Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-09-12

Clipped and broken by the hand Of the
vandal. The edges of the shaft have been
Clipped from base to apex till the corners
present the appearance of a rough, un-
hewn stone. 1.-THE legendary tablets of
the past" have been utterly obliterated by
the DETACHMENT of the inscription, with
the single exception of the words in small
letters at the base. The full epitaph
which Mr.. Jefferson wrote, aid rough
pen-and-ink sketch of a monument for
himself, were found in private drawer
few days after his death. 1t was to be an
obelisk of granite, eight feet high and to
bear land subsequently did bear) the fol-
lowing inscription:
Here was buried Thomas Jefferson,
Author of the Declaration Of American
Independence, of the Statute of Virginia
for Religious Freedom, and Father Of
the University of Virgiuia." The in
scr,ption for the base was to be: "Born
April 2, O. s. 1743, Died--,-."
His wishes were carried out, the blank in
the last line being filled with "July 4,
1896" All that is visible of the inscrip-
ton to-day are the lines; "Born April 2
o. S. 1743 Died July 4. 1885,,
There is no trace whatever of the grave
of the wife of Jefferson. It was located
on the lower eide OF his monument. In
1851 this grave and its slab OF white
marble were visible with the simple in
scription '"Martha Jefferson, Born in 1853
o. S. Intermarried with Thomas Jefferson
January /, 1772. Torn from him by
death September 6, 1882 This monu-
ment of love is Inscribed" On the other
or upper side IF the obelisk the slab COW
cring the grave of Jeferson's eldest
daughter is partly legible. What is
missing is inserted in parentheses a:
''Mar(tha Jefferson Randolph, eldest
daughter Of Thomas Jefferson. Born
Sept. II, (1772). 1ntermarried with
Thomas Mann Randolph, Feb. %, 1890.
Died Oct. 10, 1886. She possessed a
strong and cnltivated-mild and gentle
temper; warm, afectionate and self-sac-
riticing in all her duties. This Is slight
mark OF the love borne by her SOD Thorn
as Jefferson Randolph" MIR. Randelp oh
died but two years ago. In 1872 he pre-
sided ever the Democratic convention
held II Ohio.
In his list days Jefferson wrote to
Madison: Take care OF me when dead
and be assured I shall leave with you my
last Affections Although his biographe1
intimates that this probably referred to
the defence Of q part of his political
record it nevertheless appeals in its full
est sense to the American people to save
from further dissertation that which
Macaulay tells us is 1.-THE temple efsilence
and reconciliation. 1t will be useless
for Congress to place new monument
over his grave unless it devises some
means to protect it. It will be located
in an almost un:requented place, where
it can be defaced quite as rapidly as the
present one was by those who neither
revere the memory nor respect the grave
of Jefferson.
In passing from the old burial place
on the mountain side the visitor suddenly
energies from the forests and finds him.
self on the summit, with view in all di.
rections but tho one he had just come
from, Of surprising beauty. It has been
SO often described by travellers that il
need not be fully detailed here. The eye
sweeps from forty to fifty miles over the
valleys beneath, In ''this vast sea Of yer.
dure" the ripples and shadows dance
over the luxuriant fields of grain to the
limit of the vision. The level of the
horizon on the south is broken by Willis
mountain, forty miles distant. Mr.. JEFF.
ferson used to say it the country Of
Fluvanna was a lake and Willis
mountain a volcano his scenery would be
perfect. But there are very few grande,
prospects than this so easy of access and
so:fne in climate.
On a very level place of two or three
acres on the very summit stands the house,
halt EMPOWERED in trees. On the south as
you approach it the broken windows and
cracked walls give it the look of com
plete ruin, but in front and rear the spa
cious porticoes are in fair state of pre-
servation, and the building otherwise
las an appearance of shabby splendor. 1t
is long brick structure surmounted by
dome, with the architectural devices
peculiar to Jefferson. The only sign OF
life about the place was a ragged and
grovelling old mana veritable tramp IN
appearance-who rocked himself in the
warm sun in chair on the portico. It
was hard to believe that this faded and
threadbare person had taken possession
Of the place many years ago, and eked out
subsistence by charging the university
students and such other visitors as rarely
came up from Charlottesville an admission
to the house. In the long pending litiga-
ton of the property no one has had any
control OF IL, and this man has simply ex.
ercised tho doctrine of "squatter sovereig-
ty." - ...~
"Do you want. to see the inside of old
man Jefferson's heuse2" was his salution.
''Then it will cost you twenty five cents"
The money paid, he hobbled through
one of the main doors, and dropping an
iron bar they both swung and the visitor
stood in a lofty square hall, the main or
central room of the building, on one side
of which was balustrade, from which,
old man quantity said. jefferson used
to make speeches to his guests" It was
evidently inteded for musicians, rs this
hall and one above it under the dome of
the house were used for bathrooms
There was nothing in the room but y
folding ladder in . corner and clock ovel
the door, both of which belonged to JEFF
ferson, ana chandelier of handsome pat
tern, which hung from the centre Of the
fine stucco. work of the ceiling. The
floor was laid in blocks of white cherry,
and is in excellent condition. This room
opened b. sliding glass doors of decided
modern look: on the semi: Octagonal south
east portic. Beyond on the right is .
-oetagonsl tea.room and two COM
modious guest-rooms and dining ROOM
A very handsome marble slab had recent
~ been stolen from this room.
On the left was Mr.. Randolph's room
and that of Jefferson, ana beyond, extend
ing the whole width Of the house, the
library. The latter opened on, the conser-
vatory, which is in ruins. On the upper
floors are the bedrooms, with alcoves in
each for the bed, cut up into all conceiv-
able shapes by the irregular form Of the
house. They are reached by q litGle, mar
row stairway in dark recoss, built with
sharp angles st every isw steps and