Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-20

ponies are inseparable. He il always driving
about with a double team. Through the woods,
over rough roads, wherever he goes his ponies
are kept at a dead run, and he takes a delight
in coming about as near smashing things up
and breaking his neck a. IL possible without
actually doing it.
From rough usage his buggy Is old. rickety
and mud-bespattered and his ponies have ac-
quired the same recklessness of disposition
shown by their master, and there is more or
less deviltry combined with their reckiessness.
He says he is going to bring his ponies and
buggy to Washington. 1t will be picturesque
sight when he dashes down the avenue to the
Capitol at full speed with a corps OF mounted
policemen after him for fast driving.
what l want," he says, speaking of his ex-
pected life in Washington, lis to live few
miles out. l would like to rent Cleveland
country residence. would start for Congress
a little late, then would scoot into town like
HI and turn the ponies out on the common to
Craze while labor for my country"
HOW HE TREATS VISITORS.
Last year the president Of a Chicago sand and
gravel company went out to Plano to look over
the grounds. Lew hitched up the ponies and
drove him about his estate in his usual reck-
less manner. They whizzed by gravel pit so
close that the edge crumbled away under one
wheel and the unfortunate president slipped
out and rolled heels over head to the bottom.
You d-n fool" said Steward, why didn't
you stay in the buggy! Don't you suppose I
know how to driver
On another occasion he drove with an Aurora
friend through his park, which is beautiful
place. As the ponies dashed along the wheels
OF the buggy scraped the bark off some of the
trees. The Aurora man expected to have his
Drains Knocked ont and his hair was on end.
put the ponies were kept on the run. When
the desperate drive was over he got out of the
buggy with pallor on his face and said. in
short breaths, that he would never ride with
Lew" Steward again.
AN ILLINOIS PIONEER.
Steward is one of the pioneers % Illinois
He went to Kendall county, ILL.,. from Penn
sylvania in 1897. when he was thirteen years
old. His father, Marcus Steward. bought 600
acres OF land on the site of the present city of
Piano, and thus laid the foundation for for
tune. Lew added to the original property.
until now he owns fully 1900 acres of the
choicest land in northern illinois, When a bow
he was continually specializing in land. At one
time he discovered that there were 900 acres
in Lee county still owned by the government.
He managed to secure this for as cents an acre.
and the town Of Steward, named for him, is
now located there.
de was never known to make an apology. One
day an Illinois state senator went to see him
and caught him with nothing to eat in the
house but bread and butter and tea. Lew
SraNely anu silently spread this fare before his
guest. He made no apology and gave no ex-
PLANTATION.
AN INDEPENDENT YOUTH.
Stewards independence and eccentricity are
inherited and may be traced back to his early
youth. When he was six years old his father
used to send him to the mill with grist When
he was thirteen he had charge Of the stock.
One day some of the cows wandered off and
he was away three weeks locking for them and
at the end of that time brought them home.
He is a lawyer by profession. though he has
never practiced much. He got his legal
knowledge under peculiar circumstances. lie
worked in a saw mill. After he had started a
log on the carriage he would sit on the end of
the log as 1t crept toward the saw and read
law For two years he continued his studies in
this way.
When President Hayes passed through
Illinois during his administration the train
in which he Travelled stopped in the town where
Steward lived and all the country people there
about rushed to see him. Steward had known
Mr.. Hayes before he became President and.
presurning on this acquaintance. he introduced
to him all who boarded the train. Among them
was clergyman. In introducing him Steward
said: Mr.. Hayes, this is Nr. Blank. He runs
doxology works down in Plano"