with
drawn. About the same time similar
suit was begun against IL weekly paper in |
this city for charge Of the same kind
against Mr.. Stewart. In this case also an !
ample retraction was made by the offend
ing print.
MIR. Stewards political life has been
almost as 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 debtor in Memphis, who had sent
him an avowal of his purpose not to pay
what he owed in case tn" report was true
that Mr.. Stewart had offered loan of
Sl,OO0,OO9 to the Government. This lets
ter stated that although Mr.. Stewart had !
not expressly made that offer, yet he was |
ready to dedicate all that he had, and, if
need were, his life to the service Of tae
country, to which, he mentioned, he was
bound by the strongest ties of affection
and duty. lie also remarked. "All that
| have of positi On and wealth owe to the
free Institutions Of the United States, un-
der which, in common with all others
North and South, protection to life, liber-
ty, and property have enjoyed in the
fullest manner" Until recently he never
identified himself with any political party,
unless that term be applied to those
styling themselves the "War Demo-
cracy," at the meetings of which his name
used occasionally. to figure in the list
Of officers. On the occasion of President
Johnson's visit to New York, en- route to
the tomb Of Douglas, Mr.. Stewart headed
the committee Of citizens which received
him, and was prominent among the guests
at the banquet at Delmonico's where the
President made his famous speech. At
the time of the Philadelphia Convention
he was counted as one of the favorers OF
the third party which that assemblage was
intended to inaugurate. He may, how
ever, still be claimed as an original Grant
man, since he was an officer, and also an
orator, of the meeting of citizens Of New
York, which nominated General Grant to
the Presidency on the eve of the Chicago
Convention. But he is known mainly rs
a merchant prince" and beyond that
character and what appertains to it, he is
not publicly known at all.