V r MONTICELLO. INTERESTISO ORHCRIPTIOX OB THE HOME OK JEFFERSON. flie Historic Munition Even to the In terior and Furnishing Preserved Almost ns the Great States man Left It. n JT OXTICELLO is three miles from the ' town of Cbsr lottosville, Va., and issitn ated upon tho top of what U known as Southwest Mountain, an appendage of Carter's Mountain. The road from Charlottesville begins to wind aroun.l the base of the mountain at the crossing of Moore's Creek. The ascent is long and somewhat tedious, for, though the mountain is only 530 'feet high, its sides are ttecp and the making of a roadway a century ago was no easy task. The climb is at lcat mile and a half long nnd the whole distance through a dense wood. The present owner of Monticello has built wall on the outer edge of most of the roadway, which rondors it safe for travel even at night. But in the days gone by it must have been a somewhat risky business to make the ascent after snnclown. During Mr. Jefferson's sixty years of residence at Monticello be was visited by pernnps hair 01 tne b.nropo. presidents and climbed tne steep ascent Lrman Baron coded it, ion ou the American Monticello is its srson yuim nave tvwel I' ieh a ion of his I Jj. Tho Sage of his original m,.r6 was Iway below the mountain, stretching for miles below its base, but ht chose this strange and at that time almost inaccessible spot for his home. Un doubtedly it was bcoause of the glori ous view from the summit of the hill. Mr. Jefferson inherited the Monticello estate from hisfathei, Peter Jefferson, who was one of the fiist to settle in Albemarle County. William Randolph nd Peter Jefierson were the flrbt white war. v. men to inhabit th at region. Both took up enormous traots of land and - there founded two of the most dis tinguished families in Virginia. Mr. Jefferson's boyhood was spent at Shad well, his birthplace, but upon his re- turn from William and Mury College, whioh was about the time he reaohed his' majority and came into the posses sion of his estate, he began the con . atrnotion of the present Montioello - mansion, which was about the year 1704. The first steps were neoessury, to wit, the construction of a road to the summit and loveling off the sum mit to find standing room for the bouse and outbuildings. In this way spaoe of two or three acres was I cleured aud graded and the woik ol I ccustruotiou begun. I . Moutioello was not built in a day ; I on the ouutrary, it was the work of I mimy years. At the time of his com ing iuto hi inheritance Mr. Jefierson was the owner of about 200 slaves. Among these were artisans of all kinds, s was the fashion of those times, .'here were carpenters and iron work re, stone and brick masons and brick ankers among the lot, and the big lansiou was almost all the work of j. Jefferson's slaves. They quarried a stone for the foundations and the grounding wall, they hewed the tim r for the frame, they dug the clay i burned the briok on the premises, 3 step by step the great mansion -tied its completion. It ia gratify- to the visitor to know that with exoeptiona Montioello is prW u Mr. Jefierson built it and left 1'hwre is yet about it an air of Oolv ' -ndeur whioh neither time nor' . ownership and surroundings , el tho ioatr sano- kmmmm t mm THE MASaiOX OF ?IONTICELt.O. 1 THOMAS JT.FFEBflON. tity of Monticello ia had when the vis itor reaches the top of the mountain and discovers the porter's lodge. This brick structure and brick and iron gateway is o modern origin, but it occupies the site of the original en trance to the grounds. After the vis itor has driven in he closes the gate and straightway rings the old planta tion bell which annonnces to the peo ple at the mansion that gnests are coming. The same bell did duty in Jefferson's dny. A few hundred yards from the gate, the road winding through a dense shrubbery, we come to tho family bnrisl ground, where lie the several generations of the Jeffor- 4fl ... sons who died while the estate was in tho possession of the family. The tomb of Jefferson that is to say tho tomb that now exists is compara tively modern. It was erected by Commodore Levy to replace the orig inal tomb, chipped and piaeticotly de stroyed by vandals and relio hunters. It is an exact copy of the original and is a solid granite cenotaph about eicht feet high from its foundation stone. Inscribed on one of the faces of the tomb is the following, written by Jef ferson himself, as bis epitaph, and found among bis papers after his death : : - Here was BnrlM ! THOMAH JEFFEK80X, ACTHOB OF TBI PECLARATlnS or IKDEPEXUEXCI, of the STATUTE or VILOINIA FOB BELIOIOTS i TEKSDOK I and f VATnna or vna ttniversitv ot vinoisiA: Born F"l. J, 1743. Died July 4. j Xeor the tomb, with plain, flat slabs marking tho respective graves, are those of the wife, Martha Skelton, who died in 1782; the daughter, Maria Wayles Randolph, who survived her father, and another daughter, Martha Ernies, who died in early lite. In the tame p'ot id also buried the mother of Jefferson, Jane Randolph, who died in li ib. J. here are other members of the family, bnt the inscriptions on their monuments are partially obliterated. The burial plot used to be surrounded by a brick wall, but of late years the Levy family havo enclosed it with a heavy, high iron fence and elaborated gateway, Jwhieh is religiously kept looked. The burial plot is 1300 feet from the mansion, the same winding road leading to the main entrance. The old eliptieal stono coping whioh snrronnded the mansion is kept in good repair and is a striking feature of the grounds. The mansion and grounds are iu charge of a superin tendent, who occupies the old over seer's house, a rubstantial stone struc ture just opposite the entrance to the grat lawn. The superintendent is as sisted in bis care of the estate by sev eral colored people, one or two of them claiming to be descendants of Jefferson's servants. By the time one has reached the stone steps reaching to the lawn tho visitor's presence, ulroady anaouncod by tho bell, is known, and ono or two servitors ot tho place are there to greet him. It has long beon the custom to make every visitor to Montioello feel at borne. Something of that old spirit of hospitality which was so abused in the lust century, end led to the ruin of the proprietor, still hovers about the place. The lawns and shrub bery are admirably kept, the stone wo Is aud fences are radiant with new whitewa-h, the old quarters of the house sorvants are as clean and white as paint can make them, and the man siou itself is carefully watched and the least evidence of decay repairod at once. The lawns are even more beau tiful now than they must have been in days gone by, for so much attention is bestowed upon them. The great Lomhardy poplars which Jefierson planted with his own hand are nur tured and trimmed and kept as free from insects as though they were the choicest of fruit trees. . The Levy family, present owners of the place, are in no way related to the Jefferson. The present proprietor's uncle, Commodore Uriah P. Levy, of the navy, bought Montioello soon after Jefferson's death, and did so be cause of his great admiration for Mr. Jeffersou, who while President had assisted him in his naval career, and also because of his desire to help the Jefierson heirs. Commodore Levy was a very rich man, and paid a good deal more for Montioello than any other pur o baser would have paid. The interior of the mansion has never been disturbed in its arrangement by any of the Levy family. On the oontrary, so far as possible they have endeavored to preserve, even in the furnishing of the house, as ntuoh of a similarity to the old furniture as possible. ' The chief entrauoe to Montioello is on the east, although it is a building with really two fronts, but the easteru entranoe was the one Mr. Jefferson regarded as the prinoipal one, because it looked ont upon the magnificent view of the valley below. A flight of granite steps leads to this entrauoe, whioh ia across poroh of stone sur 1 mounted by heavy atone pillars. Mr. Jefferson was great lover of glass. and the result Is that every door about the place is of glass. The porches are covered with glass, and so ' with this eastern entrance ingress is had through enormous double glass doors. Over the glasa doors is a great clock more than century old. The clock was one manufactured at Mr. Jefferson's order and after a design of his own. It has two faces, one outward, so that people may see the time from the lawn, and one inward, for the boneflt ot those within the large hall. Two heavy cannon balls were the weights that gave the clock it motive power, and as the weights descended each day they, by an ingenious contrivance, touched a lever, which in turn threw ont a tablet, upon which was inscribed the day of the month and the day of the week. This contrivance was made by Mr. Jefferson's own hand. On passing through the double glass doors the visitor oomos into ft wide hall, surrounded by a nailery on three sides. The ceiling of this hall is thirty feet high, and from it dopends an enormous chandelier, brought from France in the last century. The floor of the hall is of solid oak, polished, and the wainscoting, door casings, balustrades of the staircase and gal leries are all of carved mahogany. It shonld be said here that the chandelier referred to, in the hall, is of gilt bronze and was formerly in the palace of the Empress Josephine at Maluiai son. In the olden daya this great hallway was a veritable museum. It contained cases of geological, rain eralogical nnd zoological specimens, collected by Mr. Jefferson throughout a long series of years. These have long since been scattered, but there yet remain on the walls some family portraits which are of great interest aud value, being originals of Sir Joshua Reynolds nnd Anthony Van Dyke. Jefferson had also a number of fine bustsof both bronze and marble, but the only one of these left now is that of Voltaire. There are also set in the wall of this vast hull two large mirrors of the time of Louis XIV., brought by Mr. Jefferson from France. At the end of the large hall, separated from it by more glass doors, and ex- nilingto the other front of the house, the grand salon, which was the Jefferson's tomb. rnoention hall of the old days. This, also, is thirty feet high, aud at one time its walls were covered with articles of interest aud value which have long since disappeared. The ceiling of the entrance hall is magnificently decorated with an eagle iu low relief, surrounded by eighteen stars, which was the number of States in 1812 when the coiling was con structed. The floor of the grand salon is tessellated, boing inlaid with stain wood and rosewood at a cost of $2000. To the right and left of tho niaiu hall way are entered the various rooms ot the mnuiion. Here is the great dining room, the ceiling of which is also thir ty feet high, with an alcove arched off JEFFEUSON'S STUDX for a large sideboard. The bnge man telpiece is decorated with paintings on china and is surmounted with a heavy gilt bronze clook, presented by the King of Spain to Napoleon L Over this is an original portrait ot Jefferson by Stuart. Leaving this room you pass, through glass doors again, into the tea room. These doors oan be re moved at will and tho two rooms thrown into one for State oooauions. Opposite the dining room across the eutrauce hall was the room of Mr. Jefierson. This room is alsi thirty feet high. Mr. Jefferson's bed was built in a rooess between this aud a smaller room, which be used as a study. This study was half eiroular in shape, with amaoh lower oeiling. The bed was simply a frame whioh stood as it might be In the spaoe ocoupied by folding doors. It was a peouliar freak of Mr. Jeffersou, and every biographer of the great statesman has made hu morous references to it. When Mrs. Jaffenon was aliva she used the larger mm tf 4 CfJ ijNpil ill if 7vl SHI flw room for her bondoir and dressing room, while Mr. Jefferson wrote and studied and lived in the smaller room. There was no connection between' the rooms except overjthe bed. Whon Mrs. Jefferson prepared to retire she did so in her own apsrtmont and Mr. Jeffer son did the same in his, nnd then they both crawled into bed from their re speotive rooms. Adjourning this set of rooms and on the same side of the hall are tho library and reception rooms, nnd on the same floor are two smaller rooms known as the Monroe and Madison rooms. They are so called because the two Presidents al ways occupied them on their visits to Montioello. There are many other guest chambers, na there needed to be in the days of Mr. Jefferson's hospi tality. So commodious was the house in fact that Mrs. Randolph, Jefferson's daughter, has in her letters frequently stated that on many an occasion she provided beds for fifty to sixty gnests. Tho second story of the mansion, if it may be called such, is a curious architectural hodge-podge. In that portion of the building are located the various guest chambers, and it was Mr. Jefferson's hobby to have them all open out upon balustraded pavilions, whioh extended clear around the house. This was beoause ot the magnifioent view to be obtained from these pavilions. Over the main salon a dome was built, aud in this dome was a large eircular room designed for a ladies' parlor and reoeption room, but instoad it was always used as a billiardfroom. Then again Mr. Jeffer son was a great lover ot flowers, and in the angles formed by the four wings of his house he had built little glass inolosures for flowers. These are still in existence. But, after all, the elegance of the interior does not convey to the visitor as much interest as do the exterior and grounds of the mansion. A very important feature ot the Utter was the servants' quarters. Mr. Jefferson's house servants numbered thirty-seven, aud they were quartered in what re sembles a military barracks, built of bricks, in the slope of one of the ter races ot the le.wn. Thus, from the mansion the quarters were not visible, tor their roof was eonverted into a platform upon whioh people would go out and sit. Connected with these quarters and leading from the cellar of the mansion was an underground passage or covered way, the roof ot which furnished a walk from the house to the pavilion. The object of this passageway was that the sorvants could get from their quarters to their duties in the house without having to cross the lawn. Bnt nothing could be more comfortable than were these quarters. They were built of briok, each compartmont having two rooms, and the whole front was composed ot a series ot archways and pillars, form ing an arched portico. The same idea was carried out on the other Bide of tho mansion, for under or into tho opposite terrace was built a big brick icehouse, a huge storehouse and a fuel room, and this, too, was connected with the cellars of the mansions by an uu lerground passage or covered way, forming a walk to an othor pavilion with seats, whioh was the roof of the ice and storehouses. This last pavilion is covered in the summer with an awning aud provided with choirs and settees, where guests may sit and enjoy the magnificent scouory which has so added to the fame ot Monticello. With all the glories of Montioello, historical and material, it must ever be a source of regret that its construc tion, its improvement, its possession for nearly half a century, should have impoverished its great owner ; for, in spite of all the magnificence with which he was surrounded, notwith standing the wealth he was supposed to possess, notwithstanding tho emolu ments of bis publio ourear, he died, us the world kuows, a poor man, aud worse thin poor, for he was hopolessly in debt. When he loft the Presidency AT MONTICELLO. in 1809 he found his big estate encum bered with a floating debt of over $10,000. This was added to a few years later by the failure ot a friend for whom he bad endorsed for over 820,000. This last blow plungei? him into the depths of poverty, and he was rescued irom baukruptoy by his death. Congress afterward came to the relief of the family by appropriat ing $20,000 for the purchase ot Mr. Jefferson's library and publio papers, which are now a very important tea ture of the Congressional library. The only land now left of Mcntioello is the mansion grounds and 423 aoros at the base of the mountain. Thenamberof criminals condemned in the courts of the German Empire in the eleven years ending with 1892 waa 8,973,067. The Chines National Anthem is so long that people take ball a day to lifUatoit, $$msG ii PEdlNXIKOS. A tlnv send dropped on tlin watting land In fiituni years may risa a great elm troa grand. A noble thought uttere-1 with careless art May kindle deeilsthnt thrill a nation's heart. Naught Is too small in O il's eternal plan To make or mar tho excllenee of maa. And who to ranks of honor would belong Must wateh beginnings ot tho right and wrong. Anna M. Trait In Sunbeams. FISniNO FOB BATS. The prize fishing story has just come to light, ns related by one of the keepers at the "Zoo." He declares that on several occaiion during the past month tho liou house at tho "Zoo" has been utilized ns a Ashing ground by n number of youngsters who were equipped with hooks, hues and bait. "What do you suppose they flth for!" asked the keeper. "Tho game is rats. There are lots of them around here, nnd the boys sit ou the benches just in front of the cages, bait their hooks with cheesa or a bit of meat, cast the line under one of the cages aud wait for a bite. They don't usually have to wait long, and I havo seen many a rat cau-jht iu this way. Sometimes they are as gamy as trout. The boys always bring a tiu kettle along to put the catch iu, and those that are hooked aro turned over to us ; we givo thum to the snakes." Phila delphia Record. TUB BEAVEB'S TnAITS. The beaver is found in the northern part of Europe and Asia, but more of them are found now iu the northern part of North America. It has two layers of fur. The under hair is gray aud very short, the outer hair is chest nut iu color tin l it long uud thick. Jackets and cloaks are ma la of it be cause of its warmth. The hind feet of tho beaver aro webbed. Its tail is like tho rudder of a boat. It does not havo fur ou it, but is covered with soales. The boavor is a gnawing animal. Its food is the bark of treoi. It is two foot from the nose to the root of the tail. The tuil isovoroue foot iu length. When they build a dam they flud a suitable spot where there aro trees on the side of tho stream eo that they cuu guaw them- The bearer gnaws a tree so that it will fall across the stream. If it :h not largo enough they will guaw another otio. This is the foun dation for tho dutu. They guaw more trees so that they can float theiu down the stream. Whim they ranch the othor troes tho.y are caught among tho branches and packed with mud und stones. It goes ou this way until it is high enough. They do this becauo in very cold countries the shallow streams freeze to the ground and iu the short hot summers they dry up. Their houiox, which are nuur the dams, aro mado nt brauobes of trees, iuohi aud mud, Two or three beavers oan livg iu ouo of these houses. They dig doep ditohos so that they can go iuto tho stream without going ovor the land. Beavers' cut a number of small logs aud fiiNtuu thorn near their houses so that wheu they are hungry, they dive for one of these logs uud strip off a pieoa of tho bark aud eat it. Trenton, N. J. Amerioan. TRICKS PLAYED BY PLANTS. Dr. Luudsti'om hn recently de scribed bo mo casus of alleged plant mimicry. Tho cultivated plant knovu as calendula may, iu different condi tions, prodiicj at least three different kinds of fruit. Some havo suits and are suited for transportation by the wind, while others have hooks uud catoh hold of passing animals, but the third kind exhibits a more desperate dodge, for it beoomes likeaoaterpillar. Not that the fruit knows auytbing about it, but it it be sufficiently like a caterpillar, a bird may eat it by mis take, the indigestible seeds will ba subsequently dropped, and so the triok succeeds. ( The noxt esse is more marvellous. There is a very graoefnl wild plant with beautiful doliouto flower known to man as the eow whi1 Ants are fond of visiting the. cow wheat to feast ou a sweet ban qust spread out upon the leaves. Dr. Luiidatrom has observed on of those '''' '" , nuts, nnd was aurprisod to see it mak ug off with one of the seeds from an open fruit. Tbo ant took the seed home with it On exploring somo ant bests, the explorer soon saw that this was not the first cow wheat seed which hnd been similarly treated. Many seeds wore found in the ant nurseries. The ants did Dot eat them or destroy them; in foct, when the nest was disturbed the ants saved the seeds along with their brood, for in size, form, color and weight, even in minute particulars, the seeds in ques tion rcssmble ant cocoons. Once placed among the cocoons, it requires a better then an ant to distinguish the tares from the wheat. Iu the exoite tucnt t flitting, when tho nest is dis turbedi the mistake is repeated, and thesoediare also saved. The triok is foiindut some dny for the seeds like the cocoons, awake out of sleep. The awakening displays the fraud. The S Jeds ae thus supposed to be scattered ', the germinate and seem to thrive lu tne ou nests. A SLAVE UAbE A BISHOP. American traveled in England, as a rule, make a pilg go to the an- cieut cathedral of Ca rbury, which is filled with associations. 0f moment to the historinu and th Christian. departing to the Holy L iVl. Hre Becket was murdered. 'Iio stone steps are still here, worn in deep hollows by the knees of countlsss pil- grims in past centuries. Every statel pillar and carved stone has its recon of dim, fur-off days inEuglish history Ouo soene, howevor.whioh has be witnessed iu this great minster, more significant to Americans, vof as they are with their ruoo proble than any murder or coronation. ; Here before the biurh altar, wir the solemn splendor of the coren of the English church, a poor slave, with a skiu as black asoo consecrated tbo first bishop Niger. Adjai, a Yorubaboy of tweL taken prisoner with his mothr Fou!n'.i tribo and sold to M slave-traders. His mother r Africa. An English man-o'- down the slave-ship, and brLg from tho hold the wretohet f JluS frantic with terror at the vlf ney aud blue eyos of their rescf jo(, mistook the cannon-balls c tQ(J skulls, and the carcass of aQj cook's cabin for a hum in )0gC(j tried to eseupe from t eo. cannibals by jumping in; 9 The boy, Adjai, wrf Tb(jra mission school at Siorr" . iith, and he was taught tho Chrl wag trained to be a carp s'muel baptized under the ri naal9 Crowthor, but kept.tr Adjai, saving proudl , . ,.r Vi. Bm ul wa? "I am Christian. , j black and Yoruba." ... , , , , 4 ,uithful and He proved to ) , ... ' . . inn and Afri- prnotical, both as , . . ' ' o England to oan, that he was ;. , , , 4. ion and want make known the . ... , as sums were of his people. , .it . . , . . ised with muoh given him, whie . .... Tho queen sent sagacity for his , ti ii r. rt steel corn Bibles, Prince . . . mill and othe"1"' which Adjai t People " use. . n . . I visit he was made On his w . -t. . . i jied to his own tribe, bishop. He r , , , , . and alter t MWoh U mother. I'ok her t0 hm f and she b, Juvout SrVan' Christ, .ntoagroat age. But she persist wettriu2 h Yoruba cmB- anJ in PeklM tU,at lnugugoswuriu8 811 Rr8umenU HU "Tain African. Jesus will know me iu mwn "kiQ auJ iu wy blauket'"' ' v in Africa serva the aiasier ui ... .i,nn BisUw- Adial Tha thoughtful crown- -- ttudo the st Ul - , ... iuir wcu " .Youth vum A A Hoc ia AtcbiBon .i.rv in whiol v.- - itoiulnont tka cathoi K.inketb heart V-. 1 ( I
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