The Denison review., 1915-03-31
NlLLIONAIRELUM-
BERNAN DEAD
John Stewart, President of Stewart
Lumber Co., at Denison, Passes
Away at Aurora, H.
He WAS SO YEARS OF AGE
Commenced Work in Lumber Camps
at sis Per Month, and Event
ually Became Millionaire.

4
Mr.. John Stewart, president of the
Stewart Lumber company, which has
yards in Denison, Dow City and Char
ter Oak, died at his home in Aurora,
ILL.,, last week. Mr.. Stewart has visit
ed Denison on numerous occasions and
has many acquaintances here who will
be sorry to learn of his DEATH
At one time Mr.. Stewart resided at
Wausau, Wis, and the leading paper
in that city has the following to say
in regard to him, which will be of in
terest to people in this county,
John Stewart, aged 80 years, mill
ionaire lumberman formerly resi-
dent of Wausau, died today at Aurora,
ILL.,, his late home, was the news re-
ceived today from the Associated
Press. Mr.. Stewart was senior
brother of the late Alexander Stewart
Of this city.
Wien 90 years old, in March, 1S49,
he Yalked 400 miles from st. Charles,
ILL.,, Ito Wausau. Arriving here he Sc
cured work in saw mill at SIG per
month. This was eight dollars per
moth more than he had been receiv-
ing as wood chopper at st. Charles. He
lived frugally and in a year following
his arrival here he purchased his first
tract of timber for almost nothing.
In 1852 Mr.. Stewart formed a part
nership with his junior brother under
the firm name OF J. and A. Stewart, and
engaged in logging and buying lnm-
her and rafting the purchases down
the Wisconsin river to the MISSISSIPPI
pi, and thence to the markets of the
middle Mississippi as far south as st.
Louis.
In 1872 Walter Alexander was ad-
mitted into the firm and the name was
changed, to J. and A. Stewart C COM
pany and the old McIndoe mill was
purchased. In 1914 the Alexander
Stewart Lumber company was incor-
porated, John Stewart being elected
vice-president. The company complet-
ed it's cut several years ago. He was
elected president of the firm following
the death Of his brother, Alexander
Stewart.
John, Stewart was Interested in
many numbering plants in the west
and. south, and owned vast tracts of
timber land throughout the northwest.
Following his departure from Wau-
sau, Mr.. Stewart made his home at
Aurora, ILL.,, where he owned large in
terests in farm lands, in the First Ma
tional bank of Aurora and Aurora's
coB&ensed milk mandatory. and
served his district in the state senate.
He travelled very extensively, hav-
ing made several trips around the
gk1be IA year ago he expressed de-
sire to go to Panama City to visit the
government canal and requested Walt
er Alexander of this city to accompany
him. Owing to other business duties
the trip did not materialize.
During the month of February Mr..
Stewart was in Los Angeles. Cali, at
which place he was taken i'll. He re-
turned to Aurora the latter part of last
week
He is survived by his widow, one
son, Thomas B., of Aurora, and three
daughters, Mrs. Watsen and Mrs.
John Alexander, OF Aurora, and Mrs.
B. d. Nichols, Of Elkhart.
Mr.. Stewart presented his grand
daughter, Mrs. Esther Stewart Rich
ards, whose husband was "A former
Wisconsin university athlete. with a
check for 100000 as wedding gift
in 1918. In the same year gifts of
lands to other relatives totaled to up
wards of million. Hefalso contrib
uted towards the construction of fifty
miles OF the Lincoln transcontinental
automobile highway.
While the family's winter home
was at Aurora, Mr. Stewart owned a
charming summer home at Elburn, Ill.
The WaRsau Office of the Alexander
Stewart Lumber company had received
no word of his death from Aurora,
both Walter Alexander and Judd Alex
ander at present being out Of the city.
Upon reading the Associated Press
despatch, the flag on the Marathon
County bank building was placed at
half mast.