Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1886-05-22
lpon examining it, that 1t was the same

the IleulnOlt rlCc uHnullcu, inc DcSL Ill
the world, the seed OF which it was un-
lawful TO export. After buying some
sacks of the seed, and making secret
to have it forwarded to
America, he was still little fearful OF
failure, and filled all his pockets with
the precious seed, which he carried
away with him. 1t proved a wise pre-
caution, for his sacks never reached
him. He divided the little seed he car
RED in his pockets among his friends in
the rice district of South Carolina; to
each thirty or forty grains, urging upon
all the Importance of personally watch
ing the growth of the new species. In
domesticated in South Carolina, and as
the seed proved cOngenial to it, the
rice grown in that state was accounted
the best in the world.
During the eight years of his presi-
dency he utilized his office on several
occasions for the benefit of the farming
interest, particularly in the introduc-
ton of valuable breeds of domestic ami
mails. 1t cost great dal of astute and
patient diplomacy to procure, with the
assistance OF Mr.. Livingston, the
American minister at Paris, half a
dozen Merino sheep, and get them safe
ly across the ocean. Mr.. Edmund
Bacon, of kentucky, who was manager
at Monticello for twenty years, gave an
amusing account of his going to get
these wonderful sheep, accompanied by
have half of them. Neither of the men
had ever seen specimens OF the renOwn-
ell Merino, and naturally expected
q ffNt tNr lapf t,ov, nil oil
But" Mr.. Bacon used to say, "the
sheep were little bits of things, and
Groves said he would not give his
riding whip tor the whole lOt.'
MIR. Jefferson had 81. instructions
that when they came to divide the six
sheep, thew should toss up for the first
choice, which was done, and the best
buck fell to MIR. jefferson.
"He was little fellow" Captain
Bacon would say, "but his wool was
almost rs fine as cotton. When l got
home. | put notice in the paper that
stock could send us two ewes, and we
would keen them until tie lambs were
old enough to wean, and then give the
owners the choice of the lambs, and
they leave the other lamb and both of
| tuC CWCo. VIC SOL tuC SlCotCoI iOI va
sheep, more than we wanted, two or
three hundred, l think, and in q few
years we had an immense flock. Peo-
pie came long distances to buy our full
bloOded sheep. AT first we sold them
for fifty dollars, but they soon fell to
thirty and twenty. and before left MIR.
Jefferson, Merino sheep were SO num-
erOus that they sold about as cheap as
common sheep"
In a similar way the president i'm
ported broad tailed sheep from the
Barbary states, animals noted for their
mutton. On another occasion, Presi-
dent Jefferson, Mr.. Madison, secretary
: of state. and General Dearborn, secre-
tary of war, joined in importing six
short-legged, long bodied, easily fat
E tened, and especially not given to root
ing. This importation was very sue
cessful also, and very beneficial.
:. Mr. .JeffersOn," as his manager Once
said, "didn't care about making money
from his imported stock. His grea
object was to get widely scattered ovei
the country, and he left all these ar
, ranglnents to me-"
For the amusement of the children
IOl WhouI tuClO was AWAY kEC6
. crowd on the Little Mount (his daugh
, ter, Martha, being herself the mother o
eleveW, he even took the pains, whil'
president, to improve his breeds o
Guinea-pigs, and sent a pair from
u Washington for this purpose in 1907.
/ Space fails to give an account of al
Of his endeavOrs of this kind. On re.
II firing from the presidency in 1909, h
% a. T.,n H., - g,
: ments, and spent the remainder of hi
II life Virginia farmer. Being the mas
ter of nearly hundred slaves, and cul
II tivating chiefly crops of grain, hv
/ ing also two days ride from Richmond
e the nearest large town, he was oblige
e to carry on great variety of industries
a | have already alluded to his nail fat
Il tory, in which, after his retirement, h
e hands, each of whom cleared two do
: lars day. His own Embargo cut o.
n his supply of nail rods and closed hi
/ little factory for some years. He ais
n had a considerable factory for maxim
II cotton cloth, bringing his cottO
q from Richmond up the James in bargel
He made all the cotton cloth for hi
is household of a hundred and twent
IS people, beside selling large quantit
le to the country stores. He also had
III good blacksinith's shop, and one of hi
II slaves enjoyed the reputation of bein
l. the best workman in wood in that pal
TX of Virginia. This man made q goo
a. deal of the mahogany furniture 70
'g Monticello, did much OF the fine wor
v, on the family coach, and when MI
ne Jefferson was building the Universit
~ of Virginia, he was greatly aided b
III the taste and ingenuity of this slav'
lg Another of his men was skillful houf
ar painter and glazier. He had at on
IN time a small whisky distillery, and h
ne probably made as good cider as ws
~ ever produced from apples. He use
at to say that tw defective apples in te
be bushels wonld noticeably affect Il
e. flavor of the cider.
e. Perhaps the most important servit
'y he rendered his own neighborbood W,
W in building and maintaining -four mi
ne on the Rivana near his house. DuriI
ly his presidency he rebuilt the mill an
made new dam. In connection vii
as this important structure, Captain Baco
IN related a curious anecdOte, shOwiu
H. the calm temper of Mr.. Jefferson. IT
n. mill had cost great deal of money, {
x
1t and anxiety. Soon after its completio
id a woful catastrophe occurred.
in "We had" said Captain Baco
A "abOut eleven thousand bushels
D. wheat IN the mill, and coopers ar
he everything else employed. There WI
ed a big freshet-the first after the da
[r. was finished. 1t was raining powe
he fully. ] got up early in the mornin
IL and went up to the dam. While
stood there, it began to break, and
stood and saw the freshet sweep it {
away. l never felt worse. did n
;es know what we should SO. l went I
ST. to see Mr.. jefferson He had just con
49, from breakfast. well, SIR said b
as have You heard from the river? l sal
VII Yes, sir: have just come from the
~ with very bad news. The mill-dam
r. all swept away 'Well, SIR said b
,st just as calm and quiet as though notl
ne ing had happened, I'VE can't make
an new dam this summer, but we will g
OF Lewis ferry boat. with our own, al
a. get the hands from all the quarters, al
ne boat IN rock enough III place OF Il
raj dam, to answer for the present, and
pie will send to Baltimore and get shi
" bolts, and we will make dam that Il
he freshet can't wash away He thu