Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-18
,ther retail houses to establish themselves in

,ther retail houses to establish themselves In
| The vicinity.
Judge Hilsen,s Reasons.
fHE FIRM GOING OUr or BUSINESS BECAUSE II
| n WEARY.
ExJudge Hilton stood yesterday In the north
west corner OF the big store of A. 7. Stewart &
Co., behind clerks desk, when q san reporter
asked him why the house had decided to 60 out
OF the dry goods and manufacturing business
When he heard the question he leaned against
one OF the fiuted iron pillars near at hand threw
| back his coat and smiled
II knew John Van Buren, very well indeed"
said he, land practiced with him at the bar. He
had case before Chief Justice DEMO, before
whom also pract;ced. and he was nonsuited
| because ne had not enough evidence to support
| his cause. Judge DEMO asked him why he had
| not got the evidence. You must have had it,
said the Judge. pressing the question. Finally
John Van Buren, made a reply. The truth is
| Judge, said he that there was any quantity of
evidence. but got tired of putting it together
That is the case with A. I. Stewart & Co. We
| are tired"
Don't you think ought to be tired?" Mr..
Hilton asked after pause "Mr. Stewart and
| were together thirty years ago. and he used to
say that he divided the business with me then.
When you think of all there is to look after. is
it surprising that we are tired?"
Ihen, IL Is not true that you and Mr.. Libby
have disagreed?"
1t not only is not true. but I believe there
could hardly be anything more remarkable than
the perfect harmony that has ALWAYS existed
between Mr.. Libby and myself | have been
with MT Libby for twenty years, and in that
TIM. Time. there has never been word of disagree
ment between us-not word. He and agreed,
| upon the advlsability of this last step 1t
/ seemed to him as it did to me- that now. while
ooth OF US have health and strength. and can
L coll fhnrDf 1nc. s,A1
| We have notified our various branch houses i'm
Europe to close out their business. and though
we are importing yet and will go on importing
as our orders are untitled, they will all follow
our Instructions"
"Will you close and sell YOUR mills also?"
Yes; they are included in the business
Now, see what gigantic concern this was. We
had at one time thirteen or fourteen mills in OBJ
Grafton. Some are closed, and some we have
SOLO. we have large ones yet in operation.
| There is big carpet mill running in Glenham
| a woollen mill in Glenham a thread mill in Cat
| sklii. and mill making underwear I'm Noting
ham, England. We employ altogether about
5000 persons, over 5000 being here in New
Has the firm been losing money since you
| took charge Of the busnessl"
Now. there is one of those things that were
| said in the papers this morning without having
basis OF truth. 1t is not and never was the
custom of this house to tell what it was doing
| or is going to do. and am not going to say
what money we have made: but will saw that
| we have each wear made profits that were salts
factory to US. Since MFR. Stewards death / have
done no single thing in the conduct of this BUSH
ness that have cause to regret"
AS to the discrimination against the Jews"
Inat dld not hurt our business at ALL" Mr.
| Hilton replied. 1--WE had great many accounts
with Jews, which might have proved losses but
1or our closing them when we did. l did not
| say half with what / was credited with having
| said against them. did not utter the words
that were actually put in my mouth and that
| caused general tribal war against me, but
vately to the editors Of some of the papers, say
ing that thought it was unkind to put such
| Things IN my mouth. But it did not hurt this
business, which was larger the following year
THAN 1t had been before. OF course did not
have objections to all Jews, but only to y Ger
tai1 class All the Jews did not withdraw their
| business. We do business with them vet. and
at the same time buy hundreds Of thousands of
dollars worth of goods from Jews every year.
| The statement to the contrary Is about as reIi-
able as the one which credits us with So GOO 600
capital. Such an amount of capital could not
nave been used in the business, or any other
business of the kind"
1T is said that you departed from A. T.
Stewart methods in business"
Eyes; and that have been borrowing money"
Mr.. Hilton interrupted; 'now, will give good
| premium on any note 1 have out or any paper
| have ever had discounted and if there is any
| uonh Ih"I L oNo ulOuey 10, Cnen QOn KNOW
the name of it, that's all. The business has
been conducted just as it was under Mr. Stew
| art. and while don't intend to say how much
money it has got, will say that it has got all
the money that 1t needs. Again, it was said
that the Chicago branch was started without
the approval Of my colleagues. That is all nom
| sense"
why was the downtown store abandoned?"
simply because it was too far down town
| 1t was the last store to move M and the last
TO- hat OH
only after they had been to all the others. 1t
was the heel Of the hunt, that's ALL"
But you took for it room that was originally
| used by the retail trader"
Hardly" said Mr. Hilton, 1--WE took ont some
manufacturing departments and put them in
our establishment in Lafayette place. where we
have the equivalent Of seven stores and we
gave TO the wholesale trade more actual acreage
thaa It had down town. That move was good
one. 1t was not caused by our losing money
There has been 40 time when we were losing
money or were without profits that were salts
factory to US"
How will you sell out the business?"
well. that am not going to say. 1t is not
customary for US to say what We are going to
DO, but when we have done 1t or have anything
to say we will make 1t known.
II mean will youQel out gradually or all at
once, by auction, or In what way?"
Il will not say. ! am accused of Boosting
but, as matter of fact. / have never boasted or
even told what l was going to do. Go and
stand behind that counter and hand out the
goods there, and you'll see what il is to sell out
Ii we have any especial bargains we will adver-
tise them and pay for the advertisements"
But II you are asked to sell out the business
as 1t stands, what them"
There was q woman once about whom q
story is told,." said Mr.. Hilton, ''she adver-
tised her farm for sale, and spelt sale sail A
was came along, and, after reading the sign.
asked her when she was going to sail. ''rIl
sail, said she, whenever anybody comes along
with the wind"
"The hotels and the Garden city property"
ooh, that is Mrs. Stewards matter. That Is
the estate"