New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-26


irregular it is less in some places In front IS piazza
with plastered brick pillars about ID feet hgh ana
with mountain-slate floor much decayed' What
have been used for doors not to nave Deeh III
tended for SUCH but for windows, there being three
with close paneled blinds inside, reaching 10 the
floor The Vrginian went in, and contrlyed to open
one window. when saw it had been hung and used
for door, and that the fastening was paddock ana
chain The hall is about 20 feet square with gallery
on the back side some 10 feet high, looking IKE
gallery in meeting house. over the door Is an Ou
clock which once ran by weights, on each side OF the
hail. and they descended they crossed Registers Oh
the wall. marking the days OF the week.
In one corner of this hall is statue Oh JeneIs1l
well executed and in good preservation Inc nke-
ness is not such is generally represented ana the
head is smaller wish TO add here that the head OIL
HOudns statue of Washington does not seem a5
large as in portraits acknowledged to be correct anu
t seemed to that in the familiar Oh Ueo
two men the heads are exaggerated buI 'nT DS both
have decided feminine and poetic cnaiaSIeI. ii
statue of Jefferson is out of place anna Ine RGIdd o.
ruin and decay The floor Is OF yellow p Fro i'1 the
great expense in herring bone patterns; FROM tne
ceiling overhead. hung what Is cRllea np, put ~
was made for holding four candles. ne ; NO eli
tered the dining ROOM ~ feet Sqie class and sash
PARTITION The parlor is of good SIZE and IL stll 1u
nished with two large looking with frames OF
many little cOncave and convex mirrors and thele -
a small dilapidated mahogany table. The fo0r Is
said TO have cost several thousand dollars II is OF
mahogany and live oak, and is composed OF an I'M
mense number of pieces in squares and mlters mere
are dOube outside folding doors the inner par being
of black walnut sashes with large panes ana the WIN
dOws are the same Seeing that the sashes OF Vnese
windows were raised with weights and cOrd' ana
that they appeared to have been so constructed al
the first thought il singular but was told MI. Jel
ferson had them put in. If this was so, they must
have been among the first windows so aTangeo III
There are two stairways, both alike, with black
walnut rails but the passage IS less than Two eeo
wide The bedrooms have each a recess some i0ur
by six feet and eleats were fastened to the wall IN
which stats were fixed for the support OF the bed
contriyance so rude aud poor IN comparison Win
posed ever was adopted IN good mouse hau nor
seen it. The ceiling of the bedrooms was scarcely
eight feet high, there were tT2 small square ,,, VIII
even and poor, and where u had fallen saw that
the lath had been rived and not sawed. IN what
was Mrs .JetfeTsons room was fireplace; the SIDE
lines of which were not plumb and the work seemed
TO have been done by botoh. =,
The chief wonder of this house mnst have been the
ballroom which about 16 feet square, the celling
is arched and the cOTnice is imposing and COSTLY al
Adjoining is the ladies' dTessng-rOon 1t seemed Ike
garrett under roof and not the least attempt naa
in the condition in which they were sawed ana put
in place nor did j see any place where nails had
been driven for hanging up clothes, or even u
looking glass. As Monticello is some distance from
Charlottesville. / doubt whether any dancing ever
was done in this hall unless a couple now ana tnen
swung around while somebody whisted. AS the
house was several years in building. and one part
was added to another, 1t is probable that TINS
hall was built long after Mrs JeiiersOns DEATH and
at the suggestion of his daughters or some of tho
Younger fry and at late period of his life when MS
prejudces gave way. 1t is well enough TO know now
for some things with reference TO eminent men are
found out Iate-that Mr. Jefferson was not given 10
common amusements; he did not know one card
from another. and he never allowed game 10
he played in his house which is more than many re-.
ligous people say of themselves. or at least OF
their sons and daughters. The worst thing that
have heard reported Of him was that when he was
He'd mn In
said it good enough as 1T was, since their Master
was born in a manger
Costly as the houses of Monticello must nave Deen
for no expense spared it shows how low was the
standard of comfort in those days, and now poor
were the ideas of master and mistress OF what
house should be. But with surplus OF help con.
yenience and the saving of labor were not thought
Of Even to-day many of the best families get their
water from spring IN some remote hoilQ", requlr-
ing as one would think. the constant labor of one
person. At Monticello / saw only one well, which
was in front OF the negro SS ana irons S romans
must have been so heavy and awkward that no
| Northern woman would think of drawing water.
On the northern side is snow cellar built like a
cistern some % feet in diameter ana 40 feet deep,
| and near this commenced subterranean passage
leading under the house and coming out the other
side of the hill. traversiDR distance OF more than
500 feet. A young man who worked on the place
said that Mr. Jefferson escaped from the British by
this passage and then mounted his horse, which was
shOd with shoes turned the wrong way. He said
also that an old man in Charlotteville knew all
about SIR. Jefferson, and more than anybody else,
for he had, he believed, read book of his life.
Wishing to Of the slave cabins OF the place,
went into the stone building, about 20 by IA feet,
| lighted by a window. There were two women, and
| in cradle two babies, and two beds were Oh one
side so dark so dirty. and so piled with rags and
bundles that the recollection is only of horror. All
through the SOuth traveller will ind 1t difficult TO
get sight of the domestic part OF any household and
when place is shown this part is always avoided.
Al first Thought it was considered too sacred TO be
seen by strangers eyes. asked them how they
getting along and the reply was as usual that
when remarked that they were free they said yes
Whether Mr. Jeffers0ns slaves Jared better, do not
know but if they did the recollection s lost An old
man in his 10th year came out of cOrnfeld. He
| remembered Mr.. Jefferson well, for it is only 43
years since he died, and seeing, how poor and de,
! crepid he was, | remarked that he had not gained
| much by being free. Yes, Sir, have gained much,
for now when am tired and feel like can't strike
another lick there is nobody to make me work ON
IL seems TO me that the Declaration of Independence
| written by him whose eyes once rested on every
scene from this mountain, and whose feet trod
everywhere, find expression and fulhlment IN these
Siii it must be said of the household of Monticello
that there was abundance, that work was light that
| the master was indulgent, and that the mistress
| sought out distress and tender and loving to
ALL In the mansion itself hospitality was unbound
| ed, and elegance refinement and taste were equal
10 the standard Of the times. Fashions change, but
much of that which makes life dear is immortal,
The eye of love CLEANED as kindly long ago as it does
to-day; the sun shone as brightly; the air was
invigOrating, and the rose sweet. The products
of the dairy fresh neat hands prepared food
as sklfully, and the heart was as satisfied.
In returning, hitched my horse at the cemetery
and went in through open iron gate. granite
block perhaps eight feet high marks his grave, but
slab of marble with the inscription is kept in the
house. l could see stone for his wifes grave,
less it was the one which was broken into many
pieces. There several tombs of the Randolph
family, and comparatively fresh marks the grave
| of Confederate officer the name of which took
no pains TO remember The whole country is in ruins
but it seemed little too bad that one should be
buried after failing in the attempt to bring to rnn
the government which Mr.. Jefferson helped create.
Near the gate, and under forest trees, saw some
| lunches of Japan clover.
Mr.. Jefferson died deeply in debt saw an old
gentleman in Charlottesville, who said he