Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-12-09
STEWARDS MASCOT.
The story OF the Old Woman Who
Used To SIT nj tho Great Mer-
chants store


Used To SIT nj tho Great Mer-
chants store
A newspaper paragraph that will
read to you has excited the ire of an
aged friend of mine, who has long been
a resident of Philadelphia, but formerly
resided in New York city. have the
clipping about me somewhere. Here
it is:
al hear queer story OF the supersti-
ton # A. T. Stewart. From the be-
ginning of his career as n New York
merchant until shortly before his death
he imagined that his fortune was bound
up in that of the little old apple woman
who had stand in front of his store,
When his chief store was down by the
city hall this little old apple woman
was encouraged and protected by him,
and when he moved further up Broad
way to the big white building now oc-
cupied by Denning, it is said that he
personally superintendent the carrying
Of the little apple woman's effects to q
new stand outside of ii. Here she stayed
during all Of its prosperity in these new
quarters, but shortly before his death
she disappeared. Stewart looked upon
her as a mascot, and he often said, so
the story goes. that when she died or
left the place that his good luck would
go with her. Strange to say, it was
even so. A few months after this Stew
art began TO decline. aud the apple
w~man was hardly forgotten before he
was in his grave"
That is what started my friend talk
ing. "A very queer story, indeed" he
said, land if l rightly understand By.
stander, he would like to give his lis
teners the honest truth from one who
was there. think it was about the
year lSi5 that / first saw the apple
woman who figures in the newspaper
legend. 1t was when A. L. Stewart
was prosperous New York merchant
and kept a store on Broadway, not far
below Chambers street. and opposite
City Hall park. II was the great New
York store, and it was frigidly plain
and unattractive. BY the side of the
door. which was not in the least
spacious entrance, sat the old apple
woman of history. She never kept an
apple stand, but she sat in chair con-
structed of boards. backed up against
the cold brick wall, and by her side
there was basket, plain and unpreten-
tious as the chair, and half-tilled with
fruit. The old woman was, at that far
appearance she was shriveled and de-
crepit. Her clothing was of the cheap
est description, but as clean and tidy rs
possible. was then resident of New
York, and in walking from Chambers
street to the Battery passed her morn
ing and evening. She attracted much
attention, partly because she sat ut the
great merchants door. and partly be-
cause she was so worthy an object of
charity. Inever saw her sell an apple.
| | never saw the person who witnessed
any commercial transaction in the fruit
| line in which she was concerned. !
never saw her basket when it looked as
| If il had been reduced to the extent of
one apple. Her revenue was not de-
rived from the sale of her stock. She
| did not sit there in all weathers to sell
! apples. Her age and clearly appear
ance commended her TO the liberality
of the throng that passed in and out of
stewards. His customers regarded
her as a pcnsioner, and there was a
| daily generous deposit OF coins in hcr
shrrveled hand.
"One morning Stewards old apple
| woman as she had come to be called,
was missing. The wonder was is she
deadP and there was much inquiry as
to what had become of her. The news
| papers undertook to respond to the
| public demand, and this was the result
of their investigation: II was discov-
| cred that to I at the entrance Of the
great merchants store was very prof.
table privilege; that by reason of being
thus favored the old apple woman's an
nual revenue amounted to large sum.
and some EVIL disposed person limited
that A. Il. Stewart shared her income.
1t was cruel and preposterous lie, and
| when it came to his ears she had to 90.
| The public never knew from whence
| she came, nor whittier she went All
that was known was that the box, chair
and its ancient occupant had dsap-
peared, and the throng of people who
passed up and down Broadway sorrow
| ed that they should see her placid face
no more forever.
| 1.-THE general belief was that Mr..
| Stewart supplied the revenue of which
scandal had deprived her. If he did
the demand upon his liberality was of
brief duration, for she was very aged
when she became solicitor of aims.
This old woman DID not enter into his
life at the beginning of his career, and
she had probably gone to her happy
home thirty years before he laid down
the burden of his life, He never had
any superstition concerning her or any
one, and to associate her career with
his is simply idiotic rubbish. If she
stayed around the new place it was in
the spirit, for to have pres ded at an
| applc-stand when A. 7. Stewart died
she would have been sure enou Oh
centenarian. with several years to
spare. - philadelphia News.