The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-10-13
A WASTED UPrpR,u,I Y.

sion OF large estate which had been
left by the dry goods millionaire A. 7.
Stewart, and the issue of a peremptory
order forbidding the entertainment OF
Jews at the hotel he owned in Saratoga
Syringe.
He had been for some years one Of
the judges of the higher courts Of New
York city, but finally became Mr..
Stewards legal adviser and confidential
friend. Mr.. Stewart, who was child
less. had thought of many ways Of dis
posing Of his great estate in charitable
uses, but. as he said to his friends, he
could make money, but could not give
II away. He had little confidence In
the trustees of charitable institutions,
because he said that they were good"
but incompetent men. He finally,
however, built magnificent structure
for the accommodation Of working
women, but refused to complete 1t, be-
cause he was told that the scheme
could not be made successful. Judge
Hilton was not q philanthropist, and
he made Mr.. Stewart skeptic in the
general charitable work Of his time
But Mr.. Stewart had his millions and
was childless. he was reader and an
excellent Greek scholar. The DISPOSE
ton Of this great estate weighed upon
him. He read, and thought and doubt
ed over the subject for some years,
and died. leaving the estate mainly to
his wife who was simple minded,
benevolent woman, who naturally plac-
ed implicit confidence in Judge Hill
ton. She urged that the building for
the working women should be finished.
and the plan for its use be executed.
Hilton reluctantly consented in order
to humor her. 1t was finished and
opened to young women. But 1t re-
manned nearly empty. The rules for
the government OF those residing in It
were harsh. No competent superinten-
dent was engaged. and after six months
o. trial. the building which should have
been one OF the noblest works Of ben
efcence in the city, was converted into
the Park Avenue hotel. Hilton had
persuaded Mrs. Stewart to believe that
the working women did not appreciate
the value of the opportunities given TO
them and she yielded. The working
women needed Information and encour-
agement to enter and live in a build
ing. where they would be governed by
rules which were wholesome but In
some respects irksome. The expert
ment was stopped before it was fairly
tried. Hilton had no faith in its sue.
cess. The subsequent successes OF
other philanthropists in carrying on;
such a benevolent and profitable
scheme. showed that he was In error
He undertook to carry on the grea,
commercial business which Mr.. Stew.
art had created. But. directly and in.
directly, he failed in II. The firm
which took the business was managed
largely by his son. and on its failure
the son was found to be indebted to
the father for over 100000.
Judge Hilton had. by public notice
excluded the Jews from the Grand
hotel In Saratoga. He made no excep-
tons. The Jew mercantile houses Of
the country resented the order and to
a large extent refused to trade with
his business house. He prOfessed to
despise Of their trade, but the trained
men in his employment saw the knife
OF the Jew at the throat OF his bust
ness and 1t was seriously injured by
the loss Of their trade. ]
Some OF the prominent and educated
Jews said, years afterwards, that this
order OF exclusion put the intelligent
Jews on their mettle. It called their
attention to the fact that the most OF
them had suddenly risen from the
ranks Of poor immigrants. without
advantages" and taught them that
good manners were indispensable, II
they wished to make social progress,
Some Of the liberal Jews said that
Judge Hilton had lost his Jewish trade
sut that he had aroused the Jews
themselves to a Just sense of what
prosperous American citizens ought ia
exhibit IN the way Of good breeding.
Mr.. Stewart founded Garden City on
Long Island. The Episcopal Cathedral,
erected with his money, is one Of the
most attractive architectural buildings
In America and its choral service Is UNI
surpassed, Judge Hilton encouraged
Mrs. Stewart to make ample provision
for its care. II Is about all that rep
resents one of the great American for
tunes. Had Hilton been a man OF large
views, this fortune would have been
consolidated into one OF the noblest
and largest charities in America.
Neither Stewart or Hilton had from,