Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-28

was through blue mountain rock-not lime
stone-that had to be blown out. 1t had to
be nine feet wide, to allow the bateauz to pass
through to Charlottesville. 1t all cost great
deal of money. After the mill was compile
ted, and we had commenced making -four,
there came big freshet, and swept away the
dam. l never felt worse. We had eleven
thousand bushels of grain in the mill, and
coopers and other hands employed, and /
thought we were ruined. But it didn't move
him bit. He never seemed to get tired of
paying out money for it. He was always
| greatly interested in its erection, and in car
rylng 1t on.
HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
Mr.. Jefferson was SIX feet two and a half
inches high, well propOrtioned, and straight
as a gun barrel He was like fine horse
he had no surplus flesh. He had an iron con-
stitution, and was very strong. He had
machine for measuring strength. There were
very few men that / have seen try it, that
were as strong in the arms as his son-in-law,
Colonel Thomas Mann Randolph; but Mr..
Jefferson was stronger than he. He always
enjoyed the best of health. l don't think he
was ever really sick, until his last sickness.
His skin was very clear and pure-just ike
he was in principle. He had blue eyes.
His countenance was always mild and pleas
ant. You never saw it rufled No odds
what happened, it always maintained the same
expression. When | was sometimes very
much fretted and disturbed, his countenance
was perfectly unmoved.
THE MILL-DAM.
remember one case in particular. We had
about eleven thousands bushels of wheat in
the mill, and coopers and everything else en-
ployed. There was big freshet-the first
after the dam was finished. 1t was raining
powerfully. | got up early in the morning,
and went up to the DAM While stood there,
it began to break, and | stood and saw the
freshet sweep it all away. | never felt worse.
/ did not know what we should do. | went
up to see Mr.. jefferson. He had Just come
from breakfast. "Well, sir" said he, shave
you heard from the river?" / said, ''Yes, sir;
l have just come from there with very bad
news. The mill-dam is all swept away"
'Well, sir" said he, Just as calm and quiet as
though nothing had happened, "we can't
make new dam this summer, but we will get
Lewis's ferry boat, with our own, and get the
hands from all the quarters, and boat in rock
, enough in place of the dam to answer for the
present and next summer. / will send to
Baltimore and get ship-bolts, and we will
make dam that the freshet can't wash away"
He then went on and explained to me in de-
tail Just how he would have the dam built
We repaired the dam as he suggested, andth
next summer we made a new dam, that |
reckon must be there yet.
HIS HABITS.
Mr.. Jefferson was always an early riser
arose at daybreak or before. The sun never
found him in bed. / used sometimes to think,
when / went up there Uery early in the morn
ing, that would find him in bed; but there
he would be before me, walking on the ter
race. He never had servant make fire in
his room in the morning, or at any other time,
when he was at home. He always had box
filled with nice dry wood in his room, and
when he wanted fire, he would open it and
put on the wood. He would always have a
good many ashes in his fireplace, and when
he went out he would cover his fire up very
carefully, and when he came back he would
uncover the Goals and make on a fire for him.
self. He did not use tobacco in any form.
He never used profane word or anything
: like it. He never played cards. Inever saw
a card in the house at Monticello, and / had
particular orders from him to suppress card
playing among the negroes, who, you know,
are generally very fond of it. 1 never saw
any dancing in his house, and if there had
. been any there during the twenty years | was
with him, should certainly have known it.
He was never great eater, but what he did
eat he wanted to be very choice.
HIS FAvORITE FOOD.
{ When he was coming home from Washing
ton, generally knew it, and got ready for
f him, and waited at the house to give him the
, keys. After saying "How are all?" and talk
ing awhile, he would say, "What have you
f got that is good?" / knew mighty well what
suited him. He was especially found of
Guinea fowls; and for meat he preferred good
, beef, mutton and lambs. Those broad-tailed
sheep told you about made the finest mutton
l ever saw. Meriweather Lewis's mother
made very nice hams, and every year used
to get few from her for his special use. He
, was very fond of vegetables and fruit, and
raised every variety of them.