Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1883 — A Millionaire’s Meanness. [ARTICLE]

A Millionaire’s Meanness.

A very unpleasant story is told of Stewart’s dealing with the man who furnished the marble. According to report, the contract was made for a certain price. It was during the hard times, when everybody was scraping and worrying, and the contractor soon found that he was not only not going to make money by the operation, but was likely to lose everything he had. He laid the facts before Mr. Stewart, who coolly replied that he. had nothing, to do with that; that, if affairs had gone in another direction, so that the contractor wsuld have made treble or or quadruple what his anticipation was, he, Stewart, would have been no way benefited, but would have been bound by his contract. Later on the contractor came to him and told him that he lad spent every dollar he had and he had yet much to do. Whereupon Stewart said that he would advance him the money upon a mortgage, and did so. The man went on and completed his agreement, and then, never dreaming that Mr. Stewart cared to hold the quarry, went to him hoping to be thanked and have things made easy, instead of which Mr. Stewart told him he must have either his money or the quarry. The contractor told his wife of it, and she said: “Why, nonsense, Mr. Stewart canUot be such a man as that. I will go down with you.” They went together, and, as the gossip runs, Mr. Stewart’s response to the womanly interest of her husband was so brutal that the man fell dead in the office. How much truth there is in this story I do not know, but it is generally believed, and I have heard it in many places. If it is true, it is simply an illustration oi the fact that with Mr. Stewart at all times and in all places business was business, when he gave he gave, what he loaned he loaned, but what he advanced on a mortgage he held unless the money was repaid. —Boston Herald.