Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1870-05-27
From the Nep YORK; Tribune.
4 &C. .Icsb i Il ted Farm Q rs
THOMAS JEFFERSON.

Men who have played great part in hu-
man affairs spoken great word at q criti-
cal momcnt-cxtrioated people from polit.
cal thraldom-forgottcn self iu the general
goodAare seldom associated in the minds Of
thepeople with their common business Of life
How few, even of that special calling, have
ever thought of Jefferson as farmer? When
his namo is mentioned, the image of great
political leader-the author of our immortal
Declaration Of Frcedom--loons up before
imagination, but no trace of tho farmer is
seen about his garments. Yet, when we
come to view him in his plain undress, at
home, pursuing the simple pleasures that at
tracted him to tho country, We shall find him,
not only good farmer, but bringing his
philosophic mind to bear upon the primary
principles of agriculture, and solving most
important problems that four thousand years
before him had failed to solve.
Agriculture to his mind was tho grand
pursuit Of man, aud required knowledge of
all the natural sciences to develop and illus,
trate.
Thus, when the cares of State we're thrown
of, be studied nature on his own domain, and
stroye to turn everything to tho account Of
his fellow men.
Thomas Jefferson was born April 2, 1743, at
Shadwell, in the now County of Albemarlc,
Va. His familyis supposed to be of Welsh
than his great grandfather; so the great apos.
reotly from the people, whom he spent his
life to elevate.
1Ho was put at private school at the age of
five, and sent to William and Mary College
Mt tho age of II.
Like many other young colcgians, he was
captiyatod by beautiful and accomplished
young lady at Williamsburg but though his
correspondence informs us of the beginning
of|this affair Of his life, it does not finish it,
which leaves us to infer that it ended in dis
appointment.
D lie was by no means regarded handsome
when young; tall, thin and rawboncd, with
frockled face, pointed features, and red
hair. Still, his suavity of manner and chiyal-
rous bearing made him favoritc with the la
dies, and he improved so much in appearance
toward middle age that he was esteemed
very good-looking man.
On the lst day of January, 1772, he mar.
ricd Mrs. Martha Shelton, an amiable and ac
complishcd young widow of 3D. This union
proved to be very harmonious and happy
: one Sho lived but ten years to bless his ao
tive and exciting life, and left him inconsola
BILE. It is O little remarkable that Washing
ton, Jefferson, and Madison each suffered
disappointment in youth-each married
widow, found congcnialty and happy do
mcstic life.
lie IMPROVES THE pLow
Perhaps Mr. Jcfrcyson's invention, applied
to the construction of the pow shows as
much the great scope of his mind as any
Stata ponnr be ovor n VOW
The world, ever since the days of the Pa
triarch Job, had been forming its plows on
the practical, or cut-and-try system but had
mover used mathematical or gcometrical prn
ciples in its construction.
From the crooked stick of the anccnts'to
tho famous Rutherham plow of the Eigh-
teenth Century, all had been constructed &C.
cording to the fancy of each maker, and he
knew not how to describe his process SO that
another mechanic could copy it; even he.
himself, could not make two Just alike.
This difficulty became apparent to the nroc.
ticai mind Of Jefferson, who, while American
Minister to France, made tour through parts
eI0fS Erance and Germany in 1888, and exam
ined the plows at work in the fields by the
wGysldo, md according to his ablest biocra.
sphefsthe Hon. IS. Randall, made the fol-
lowing entry in his journal "Oxcn plow
here with collar and hames. The awkward
figure Of their mold boards leads one to con
slider what should bc its form The Offices
of the mold-board are to receive the sod after
the share has. cut under it, to raise it gradu.
ally and to reverse it. The forecnd of it,
therefore, should be horizontal to enter under
the sod, and the hind end perpendicular, to
shrow it over the intermediate surface chang
ing gradually from the horizontal to the per.
pendioular. It should be as wide as the fur
row, andsof length suited to the construc-
ton Of tho plow.' His journal also contains
Diagrams with a. full mathematical oxplana.
tion, .shoging how any good mechanic may
construct.a mold board on his principles.
Hscommunicated his discovery othe Fronch
Academy of Sciences, who passed resolu.
tion culogistic ofhis invention. In 1903 he
received gold medal from the Agricultural
Il Society Of Paris for his '"mold board Of least
Yasjstapoe.'''g5 j. This plow WAS in possession #
this societyin 1853. +, /,
sS Mr.. D.. Gould, in his learned and oxhaus.
tive history Of the plow, after summing up
2afl evidence, jdstiy Bays : " s. " !; 4 .5 " III
There can be, no doubtwhatcvert that Mr..
Jefferson lis solely entitled to tho honor ofin.
syenting tho first mold.board made upon ma
shiioy. ati6al principles - & l,g &. .s
6, as Yoygentiori of Nr. Jefferson's can.
I Sfok be oyerestimatod in its effects upon .agri.
culture, asit took This. tho most Important