Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-09-08
A. T Ste arts Effects

f; Tbs sgs material glory Of the Stewart
mansion in New York had departed foro'er
Fsldsy when the massive rosewood furni-
tuEe OF lis seeping apartments vas carted
to Fifth avenue auctioD-!oom. & year
ago the Stewart csi!srs gave up their stores
of vine. Then the mansion ilssifwaa leased
to the Manhattan Club.
a few months ego the collection of etatu-
aTy was sold 10 Judee Hilton. There still
| reneiued iut4i ure enough to furnish aimcst
/ saV other t1o New YORK mansions. Each
/ erliGs wGs f. mss,el piece, Constructed by
! hap2 ait.r sneciel Gssigus, bui il Was Use
ess 10 he CUB 4 good dsa! Of ii you'd be
ous Of place In elUost a0y otheF residence IL
| the couotfy.
lbq grea5 lesturs OF this collection lie e
| bed which the msrcha0g had made express
IL fer the use Of President Grsa' Il .oak q
a zen skilled woFkmen nearly six months
so make tbs bed for ths eiD lie nights re-
oose of q President s'e@srl's fauie was at
I! IL Z-nsh then. He was tbe greatest mer.
I ef corn 10 fami5hed I-en1d, he had avished
| thousands in charity ct home, he had helped
eaYeths Union, and lie was in the conf.
dgnae Of tas P.eeidant and hiS cabinet. The
Presideps wa 70 visit Nav York, and Stew
! Art mss 10 entertain hiC ct his mansion.
| RE data YVES ssye:ai months distant, and
! lie merchGus gave orders to q celebrated
iirm Of furniture designers for the most mas
siva and II bed-chanber suit ever made
sor On American resident. In good time II
WAS fnished.
The wonderful bed was placed In the
State slsepiag spGrfmen. ofthe maGs!on and
one night for six erd s-ha'f hours the form
| Of Pseaidcot Grant Was stretched upon 1t.
| 10 he Filth avenue auction room the fs-
! nous Stewart furniture is arranged with an
| e1f-9 st calculated o impress tie proepectise
| Bidder. conscious Of bis exceeding insigui6-
cencs % sither side of the entrance APE
| ,he tremendous hGl' sta1ds The ceiling OF
tho auction room Is seventeen feet from the
foog. Ifit were six inches lower the hall
stands would have to remain on tbs sidewalk
OF be- isid ignomlniously on their sldes, in
| which case they would touch sn eiah;-foot
| cai!ng. Then increasing in msgniGcence,
! as the prospective bidder edvances toward
| the deck, where he Is expected to leave his
| deposit, are the ordinary solid rosewood
ohambe2 SUITE. tho carved rcse wood beds Of
| Mr. ard Mrs. Stewart and tho Italian mat
| quetry ioleid he'd made far President Grant.
Besides these there are rosewood ward
robes, fficer feet high, tsn fest broad snd o
gard deep. But the Grant bed ia the gem
of the collection. The massive rosewood
headpece towers 10 The ceiling Its cor-
uicss and pediments ere rich With earven
fuits and flowers. and delicate linee OF
Nbte sUd black in Italiau marquetry are
Traced evefyWheTo. In ID. centre Of The
upper panel oflha headpeoe ass ;he Stewart
nFm2, .ina rampant carved In rosewood.
The large papo' directly be!cw this. whose
lower edge is q foot or two above the sleep
ef'7 head, contains what, even oD close in
spectiou, seems to be an OF! painting-the
iin.s ere tins most delicate and the draw
| ing perfsc-but It is IL marqustry work,
even 20 the clouds and flowing hair of the
5esutiful myth ofthe morning.