out and sold by the State of New
York to settlers. It seems, however, that Roger Morris had only a
life-interest in the estate, and this was a legal point so fine that it
was entirely overlooked in the joy of confiscation. Washington was a
great soldier, but an indifferent lawyer.

John Jacob Astor accidentally ascertained the facts. He was convinced
that the heirs could not be robbed of their rights through the acts of a
leaseholder, which legally was the status of Roger Morris. Astor was a
good real-estate lawyer himself, but he referred the point to the best
counsel he could find. They agreed with him. He next hunted up the heirs
and bought their quitclaims for one hundred thousand dollars. He then
notified the parties who had purchased the land, and they in turn made
claim upon the State for protection.

After much legal parleying the case was tried according to 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.

When the original store was abandoned for the Stewart "Palace," the old
apple-woman, with her box, basket and umbrella, was tenderly taken
along, too.

John Jacob Astor had no such