Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-04-21

chased 800 900 worth Of silks in this way,
and sold the whole lot within few days,
making $4,000 on the transaction. He
made fortune in that crisis.
Mr.. Stewart was strictly just, but not
a generous man in his dealings. He
always kept his own werd scrupulously,
and required others to do the same. If
lie promised TO pay dollar, he
paid dollar, and if a man
promised him a dollar, nothing less
than the dellar would satisfy him. Hence
he got the reputation of being hard and
exacting, and consequently was rather un-
popular. He was also a strictly truthful
man. He never told lies, nor asked any
body in his employ to tell them. The
foundation Of his business success was the
reputation which his establishment
gained at an early day for describing
goods exactly as they were, offering them
at the lowest price intended TO be taken,
and then making no deviations When
he first opened his store it was the GUS
tom of sellers and buyers to chatter over
their transactions. The dealer asked more
than he intended to take, and a long de-
bate followed. The result was, that timid
people, women and young persons, were
very glad to find a place where they could
look at goods, ask prices, and then have
nothing more to do than to make up their
minds whether to take them or leave them.
Mr.. Stewart also had the reputation of
paying the lowest market rate of salaries
to his clerks. This was partly owing to
his shrewdness, and partly owing to the
fact that he was constantly overwhelmed
with applications for situations. Having
only to pick from great number who Of
fered themselves, and who were anxious
for employment on any terms, he
found it easy TO secure clerks at salaries
far below those that many other employ
ers were compelled to pay. But whatever he
promised to pay was paid runctually and
fully. And in the course of his long
career it has never been alleged against
him that he ever defrauded man, woman,
OF child of a cent. At the same time he
required of all the fullest performance of
the duties that they undertook, and very
slight failure was in his eyes sufficient
cause for dismissal. As an illustration of
his business tact, it is mentioned that on
opening his great retail store he instructed
his clerks to pay particular attention to
the poor women who entered at the Fourth
avenue doors, his object being to break up
the Bowery trade. And he did it effectu-
ally.
Mr. Stewards great peculiarly as a
business man was his familiarity with the
minutest details of his own affairs. He
carried everything in his own head down
to the petty articles in the Yankee notions
department. He knew how much stock
he had of everv kind of goods, Just what
each cost, and where it lay in his ware
house. He rarely consulted any one in
regard to his transactions. He would OBJ
tain such facts as he needed from his
bookkeepers, and think out his plan of
operations by himself. Having once
made up his mind, he was decided and
vigorous in execution. If lie foresaw a
loss, he hastened to sell as soon as posi-
BILE, and often while people were hesitat-
ing he had his money in hand, and, when
a further fall came, he replaced his goods
at much less than he sold them for. 1t
was much the same when buying for a
rise. He did not wait for the highest
price to be reached before purchasing,
but took the tide at its turn.
Mr.. Stewards property is variously esti-
mated at $40, ,000, ,00D to $40, 100000. The
opinion of the best Judges is that it was
not far from $25 600, 600.
Mr.. Stewart usually breakfasted at
eight O'Clock, his meal ordinarily con-
sisting of plain bread, bit of fish, an
egg and some oatmeal porridge. Then
he was driven down to his retail estab-
lishment, where he spent two or three
hours, walking through every part Of it,
asking the statesmen the prices of goods,
in order to ascertain whether they were up
in their duties, and observing how affairs
were carried on. Then he went down in
his carriage to his wholesale store. There
he read his letters and transacted business
until six o'clock. For many years he was
accustomed to dine at Delmonico's, on
the opposite side of Broadway, but latter
ly he dined at home. Getting an inter
view with him was very much like get
ting access TO the Prime Minister of En-
gland. He was to be seen only at the
downtown store, and, on the visitors en-
tering, the floor walker near the door
would first inquire that visitors business.
If he said that he wanted to see Mr.. Stew
art, he was asked what he wanted of him,
and if it was anything that a subordinate
could attend to, he was turned over to him.
| If he still insisted upon seeing the great
man himself he was allowed to go as far
as the foot of the stairs, where another
! Cerberus Wa in waiting, and unless he
could be satisfied that it was worth while
disturbing Mr. Stewart, the visitor was
turned back. Often a message came
down which would enable the business to
be settled by simple yes or no. If not,
the visitor was allowed to go up the stairs
and wait again, within sight Of the glazed
| inclosure where Mr.. Stewart sat, and in
due time was summoned into his presence
| Though courteous in manner, Mr.. Stew
art wasted no words, and anything like a
| bore was summarily dismissed. And in
no other way could he have got through
| with the immense number of calls that
were daily made upon nim.
Mr.. Stewart was, in the true sense, a
phllanthropist AT the time of the great
| famine in Ireland he sent to his suffering
countrymen ship-load Of provisions. In
| this he took course unique and perfect
| in itself, and illustrating one of the pow
ertul characteristics of the man. First
he sought for a ship to charter. A Brit
lsh vessel was offered and refused. He
wanted ship Of his own country, an
American ship. Such ship was found,
new, in fine order, with an American
| Captain and an American crew, and was
at once chartered. He then ascertained
| the amount Of the fortune he brought from
! Ireland, and added the interest thereto,
and there was very considerable sum
which, in his view, he owed to Ireland
and he resolved To pay the debt. The
vessel was laden entirely with both neces,
sary and costly provisions, and with the
American flag floating at the foremost she
entered the harbor OF Belfast 1t was one
of Americas contributions TO Ireland, and
was so intended by the giver. The arrI.
val Of that vessel and the distribution OF
the valuable cargo among the suffering
poor, produced a profound impres.
SION. But the enterprise was moi
yet complete. The agent in Bel
fast was directed to advertise fol
young men and women who desired to &C
to America. and a free passage was giver
to as many as the vessel could carry, the
only requirement being that the applicant
should be Of good moral character anC
able to read and write. A circular wa,
issued by Mr.. Stewart himself, and sen
to his numerous friends, stating the fact
that he expected large number of young
persons, and asking employmentfor them
When the vessel reached the harbor o
New York, places had been found for al
most every one Of the new emigrants
Just after the Franco Prussian war he sen
the bark Hunter, containing 1872 barrels
of flour, as d gift to the suffering Frencl