Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-12-09
HISTORICAL.
Pleasing "Reminiscences Of the
GREAT AND GOOD JEFFERSON.

weeks at the hotel now kept by Col. H..
Buehler, in Harrisburg, then called Mrs
Buehler's, as the mother of Col. B. was then
living. whose kindness and amiable dispo-
sition will be remembered by all who fire.
quented her house; and more especially If
they were on the sick list, or required any
attention to increase their comfort.
AT that time Gen. Heister was Governor
of Pennsylvania, and Andrew Gregg Secre-
tary ofthe Commonwealth Mr.. Gregg also
made his home at Mrs. Buehler's.
1t often occurred that gentlemen who
stopped at Mrs. BPS sought Mr.. Gregg's
company and got him to speak of the early
fathers of the Republic, almost all of whom
he had seen and known, and to me his re-
lations of matters and things of ssauld lang
syne," were very interesting. He had
been warm Jeffersonian was elected to
Congress at an early day by the anti-federal
party was an intimate personal as well as
political friend of Mr.. Jefferson, having
messed and lodged with him several years,
after he was a member of Congress.
1t was on Saturday afternoon, in Au-
gust 1921, that particular friend of Mr..
.
at Mrs. BPS, and in the course of their con-
versation Mr.. Gregg related the following
little story which impressed me so favora-
bly, that have not forgotten it, although
twenty seven years have since elapsed. 1t
occurred in Washington city, while he was
member of Congress, and Jefferson was
President.
He had just risen, he said, from the dim
ner table when servant announced that
who said they were from Pennsylvania,
and wished to see candy Gregg" Mr.. G.
went to the door and found a German,
from Marietta with his daughter, bound to
Virginia to buy land, but who desired him
to accompany them to see Mr.. Jefferson.
Mr.. G. was rather at loss how to ar
range matters, and requested them to alight
and have their horses put away. This
they declined doing, but said if it was not
too far to the Presidents house, they would
get off and lead their horses there, as their
call must necessarily be very brief. The
Germans tone was positive, and he would
take no other course. They did dismount
and all three walked up to the Presidents,
taking their horses along. Mr.. J.. must
have occupied at that time the block of
buildings near the capitol, that are still
pointed out or were few years ago, as his
residence whilst President.
There was pailing around the building
to which the horses were hitched, and the
party proceeded to the main entrance. Mr..
Gregg took the lead. After applying the
knocker, colored servant opened the
door, but contrived to place himselfso as to
obstruct the entrance. "I gave him my
shoulder" said Mr.. Gregg, sand sent him
out OF the way, so that we all got into the
hall. He then told us the President was
at dinner; knew the house WE'LL" added
Mr.. G., "and opened room door on our
right and invited my friends In, and found
seats for them"
"There were folding doors between this
room and the dining room, and I heard Mr..
Jefferson ask the servant who it was that
was in the adjoining room; I also heard
him reply that it was Mr.. Gregg and two
other persons, man and a woman. Mr..
J. then ordered the folding doors to be
thrown open, and called me to come in and
Join him at dinner, and to bring in my
friends with me-"
81 had dined, but my friends had not
SO we all sat down to the table, the old
man on Mr.. Jeferson's right, the daughter
on his left. Mr.. Jefferson had the faculty
of making every person at ease in his pre-
sence, and soon had the old man as we'll as
his daughter, perfectly at home. He was
ever fond of mixing and conversing with
plain unsophisticated men, and could un-
bend to them in the easiest imaginable man.
ner They talked of farming, of the use of
plaster of paris, of raising clover, and of
stock meanwhile after dinner, the wine
was circulated, it was good wine, and our
German was not bad Judge"
"At length he said to Mr.. Jefferson, I
am going to such place in Virginia, and
would like to know the best stopping pla-
ces. AS you are Virginian, you can tell
me, of course. Yes, said Jefferson, know
the road very well, and will give you di-
rections. Then turning to his private sec
retary, Mr.. Cole, he said, Mr.. Cole Just
take your pen and note down what am
about to say.
He proceeded to name the places, OBJ
serving to his guest that in Virginia he
must not expect to find taverns, as in Penn
sylvania; but, said he, am giving you the
names of planters, at whose houses you will
be kindly received and well entertained;
but they will take no pay. This is our way
in Virginia, and you will have to conform
to our customs" He went on till he
named lady-''by such day you will
reach Mrs. Dandridges." ''Mrs. Dand-
RIDGE" said the guest ''is she the Mrs.
cambridge who had child at our school
in Litiz, that took sick and died at my house
in Marietta, on its way home. lis mother
was with us two weeks. I shall be very
glad to see her; she was an excellent wo-
man." at was the very same," said Mr..
Jefferson, sand am glad you think SO well
of her, for she is my sister," "Your sis
ter" said our Pennsylvania, ''is il posi-
ble!" And forgetting that he was not in
his own well stored house, or Lancaster
county tavern, he smote the table with his
fist, and cried out, ''come, by George, we
must have another bottle of wine." "Cer-