Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-02
Stewards Old Store.

One of the peculiar features in the
opening year is The Importance of the
real estate transactions, and among
these the recent Stewart sale holds
prominence. The property referred to
is the former wholesale store, which
Mrs. Stewart has sold to Judge Hilton,
and the price announced is 81, 100, 600.
The Judge. with his usual adroitness,
did not make the purchase until he had
induced Mrs. Stewart to alter the build
ing. so that it could be used for offices.
1t is supposed that the above-men-.
toned price is fictitious, being probably
intended to increase the value in public
opinion. Hilton's object is to have a
basis for demanding high rents, but it
will hardly be believed that he paid
much more than one-half the above
mentioned sum.
This plat has seen many strange mu-
tations. 1t was originally a negro
burying-ground, for that part of The
suburbs was then occupied by colored
people. Humble, however, as the
cha acter of the cematary may have
been, it was honored by the name of
Nathan Hale, the patriot spy of the
Revolution. The prison in which he
passed his last night was in the adj
jacent park, and after his execution
he was buried among the colored
people. and, as his grave was not
marked, its identity was soon lost.
After the Revolution Broadway, which
till then ended at the park. vas opened
up to what is TO- Union square, and
the bones of the negroes were removed.
The plat was soon afterward occupied
by what then vas q first-class hotel,
called Washington Hall, and there
Louis Napoleon was entertained during
his visit to America. The hotel was
burned down a few years afterward,
and the plat was sold at auction, BRING
ing s65, 600. well remember this sale,
and also the surprise expressed when A.
L. Stewart was announced as the pur-
chaser: He was then (1845) merely
known as a thriving retailer, but was
not considered rich enough tomake such
a purchase. Stewart however had been
making money steadily, and was prob
ably worth q quarter million. He i'm,
mediately built an elegant marble store,
which was thrice enlarged to meet the
demands of an increasing business, IN
til it REACHED its present enormous size.
Here Stewart developed the wonderful
genius which made him the autocrat
Of trade, until he had purchasing-houses
in all parts of the world and a half a
dozen factoriea-thus building up the
greatest dry-goods empire the world ever
beheld. Here. also, were completed
which gave Stewart such distinction in
this speciality; but death put it's sudden
termination to all these grand schemes,
and the man that created palaces for
trade and a palace for a home is now
denied the poor hospitality Of the grave.
After Stewards death his business
rapidly crumbled, and this great ware
house stood vacant for five years. The
loss OF rent, together with insurance
and taxes, were equal to $50, 600 year.,
and a quarter million was sunk in this
manner. The jobbing trade had moved
uptown, and the building was unfit for
any other use. 1t wa supposed at one
time that Bennett would purchase the
property for a new Herald building. but
this project was never realized. 1t has
been suggested that mi reason why he
did not make this change is a super
stitious idea that he must not leave the
place which his father selected lest the
good luck he inherited from the Oldham
might forsake him. The present build.
ing is far too small for the operation Of
IHe Herald. and the inconvenience is
constantly increasing. No other dis
position having been practicable, the
Stewart warehouse was altered in the
present manner, but the cost was almost
ar,,o1 70 a 0,,ct,.,1 o%sDn ool @Lo .~l
re uired two years and an expenditure
of half a million. Stewards name and
memory are now completely obliterated
from tee scene of his former empire,
and we have a fresh lesson of the tran
STORY nature of earthly glory. How
impre sive this is to one who, like the
writer of this, can remember tie spot
before Stewart became its owner. I
have thus seen the rise and fall of this
great business empire.-M. Y. Cor. Troy
HI-,,,,