The Secret of A. T. Stewart's Success

The newspapers have been given of late to telling the secret of A. T. Stewart's success in business. A correspondent of an exchange says that an old friend of Stewart's who taught school in New York at the same time when A. T. was a teacher, advised the latter, when he opened a thread and needle store, to place stools in front of his counter for the convenience of tired ladies. The novelty became a great attraction; ladies dropped in and sat down to wait for the cars or to rest themselves, and at the same time bought some little purchase. The little store became known, it was always crowded, business brought business, and finally made the millionaire what he is to-day.

Speaking of Stewart, more extravagant stories are told concerning him than of any other American. A French paper recently undertook to give a list of Mr. Stewart's pictures, and in this connection related a few personal anecdotes. It is related that during the war Mr. Stewart, having had extensive dealings with the government, was its creditor to the amount of $50,000,000. One day, when the government was in a hobble about money, and some reference was made to this indebtedness, the great merchant exclaimed, 'Fifty millions! Oh, don't mention such a trifle,' and with one sweep of his pen transferred the sum from one side of the account to the other.