Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-03-23
IEfFERS0s'S GaASDcalLD.
Tie Third Presidents Fayorits
Living in Poverty.
What Mrs. keikIeham Says Of the Refusal
Of Congress to Grant her a Pension
A TOuchirg Story.


get a glimpse of Arlington, where 30
many OF thu brave boys in blue lie
slet ping. The h0Usc Is very old. 1t
was bult duIil & The time Of Washing
ton. Tit visitor pushes back little
green picket gate, a,cends . few stone
steps, and fluids himself III a small
yard, partially filled with shrubs and
vines. Keeping along graGelled walk
pair Of high wooden ste.'s is reach Il,
which led to the veranda above. Tie
steps trenIbIe as You go up.
This house is at pre-ent the home Of
Septemiha Randolph Meiklehsm, a
granddaughter OF Thomas Jefferson,
and her three children. Humble a. it
is, Mrs. Meiklehsm may not be able to
keep the cottage long. The 500 month
rent she is required to pay for 1t is
more than her slender means will al
low. Once having everything, sur
rounded by friends in the midst Of
happy home, the granddaughter Of the
third President of the United States
now sees poverty and
Want Staring Her In the Face.
Representative Robinson, of Brock
lyn, two years ago hearing of Mrs..
Meikleham's straitened circumstances,
undertook to get bill passed granting
her pension of Sj,O;G per aupun. lie
has worked hard on the matter ever
since. On Friday last the bill was re-
ported favOrably 10 the House, AMI
after considerable debate was defeated,
wise Legislators claiming that they did
not wish to establish u bad precedent
by starting a civil pension bill.
This morning visit was paid to the
cottage. An Old cOlored woman
answered the bell, and in reply to an
INQUIRY If Mrs. Meikleham WAS in, she
said:
IL reckon she is"
"Can | see her.
'pIeAsc to walk in
The reporter was shown into tie par
Tor. The servant disappeared. 1t was
not necessary TO be told who lived in
house. The name of Jefferson seemed
10 be stamped upon everything III the
corId be found anywhere. The win
lows were shaded with white muslin
curtains. In one corner on a block
stood
A Bust OF Andrew Jackson.
By its side was an old.fashioned spin
nirg wheel with ball of yarn in pace
rtaGy tor active operations. To the
left was an old-fashioaed sofa upon
which rested a bright. co ored cushion.
To the right was qUeer-lOOking table
that locked to be over one hundred
years old. Its legs were carved from
mahogany. The place was filled with
little knicknacks and portraits of the
different Jeffersonian ancestors.
After few moments Mrs. Meikleham
entered the room. She advanced slow
ly, and greeted the visitor with apleas-
ant smile, saying, as she seated herself:
81 see very few visitors now; but
am very glad to see those VINO do
come"
Her voice had pathetic ring. She
is the seventh daughter of Martha JEFF
ferson, and from that fact she derived
her first name. She was born at Mon
tICelIo, Va, tie old home of Thomas
Jefferson, in 1914, and consequently Is
in her list year. Mrs. Meikleh am was
regarded by jefferson as his favOrite
granddaughter. She has large dark
blue eyes, high forehead, delicate, re-
fined mouth, and chin that denotes
decided force Of character. Her hands
and feet are small and well formed.
Her Hair II Iron Gray,
and was parted in the middle aud
pufied I'm on either side. On her head
was a little white lace cap. To-day she
wore a dark, plain dress. Her eyes
were shaded by a pair Of steel bowed
spectaclcs. In her youth Mrs. Meikle-
ham must have been very beautiful. 1t
has not all fursaken her yet.
AZ was II years old when my grand
father died" she said, land remember
him very well. During the last years of
his life he was out OF public life and de-
voted himself to his family and friends.
His love fol his country was, very
strong. No one was ever turned away
rom his door. Just few days before
Mr.. Jefferson died there were over sixty
people visiting at Monticello. He
seemed to like TO have it 80. His heart
reached out to all. IN, those were
happy days"
Mis-. Meikeham paused. Tears stood
n her eyes. Con inulng, SHE said,
sadly:
~ really believe that my "rlnlfather
| was eaten Out of house aud home. The
me-. | cared about the refusal of Con-
grc,s to grant me pension, above the
mcrc nt6G Of me money WAS the slight
t O.. II upon Il e memory of ny grand
rs'E,r. 10 lave
The American People
W!vu Mr.. Jefferson loved 80 dearly
raFu<e 10 rerder assistance to his family
is indeed hard. He devoted his life TO
his country, and when he died he had
saved up nothing; almost his last words
were: ~ leave my family 70 my coun-
try"
"Mr. Robinson started to work for
pension for ne without my knowledge,
but since then he has called here several
times. lie has been very kind. have
three children living with me here and
one son in New York. lie is engaged
in the insurance business there, and has
quite n large family of his own 10 look
after. Ny son who is here with me is
in very poor health. When | left New
York nine years ago for Washington it
get some employment in the depart
ments, but his health was so poor my
oldest daughter Alice had to take his
place. Sac has beer in tue Patent
Office for eight years. She is in very
delicate health, and is now out at Rock.
vile, Md, trying to regain strength to
continue her work. Last spring y year
ago she had to be absent from her desk
for six months. 1t was over three
miles 10
The Patent Office,
making it very hard for her during the
bad weather. suppose human nature
is always given to hoping, ami it has
been this hope that Congress would do
something for me that has Kept my
courage up so long. We are entirely
dependent on my daughters salary for
our support. My other daughter, Ell
eapore, remains at home aud takes care
Of her old mother. She does all the
homework. The Old co!Ored woma.:
you saw has been in the family for