American citizen., 1876-04-22

templated visit to Ireland to Mr.. Cham
bers, then well known as buyer a
auctions for several business houses il
this city.
elbow much is your patrimonye'
asked Mr.. Chambers.
"About $4,000, suppose, +" answer
ed Mr.. Stewart.
ga snug little sum. What do you in
tend doing with it?''
"Invest it here and live on the in
Gomez
" You can do better"
"Howp"
$50 into trade.''
ssNonsense. 1 know nothing about
trade. can't even buy hat or pair
of gloves without getting some one else
to pick them out for me.''
Stuff" calculated Mr.. Chambers.
"Do as 1 tell you. Go to Belfast and
buy insertions and scallop trimmings.
Spend all your fortune in them and you
will double your money"
Arriving in Ireland, Mr.. Stewart
found his patrimony had been dimin-
ished to $4,000 by bad speculations of
his guardian. This circumstance led
him to adopt the advice of Mr.. Cham
bers, and when he returned to New
York his entire patrimony was invested
in insertions and scallop trimmings.
The two friends determined to go into
business together, Stewart acting as
salesman while Chambers made the
outside purchases. The first difficulty
was in finding a store-room suited to
their purpose. They looked through
Pearl and Hudson Streets, the centers
Of the retail trade at that time, but
found the rents too high for them.
Finally, No. 2S3 Broadway was adver-
tised "to let," the rent demanded be-
ing 1915. This was considered too
high also, but it was determined to take
the place, and this is the way A. T.
Stewart began his great career and laid
the foundations Of his trade.
HIS LAST WILL.
By the provisions of his will, drawn
some time since by his personal friend
and legal adviser, Judge Henry Hilton,
the great merchant prince of America
directed the future course of the house
he had founded and to which the best
energies of his life had been devoted.
1t provides that the man who accom-
panied him on his trip to Europe, who
was his confidential adviser in all busi-
ness affairs, the one above all others
who can direct the future business of
the house of A. T. Stewart & Co., shall
conduct the business of that firm under
the same name. That man is Judge
Hilton. He is associated with Mr.. Will
liam Libbey, his only surviving partner.
Mr.. Libbey came into the employ of
Messrs. A. T. Stewart s. Co. between
twelve and fifteen years ago as business
manager of the New York wholesale
house at Broadway, Chambers and Reade
Streets. A few years after his admission
Mr.. William Libbey was admitted as a
partner of the house and placed
in charge of the down town
store. At that time the mer-
chant prince had extended his
business to every portion OF the world.
The firm directed by that master mind
was composed of the principal, Alexan-
der T. Stewart, of New York Mr.. Wor-
den, of Paris, France; Mr.. Fox, of Man
chester, England, and Mr.. Libbey of
New York. The houses controlled by
the firm were located at Boston, Mass.
Philadelphia, Pa; Paris, France;
Lyons, France; Manchester, England;
England; Nottingham, Eng
land; Belfast, Ireland; Glasgow, Scot
land; Berlin, Prussia; Chemnitz, In
dia; and New York. 1t was a peculiar
feature of A. L. Stewart & Co. that they
their houses to be so well
known to the people of the world that
no signs OF indications of the firm name
were ever allowed to appear in the
front of.their places of business.