stipulation with the State of New York, directly, as defendant
and Astor and the occupants as plaintiffs. Daniel Webster
and Martin Van Buren appeared for the State, and an array of
lesser legal lights for Astor.

The case was narrowed down to the plain and simple point
that Roger Morris was not the legal owner of the estate, and
that the rightful heirs could not be made to suffer for the
``treason, contumacy and contravention'' of another. Astor
won, and as a compromise the State issued him twenty-year
bonds bearing six per cent interest, for the neat sum of five
hundred thousand dollars--not that Astor needed the money
but finance was to him a game, and he had won.



In front of the first A. T. Stewart store there used to be an old
woman who sold apples. Regardless of weather, there she sat and
mumbled her wares at the passer-by. She was a combination beggar
and merchant, with a blundering wit, a ready tongue and a
vocabulary unfit for publication.

Her commercial genius is shown in the fact that she secured one
good paying customer--Alexander T. Stewart. Stewart grew to
believe in her as his spirit of good luck. Once when bargains
had been offered at the Stewart store and the old woman was not
at her place on the curb, the merchant-prince sent his carriage
for her in hot haste ``lest offense be given.'' And the day was
saved.