Year: 1876

event OF the week and the one topic


of conversation. Almost fifty years


ago young Scotch Irishman came


to New York to seek employment as


teacher. Not succeeding, he de.
termined to give up the profession
for which he had been fitted and en-


bark in trade. He had just about


money enough to fill basket, and


for few weeks he peddled his goods


from door to door. Then he opened


little store down town, and began
a career which is almost romantic


He had theory as to how business
should be done, and from the very
first he adhered to it with fidelity
that was wonderful. He bought al
ways for cash, anL he sold in the
same way. To everything he bought
he added proper per cent, and the
goods were sold at that price, or they
lay on his counters for SO many
months, after which time they were
marked down to point where they
would sell. There never was par
ticle of trickery or fraud in his estah-
lishment. The goods were carefully
bought, and sold at fair profit, and
the most gnorant person could buy
to just as good advantage IS the most
expert. If a woman in the country
wanted dress, all she had TO do WAS
to write the color, material and cost,
and her husband could get it just as
we'll as she. He was mercantile
genius. Ifa pattern OF calico pleased
him, he bought, not only all that the
manufacturer had, but he bound him
self to take all that could be made Of
it, 30 that he alone had it. Possessed
of enormous capital, he could take
advantage Of the markets, and, buy
ing always for cash, be could outbuy
all of his competitors.


There is no other such establish
ment as his in the world. His down
town store is devoted entirely to
wholesaling, aud his uptown to re-
failing. In the two he gave employ
ment to over two thousand people,
and in addition he had various fac
tories, in which he employed four
thousand more. He dealt in every
thng-dry goods, carpets, fancy
goods, brushes, soaps, perfumery; all
under one roof, and this spring he
intended to add boots and shoes. In
that wonderful concern lady could
buy dress ready made. The altera-
tions, if any were needed, being made
in the house in few minutes, and,
without going out, she could buy her
childtens outfit, or furnish her house
throughout. And everything in the
concern went as smoothly as clock
work. The army Of clerks were at
their posts precisely at ses en-, and if
one was late, he was charged with
the lost time. Each stood at his own
counter aud sold only one kind Of
goods. An army of boys carried the
purchases and the money to small
army OF cashiers, who had the parcels
made and made the change, and then
if desired the goods were sent home.
II was not an uncommon thing for
Stewart to sell $4,000 of shilling cali
cos in single day, and his sales of
gloves mounted up into the millions,


But with all this it cannot be said
that Stewart was either good or
useful citizen. He was cold and
harsh to his employees, merciless to
his debtors, and as grasplng as man
could be. He lived by rule, and was
as inflexible as a bar Of iron. lie
never took circumstances into ac-
count, and made no allowances. 1t
was the dollar that he wanted, and
the dollar he would have, at no mat
ter what cost to others. Possessed
Of millions he has given but little in
charities, and has in no way assisted
in advancing the interests of his city
or country. He built two very fine
buildings, but they were needed in
his business, or he never would have
done it. Whether he has left any.
thing to the public remains to be
seen. His estate will foot up not less
than s40,000,00O, Of which sG,o0o,-
900 is in real estate in this city.


His name had been so long a word
of strength, and he had gone so
proudly through hundred convul-
sions of business, when men were
falling around him, that it seemed as
if he was exempt from the troubles
of mortality, and that the common lot
of all could hardly be his. 1t did not
seem as if he could die. So carefully
had his illness been kept from the
world by his trusted agents, that the
| news of his death fell on the city
with a dramatic suddenness. lie
| must be numbered as one Of the VIC
Tins of the sharp inaammatory at
tacks peculiar to the season. His
death was one of intense suffering
from Inflammation of the bowels, to
which he was subject, but which in
this case was the result of severe
cold. To-day the pageant of his
funeral has hardly passed as this is
written. The streets along the line
of the procession were crowded with
the throng which the city gets up at
the slightest notice. The old church
| rs Ct Marks in whose grassy church