Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-25
Jerfcr.on at monticello.

A new life of Thomas jefferson has been
published, the material OF which has been
chiefly derived from Captain Edmund Bacon,
for twenty years the chief overseer and busi-
ness manager of Mr.. JefIerson's estate at
Monticello. We make the following extracts
HIS MILL.
Mr.. Jeflerson's neighbors were very anxious
that he should build Touring mill. There
was a small one there, but large one was
very much needed. While he was President,
they thought he had large salary, and that
he was better able to build one than anybody
else. He was always anxious to benefit the
community as much as possible, and he under
took it. 1t cost great deal of money, and
was very bad investment. l had the foun-
dation dug, and superintended Its erection.
have had quantities of letters from him, CIV
ING instructions about that mill He employed
man named Shoemaker, from the North,
who was used to building mills, to assist him
in planning and building it. 1t was built of
rock. 1t was large building, four stories
high, and had four run of stone. The dam
was three-fourths of mile above the mill, and
canal was made that distance along the
bank of the river, to bring the water TO the
mill. That dam and canal cost thousands of
dollars. Two-thirds of the way, the canal
was through blue mountain rock-not lime
stone-that had to be blown out. 1t had to
be nine feet wide, to allow the batedur to pass
through TO Charlottesville. Ii all cost a great
deal of money. After the mill was compile
ted, and we had commenced making flour,
there came big treshet, and swept away the
dam. 1 never felt worse. We had eleven
thousand bushels of grain in the mill, and
coopers and other hands employed, and l
thought were ruined. But ii didn't move
him bit. lie never seemed to get tired of
paving out money for it He always
greatly interested in its erection, and in car
rying 1t on.
HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
MIR. jefferson was six feet two and half
inches high, well proportioned, and straight
"a gun barrel. He was like fine horse
he had no surplus flesh. He had an iron con-
sttution. and was very strong. He had a
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
enioyed the best OF health. | don't think he
was ever really sick. until his last sickness.
Ills SAlu Ndc very anu Just Hht
he was in principle. He had blue ewes.
His countenance was always mild and pleas
ant. You never saw it ruflled. No odds
what happened. it always maintained the same
expression. When | was sometimes very
much fretted and disturbed, his countenance
was perfectly unmoved
TIE MIIL-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 10 the dam. While stood there
il began TO break. and l 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. lie had Just come
from breakfast. We'll, SIR" said he, "have
YOU heard from the riverf" said. Yes, sir
| 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 a new dam this summer, but we will get
/ Lewiss ferry boat, with our own, and get the
hands from all the quarters, and boat in rock