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