The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1876-04-20
A. T. STEWART.
Some 1ne,,lsntits in tho LII. Of the a., Great
2 Merchant. /: t2iihi

: A. T. STEWART. 81 =;
som. 1ne,aIsn.. in tho 1,f.i Z, 81 tn. Great
2 Merchant /: 3?'ih": t
From the Ne~ York Tribune, Ap,a l:':l..,'' H.. .
About fifty years ago. a. young ae, !:
Irish emigrant opened \ shop in
Broadway, with a capital 'of. about o.
three thousand dollars. He did vs.; p :
terday the richest merchant. in; the. the
world. The secret Of bis ;: extraordi,
nary success must be told ID bis own
words .'"My business has been a
matter of principle from IL 70 start.
That is all there is about it,. II the
golden rule can be incorporated into
purely mercantile affairs, it has: been
done in. this establishment, and you
must have noticed, if you have OBJ.
served closely, that the customers are
treated precisely as the seller himself
would like to be treated were he in
their place. That is to say, nothing
is misreFpresented, the price is fixed,
once and for all, at the lowest posi-
Die figure, and the circumstances Of
the buyer are not suffered to influence
the salesman in his conduct. in the
smallest particular. What We ca.
not afford is violation of principles" b"
He was of Irish parentage, but
more remotely OF Scotch ancestry.
His father was prosperous aud
highly respected farmer, descended
from race Of Scotch-Irish Presby.
terians, whose industry. ffugality,
and precision the boy Inherited in
,tull measure. Alexander Turney
Stewart was born 1903, in. the sub.
:urbs Of Lisburn; an extensive manu-
tactaring town about six miles from
Belfast. he began his: studies at
Trinity College, at 20 years Of age,
graduated with honors at the Uni:
versity. With q frame not robust,
but 1.-the and active, he was serious,
painstaking student, who was always
to be found reading in his room While
his fellows were entertaining royster-
ers in their chambers. He came to
America the same year, Of his gradu-
alton 1928.
A trivial circumstance at the turn.
ing point Of his life made him q mer-
chant. A young man with whom be
had become intimate applied to him
for money wherewith to open . small
dry goods store. He advanced the
greater part of the small patrimony
which he had brought to America
a small store was rented and stocked
but through an unforeseen circum
stance his friend, after all the pre-
parations had been made, was unable
to begin business. The pluck and
energy which were the heritage O
his Scotch-1rish ancestry came to tht
surface. In order that the money
which he had already invested might
not be lost, he resolved to carry OF
the business himself: He went b, cl
to Ireland, converted into money 1th'
moderate fortune which his 1athe
had left him, bought a stock Of Bel
fast 1aces and returned to New Yorl
to open his store. The capital invest
ed amounted to about %, 1000, and il
the Daily advertiser Of Sept. q, 1925
I.appeared q modest advertisement an
nuuncing that A: 7. Stewart offere
for sale, at No. 283 Broadway, 8.
general assortment of fresh and ses
sonable dry goods" He had ;rente
one'half Of a store, with a frontag
Of % feet, exactly opposite the :nortt
ern entrance Of the present wholesal
store of the firm, then, the: side. {
Washington Hall. In the rear {
his shop, the rentel of which VI
very low, the young merchant had
sleeping-room. Under these humb]
conditions was formed the germ {
the most extensive dry goods bushes
in the world.
Mr.. Stewart's first customer vi
not only lady but also = friend. O
the day before the little shop, ",
opened, in accordance with his mode
announcement, a lady whose aeauai'
ance he had made in the city, eaid
him: "You must not sell s:anythip
on the morrow till I come and NAL
the first purchase for it. will . .hril
luck" The next morning she, dro'
. up in her carriage and purchas,
y Irish laces and other goods -wor
nearly two hundred dollars. It "
q good woman for the young, me
!. chant, and in the end it was a lucl
}: investment for, herself: The la
,c subsequently removed to a. city:
Il the Continent, where Mr.. Stsws
8 fnund her IN ,.adnnad r;vr1,fnakano