[3][13] With his earlier training toward a classical-violin career, he didn't need much musical instruction; he became a good enough player, that after "several lessons, " he himself began teaching others to play.

[3][7] When Stewart began learning and teaching the banjo, the instrument was embedded in an era of the blackface-minstrel and variety shows.

[8] Dobson's method didn't teach students to read sheet music, and Stewart felt they would be struck at the level of picking out simple songs.

[19] Having arrived at this conclusion, he committed to it, while his competition continued to develop their banjos, which eventually may have reached a quality to surpass his.

Others participating in this movement included Fred Van Eps, Vess Ossman, Frederick J. Bacon, Alfred A. Farland and George W.

[25] He associated with some of the better banjo players of his time, including E. M. Hall, Horace Weston, John H. Lee and William A. Huntley, promoting them in his journal and printing their endorsements of his products.

[29] Swaim appears on his tombstone,[32] on city directories from his lifetime (including 1879,[33] 1880,[34] 1889,[35]), 1890,[31] 1891,[30] 1892,[36] 1895[37]), his church admission record in 1868,[38] the 1870 U.S. census[9] and US Patent number US355896A.