The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-02-26
A. r. STEWARDS WINE.
Ills sunday Dinner and Weekly Reunion
of Friends.

The late A. Il. Stewart, although 8
childless man himself. was firm ant
steadfast believer i'm sociable Sunda,
dinners. forming weekly reunions of hi.
friends, keeping up his circle of acquaint
| anccs, and making him '.feel, once O
week" as he used to say, like family
man." From the time he moved into his
marble palace on Fifth avenue, says the
New York Mercury, the Stewart Sunday
| dinner was the main feature of the
week, and probably the Stewart Sunday
| dinner was the one finest dinner in
every respect given that day in New
York. Stewart, who was the greatest
master in the world of the art of 'de
tail. saw to all the details of these din.
ners himself, so that they were absolute
| ly perfect. He had the best cook, stew.
ard. ETC.. that money could procure, yet
he personally superintendent them all; he
left nothing To chance.
He seldom attempted big dinner
parties, because he found by experience
as everybody else will find who makes
| the trial that where there are many
| guests there are sure to be some bores,
Or'somc who do not ;tssimilatc and GET
along with the rest. So. as Il rule, he
confined his invitations to II dinner to
ten or twelve, and spent rs much time
| and money on their entertainment as il
| there were hundred.
The millionaire claimed TO be as good
Judge Of wines rs he was of pictures
and he certainly spent enormous SUM
successfully on both. He employed one
| travelling agent i'm Europe who did moth
| ing but supply him with choice wines
| The choicer and the more expensive the
wines his agent selected. the higher was
the salary this favored agent received
| Thus i, was II mutually satisfactory az
| rangemcnt. and on several occasions
Stewart actually got the inside track OF
European dukes and princes and got
wines that they had endeavored to Sc
cure in vain. This would tickle the old
man greatly. and his lucky wine man
| would receive by the next steamer some
substantial token of his employers salts
| faction.
One day, red letter i'm the grca,
| merchant S calendar, he received an in.
voice of the wOrll-famous wine known
as Prince Metternichs blue SEAL" q
wine he had set his heart upon for years
but in vain. Ii took q great deal tc
move A. T. Stewart out of his regular
routine. A panic wouldn't have done
it, but this 'bluc seal did With 6
smile of supreme dissatisfaction, the
| Napoleon of trade went with his wine Il
his palace and enjoyed an hours bliss
in the constant contemplation and ar
occasional sip of his treasure.
Stewart WAS a very abstemiOus man
He did not gorge in quantity. He SCI
an example of temperance even at his
own magnificent dinners. But his de
light in looking nj his wine and feeling
he owned it was greater than the delir
iouS JOY of the most confirmed topper
And his next remittance to his wine
agent contained ZOO extra rs an APP
probation of his services i'm securing
this prize.
To be offered II sip of this Mctternicl
'.bluc seal was to be shown specia
mark of favor. and was Il sure sign tina
the recipient of the courtesy stood higl
i'm the rich mans esteem.
The millionaire had special glasse
for this special wine. glasses very costly
very exquisite. and very small. III,
poured ont the wine into these glasse
with his own hand. and, small as tn,
glasses were. he hardly ever quite file,
them.
Al one Stewart sunday dinner Il it'll,
episode occurred which cost the MAJ
who made Il somewhat pointed remark
about s;jo.O0D. An English banker wa'
invited 10y Stewart To his table, and !h,
millionaire poured out the blue seal
The Engli>hman quaffcd down wha
there was of il ut gulp. in Il careless
manner. quite at contrast with tn,
solemn style in which Stewart hat
poured il ont. "Ah. you have tastet
| this wine before. remarked the some
what chagrincd American merchant
80 yes. responded the English banker
sand in larger glasses" Stewart smiled
family ut the somewhat brusquc re
mark. but the EnglslIman did not smile
when Stewart stopped negotiations witt
his clearinghouse then pending an1
transferred his favorS to rival London
| house.
The last Sunday dinner ut the Stewart
| palace was Il memorable one. LORD
I
Mandcvile was there. Hon. John Bryce
low and Pierrcpont Edwards. Judge
Hilton. of course. and eight other gen
tlemen hesidrS the host, Mrs. Stewart
being absent. One of the gentlemen
invited being taken sick sent his regrets
and thus. to Hilion's annoyance anC
Stewards absolute dread. there were just
thirteen sat down ut table. Hilton
offered TO leave so as to reduce the
number to twelve. But Stewart and the
rest would not spare him. No one else
could be asked to leave. Stewart
couldn't leave himself. and so with 6
strange foreboding the millionaire
poured out the .'blue SEAL for hi.
guests. Eight days later the millionaire
lay dead in chamber near the dining
room, and the "blue seal has not beer
poured out since.