The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-08-26
T HE DISPATCH
THuRsaAl MoRNINa ..AususT as. 1855.


Mf. D. H. Randall has written the life OF Thomas
Jefferson, which has just been published. we ex.
tract few paragraphs to show the ADVANTAGE of
notoriety, and the bes,eRs derived from keenin, !,
open doors" orfrom having the "laich string5
Mr. jefferson, while In the public service. VA.
compelled to neglect his large plantations and
therefore In retiring, found himself in debt TITS
he soon expected to extinguish from the proce al
OF nus arms, and would have done 80, but for =,
Unforeseen cause. Monticello became Mecca for
ali sorts Of pilgrims His mansion was more
thTopged than popular hotel; and with this dif
ference, that his guests did not go away! Friends
would remain weeks aud even months. And this
excess OF company, continuing year after year. ae
tusiiy impoverished too generous host But let
us take Mr.. Rsndail's account:
"We have already introduced to the reader old
Wormly,a a gray ayhared sgrvant of Mr. Jefferson.
we once stood with him before the diapidated pile
OF Monticello. The carriage houses three i'm
number, were at the moment before our eve =
Zach would hold four horse coach We in
quired 'Wormiy. how often were these filled. In
ar. Jenersons timef Every night, sir, in sum.
mer, and we commonly had two or three car
risges under that tree said he, pointing to a
large tree st took all hands to take care Of vnnr
tisitorsg we suggested. Yes, SIR and the xhala
farm TO feed them.' was the concise aud sisuia.
cant reply. The last was a literal trutb and a1
pressed less than the fact. We find in \ list
of Mr.. JeHarson's allottnents of his servants he
tween farming, mechanical aud menial occpna.
tons, ss early as 1910, that the hsuse servant.
(inc!uding children) numbered thirty.sevep. Tie
whole Monteello estate. Sc far as<he had iaborsrs
to work IL, did nos, In some years, furnish a mr.
plus of food sufficient for his guests. and their
horses and servants
"The general mode of travelling then in yir
ginia was on horseback or by carriages drawn hy
at least two horses; and strangers who came from
distance very generally took carriages from some
Virginia town. Male and female servants much
more commonly accompanied travellers than now.
Mrs Randolph, who presided over the domestic
establishment at Monticello, being once asked
what was the greatest number of guests she had
ever been called upon to provide beds for over
night, she replied, she believed iftyr Not only
was everything which was raised at Montice,lo
thus consumed, or exchanged for articles Of con.
sumption. bat heavy drafts were often made on
the Bedford estate.
And such a horde Of fashionable compapy con.
snme something beside common farm products g.
When Mr.. Jefferson first reached what he fsncied
was to be retirement, he was asked by his dsugb
ter on what scale he desired to live-how he would
have the appointn of his table Il will live
ike plain country geutleman,' was the answer
But this standard could not be followed uoder the
actual circumstances. delicious Virginia ham
on its bed OF greens, engrdled by its rim of eggs
"a la oId Dominion,) and a slice of chicken or tur-
key, might do very we'll for plain country gen
tlemae's dinner tor two three times week
and these could be had for the asking on every
virginia farm. Bot people of fashion, to say moth
Ing of New England judges, might not expect o.
be kept three weeks on ham and turkey! Claret
might suff1ce plain country gentleman, particu.
larIy II, IS in Mr Jeerson's case he preferred il
to all summer wines. His visitors might choos.
something else: and it is not for the hospi,abie
and supposed wealthy entertainer TO impose his
tastes on his guests No person need be told that
entertaining handsomely is an expensive amuse
ment."