The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-02-25
GOTHAM,s MERCHANT PRINCE
A. T. Stewart-The Magnitude and Va
riety OF his Business Operations.

A. II. stewart-The Magnitude and Va
riety Of his Business Operations.
From New York letter.
A. T. Stewart has become one of the chief
owners of Broadway property, and his estate
In this street Is worth about $4,000, 900.
Stewart Ia as chirp and lively as ever. He
looks we'll, and attends regularly to business,
and II he could only have fresh start of re.
newed youth he would no doubt get rich in
the course OF lifetime.
ONE OF OUR WONDERS.
Take It all 10 all, Stewart Ia one of the won
ders of this age. The fact that childless
old man. within three years Of eighty, should
be driving business with ambition anG energy,
and coDqueriDg all difficulties with a youthful
observation-disclosures though he yet had hs for
tune to make-this fuct say IL full OF p1yste.
~. How different from The general lone OF
human character : Stewart, however, feels
that he is working out destiny. He cannot
stop, for destiny urges him forward. He Ia
now carrying on not only his great CONNER
cial operations here. with branches In Pnila-
delphia and Boston, but ls also building VII
lage at Hemstead, and Ia at the same time
buying up real estate at Saratoga Spriugs,
To say nothing OF the occasional bargains
made here In the same line.
HOW 1T Is DONE.
Stewart Is probably the best calculator the
world ever saw. Had Napoleon possessed
one-half of his genius, he never would have
come to grlet ut the early aye Of forty-hve.
Napoleon was Jim Fisk sort Of man. and
needed q heavy capital to work on. When
this was done, he was, as they cay, 'played
out" Stewards genius Is shown In always
having capital. He has not known what it 10
~ ofn NH N
Southern collections occasiOned him the loss
OF several millions. He was not short then.
but simply had TO use all his lunda. At pres.
ent, however, he probably has million VI
loose change. all OF which is to his credit III
the bank, or banks. for Stewart patronizes a
half dozen OF these Institutions. Ills calcula-
tIous have never fai!ed-that is, he has COM
pleted his grand schemes In spite OF all diff
cuties. he makes losses just as other mrr-
chants do, but none that can embarrass bis
general advance. All OF Slewarts business IL
before his eyes. II Is photographed In his
brain. He carries 1t 30 completely there that
no trade escapes him. At the same time that
he Is marking out bold operations In land and
merchandise he ls conversent with the entlre
condition of hls own warehouses;, which EN-
ploy nearly q thousand clerks.
CENTRAL OFFICE.
Stewart has all S!s business before him In
his central office, wh ch no one enters but
himself and those whom he invites thither.
Here he sltB Ia solitary grandeur. His leu
tenants In trade submit their reports, which
he views AZ q glance; and the statements OF
sales, OF stock on hand, of credits, OF I'm
ports, OF customhouse detail, are read aud
at once replied 10. 1t Is not labor; 1t Is only
nature.
4 STRIKING SPECTACLE.
After one has gone through OEe OF Stewards
grand warehouses and seen The lmmenslty OF
the trade accomplished there. 1t is 8 striking
spectacle 10 ses the quiet old gentleman sit-
ting at bis solitary desk in the private office
to which I have referred. II Ia spacious
apartment, with glazed partitions, 80 that any
one may look In, and II is adjacent to the great
array OF bookkeepers, who number nearly one
hundred. A page IL In attendance outside,
and may at any Time be summoded by bell.
Ia another office Is Mr.. Stewards private Sc
cretsry, who slso may bs summoned In a SIM
liar manner. From this office orders ara is-
sued which may within day be felt In Paris,
LYONS. Manchester. San Francisco, Chicago,
or In the Office Of his legal adviser, Judge
Hilton.
LATE IN LIFE.
Stewart has made the greater part OF his
wealth since he became man OF advanced
years. 1t Ia said that George Peabody made
but little until he had passed fifty. The same
about mllion-now he has probably twenty
FIVE times as much. This is lesson which
shows The Importance OF improving the later
hours in lite. Some men retlre from business
as age steals on. This is great mistake. No
men are 80 unhappy as those who abandon
The habits OF a busy lie. No one should re.
tire from trade until he Ia sure OF some busy
employment in another sphere. Mr.. Stewart
knows that he Ia happier while at the head OF
this immense trade than II he were doing
nothing. Men who retire from business be-
come nervous and frelfu, or else sink Into
mere faulty, from having nothing to DO.
Work is The thing tor old and young, II they
wish 10 escape these dangers.
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