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

The late A. 4. Stewart, although a
childless man himself. was u firm and
steadfast believer in sociable Sunday
dinners. forming weekly reunions of his
friends, keeping up his circle of acguaint-
1 ances, and making him ''feel, once a
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 i'm the world of the art of ode
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'sOme who do not ;lssimilatc and get
along with the rest. So. as 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 u hundred.
| The millionaire claimed to be as good
a Judge OF wines rs he was of pictures,
and he certainly spent enormous sums
successfully on both. He employed one
travelling agent in Europe who did moth
ing but supply him with choice wines.
The chocer and the more expensive the
wines his agent selected. the higher was
the salary this favored agent received.
Thus il was Il mutually satisfactory Ar
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. II red letter i'm the great
merchant $ calendar, he received an in
voice Of the wOrld-famOus wine known
as Prince Metternich's blue SEAL" a
wine he had set his heart upon for years.
but in vain. Ii took u great deal to
move A. T. Stewart out of his regular
:. routine. a panic wouldn't have done
| it. but this 'bluc seal did. With a
smile of supreme dissatisfaction, the
his palace and enjoyed an hours bliss
in the constant contemplation and an
occasional sip of his treasure.
Stewart was very abstemious man,
even in wine. He valued it for quality.
He did not gorge in quantity. He SET
an example of temperance even at his
own magnificent dinners. But his de.
light in looking at his wine and feeling
he owned ii was greater than the delir-
iors Joy OF the most confirmed topper.
And his next remittance to his wine
agent contained $1,000 extra as an ap.
probation of his services i'm securing
this prize.
To be offered Il sip of this Mctternicl
.'blnc seal was to be shown specia
mark of favor. and was sure sign thai
the recipient of the courtesy stood higl
in the rich mans esteem.
The millionaire had special glasses
tor this special wine. glasses very costly
very exquisite. and very small. Ht
poured out the wine into these glasses
with his own hand. and, small as the
glasses were. he hardly ever quite filled
them.
AT one Stewart sunday dinner little
episode occurred which cos, the man
who made Il somewhat pointed remark
about S;Jo.o0o. An English banker was
invited 10y Stewart To his table, and the
millionaire poured ont the blue seal.
The Engli>hmam q,Iaficd down what
there was of il at II gulp, in Il careles.
manner, quite at contrast with the
solemn style in which Stewart had
poured il out. "Ah, you have tasted
this wine before. remarked the some.
| what chagrincd American merchant.
80 yes. responded the English banker,
"and in larger glasses" Stewart smiled
family ut the somewhat brl,squc re.
mark. but the Englshman did not smile
when Stewart stopped negotiations with
his clearinghouse then pending and
transferred his favOrS to Il rival London
house.
'I'h" last Sunday dinner ut the Stewart
palace was Il memorable one. Lord
Vaudeville was there. Hon. John Bryce
low and Pierrcpont Edwards. Judge
Hilton. of course. and eight other gen.
tlemen besides the host. Mrs. Stewart
being absent. One of the gentlemen
invited being taken sick sent his regrets,
and thus. to Hilton's annoyance and
Stewards absolute dread. there were just
thirteen sal 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 q
strange foreboding the millionaire
poured out the '.blue seal for his
guests. Eight days later the millionaire
lay dead in chamber near the dining
room. and the ..blue seal has not been
poured out since