Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-10-31
Leaves Legion of Friends
Throughout Atlanta Who
viii Mourn His Death
Deeply.

Mr. Andy Stewart, Fulton county tax
collector, one of the most widely known
and universally popular men in the
state, died Sunday morning at 12:45
o. clock at the Georgia Baptist hospital,
where he has been critically i'll follow
ing an operation last Monday.
His death brings deep grief to men
and women throughout Georgia, and to
thousands in Atlanta alone; for "Uncle
Andy" was said to have more friends
than anyone in Fulton county, friends
who loved him dearly and will find his
passing a sore loss.
Gince he fell i'll Saturday a week
AFRO, they have watched his condition APP
prshensively and when it became known
yesterday that he was steadily sinking,
there was a shadow on every heart.
Great as is their sorrow today, their
sympathy for Mrs. Stewart and other
members of the family in their bereave-
ment, is even greater.
ANY attempt to tell of Andy Stewards
life must necessarily find its express
sion in general terms, for his was the
gentle heart that cloaked the most gen.
erous deeds in a mantle of modesty, and
hid behind a CHEEKY smile his finest
sacrifices.
Yet there are many Atlantians today
tie instances of his kindness which, if
gathered together, would make a noble
volume. And there are hundreds more
who would say that his warm smile and
his hearty greeting alone were enough
to make his life a stream of sunshine
that never clouded and sometimes
touched dark places which had no other
light.
Andy p. Stewart was born in Jackson,
Ga, Butts county, in December, 1S4S.
Had he lived he would have been 6S
years old this year. He was just lit
tie boy when he came to Atlanta, the
city which has been his home ever since.
He didn't have any money and he didn't
have any friends to speak of, but he got
him a job polishing stoves and on that
humble beginning built the career which
later left him one of the most success
full self-made men in the county.
HIS FIRST JOB.
Andy Stewards first job was in Lang
ford's store, the present site of the
King Hardware company on Whitehall
street. He polished the stoves-like he
did everything-well. So pretty soon he
became a clerk and then a bookkeeper,
and by being thrifty, finally saved
enough money to buy out his employer.
In those days there were two big ;ron
dogs i'm front of Stewards store. Long
since they have been relegated to the
scrap heap, but many an Albanian today
can recall how Mr.. Stewart took him
In his arms and lifted him to a proud
place on the back of an iron dog. They
grew to be men, those little boys. and
IL was then their pleasure to cast a vote
for Andy Stewart, the man who gave
them a lift to an iron dog as he has
given lifts to many others when a lift
was most needed.
Mr.. Stewards store was a manufac-
tory for tinware and stoves. 1t be-
came so prosperous that he finally sold
out and the store later became the
American Can company, one of Atlanta's
largest enterprises.
Thirty years ago Andy Stewart was
elected tax collector Of Fulton county,
succeeding Uncle Jim" Wilson. Mr..
Stewart held the office continuously to
the day of his death. Several times there
was opposition, but his reelection on
each occasion was so overwhelming that
rival candidates served only to prove the
public's confidence in his ability and the
efficiency of his administrator.
His position at the courthouse won
Mr.. Stewart an especially large circle
of lawyer friends. He always main
tanned a deep interest in young attorn-
eys and was always ready to help them.
Not a few well known Atlanta lawyers
owe their knowledge of abstract titles
to Uncle Andy's instruction. His help,
too, was often solicited in the court
room, where his shrewd judgment OF
human nature was considered invaluable
in the picking of a jury.
Mr. Stewards position in the church
was a valiant one. For nearly half his
life he had been superintendent of the
Sunday school Of the First Baptist
oh nd m rprind a
con- He was an active worker, liberal
giver and a regular attendant at serv-
ices. With Mrs. Stewart, he was ac-
counted a firm pillar of the congrega-
tion. a man of sincere but generous con-
victions whose life was worthy OF tho
beliefs which he professed.
While his generosity was marked in
church. in private life his philanthro-
pies, though not so well known, were
even more extensive. His earthly estate