The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-28
THE STEWARDS AND THEIR MONEY.
A Hard, Money Getting Man and Woman
Whose Share of Happiness Was Small

A Hard, Money Getting Man and a Woman
Whose Share of Happiness Was Small.
Joseph Howard in New York World.
1t may be that Stewards name and all mem
cries associated with it passed more readily from
the public regard by reason of the hard and iron
nature Of the man who made IL prominent here,
for in spite of a certain Elasticity, external the
old man Stewart was hard as a flint A story
was told in the Astor House yesterday, new to
some, familiar to others, concerning the building
of the Thirty fourth-street house 1.-The marble
was quarried somewhere in Connecticut" the
story runs, land furnished under contract, made
when labor was cheap and wages low. The war
or some financial strait changed the conditions of
things very materially, and the contractor time
and again called the attention of Stewart to the
hardships it's execution involved, but 10 no
purpose. Finally a crucial moment came,
and in despair he sought the
presence of the man himself. After
some difficulty he found him, and again with
merchant prince TO whom the entire contract
was but bagatelle. Tears fell without effect
Arguments were unavaliing, and, turning away
bankrupt and ruined man, bowed in spirit
and crushed in heart, the contractor staggered,
fell and died" Other stories were told indica-
tive of Mr. Stewards heightened manner of
dealing with his fellow man, always keeping his
word, always paying his bills promptly and al
ways insisting that others, no matter what con-
ditons might be suddenly imposed upon them
by changed circumstances, should keep their
word and pay their bills or abide by the legal
consequences.
Mrs. Stewart was not happy woman AS
the record elsewhere shows, she was we'll born
well educated. and fitted to adorn any circle
with which the metropolis of New York is ia
miliar
In the early and comparatively struggling
days of her husband Mrs. Stewart was a help
meet indeed. Her taste IN selection was ad-
mirabe. Her suggestions as to this, that or the
other fashion were based in sound common
sense, and although he was not an afscrionate
man, nor in any sense demonstrated person. he
deferred very considerably to her expressions of
taste, her predictions and her conclusions-be,
cause there was money in it. When he died he
was supposed to be worth all the way from $50
600, 600 TO $50 100000.
Where is itl His sole heir, so far as the great
bulk of his estate is concerned, was his widow
Who, living at the time can forget the sensation
produced by the publication of the will, which
Left the bulk of his enormous possessions to his
widow and 81 900, 900 in cash TO his friend and
counsel, Henry Hilton, an honored ex-
judge Of the Superior Court, one of the
commissioners of the park department.
=, foremost citizen generally and a man
otN comparative af1uencel With this ident-
cal'rqillion dollars there was bought by him.
and srld by Mrs Stewart the vast property
known az the Stewart POSSESSIONS good name
and procedure in the dry goods trade Words
could not be found 10 express the aInazement of
the public at large, or the bewderment of men
who had thought themselves Mr.. Stewards inti-
mates and famlliafS of Judge Hilton. What
ever may have been the intention of Mr.. or Mrs.
Stewart, Judge Hilton or of the partners in
the Stewart firm the fact exists that tho firm OF
A. 4. Stewart &fCo long since ceased TO exist
that every vestae Of mercantile renown that at
tsnasaa 80 eTE rond name WAS long since hid
& den away. pnk9 of sight, DESTROYED Al gem
GRAFTON of hrns8 aays risen, and now flourish
/ whss knew nofhi1 fStawart, some who never
hsaEd Il hAna ~ ppyish readers have heard