The Washington critic., 1886-02-03

lbibi WIN MS pOHlllDnt llUnlly COLI
stituled men must respect David r.
Atchison."
#4#
In the course Of long sketch of Mr..
George Bancroft, the historian, which
appears in the Atlanta Constitution, is
found the following from the Washing.
ton correspondent of that paper 1t
was in 1850 that Mr.. Bancroft returned
TO the United States, supplied with
voluminous notes for his history. He
purchased property in New York city,
and for seventeen years declined the
many political Offices proircred dc.
voting himself wholly TO writing. From
1852 to 1853 five volumes appeared in
rapid succession, He Joined the Re.
publican party in its formation but, cX-
cept for few political speeches, took
no active part in politics. The year
after the close OF the war, the last vol.
umc but one of his history appeared
and in 1867 he was appointed Minister
Plcnipotentiary to Prussia by Andrew
johnson. When, in 1871, the German
Empire was established, Bancroft was
continued at that court, and did not re.
turn TO the United States until 1874
lie at once sold his property in New
York and purchased home here
where he has since resided Mr.. Ban.
croft is now in his eighty sixth year,
and, apparently, in full possession of
his powers, both mental and phys.
ical. 1t has been almost sixty
years since he conceived the idea
of writing complete history of the
United States "from the earliest settle.
ment TO the present time" But to-.
day, after period of labor that is in
| itself an ordinary lifetime, he has been
content to lay down his pen; and he has
written the history of tho United States
only to the close of the revolution, the
| point at which our Republic really be.
| gins. Half the world would ask but
one question concerning this stupcn-
| dous work, and that is, "did IL pay?'
In their sense, no. 1t brought him uu.
marketable degrees from the world s
greatest universities, untransferable fel
lowships and medals from its most
| learned societies; II made him the fore
most historian of our country, but--as
an investment of time and labor, it did
not "pay.' The history has of course
| been a constant source of income, aud
| has been translated into many Ian.
guagcs; but dependent upon receipts
from his publisher alone, Mr. Bancroft
would probably be II poor man. or Mr..
Bancroffs life since lie has been a
resident of Washington, there is little
to be said. He loves to bostridc good
horse, and the form of this aged, gray
bearded man, sitting on his spirited
steed with the tlrmncss of II cavalier,
and followed by his groom in livery,
has been for years familiar sight on
the streets of Washington He has,
too, the fondness of an Englishman for
pedestrianism. Old as he is, he walks
from his home TO the Congressional
Library-a distance of about three
miles-several times n week. He has
the economic faculty Of combining
labor with healthful pleasures, aud
much of the mental work on his his
tory has been done during his exercise
in the open air. When at his histori.
cal labors il was his custom, after
spending the morning hours in consult
ing references, to take long ride or
walk, during which he would mentally
compose the chapter upon which he
was engaged. 1t was seldom earlier
than o'clock in the afternoon when
he sat down to commit to writing the
results of the days reflections. lie
used broad, fiat, English pen, sat very
erect at his desk; and, though he wrote
little at one time, wrote that little with
great rapidity, He regards the mere
writing as the easiest part of his his
torical labors.
%'~
"E. w. A." of the Kansas City Times
furnishes that paper with sketch of
the Randolph family from the time of
their removal from Monticello, Va, to
their present homestead at Edge Hill.
He says that at the death of Thomas
Jefferson Randolph, twelve or fifteen
years ago, the property was willed to
his single daughters, with the provision
that his married daughters and sisters
should always have home there in
case of their becoming widows. Shortly
after the late war, when the family for
tunes were left in precarious state,
Miss Carrie, Miss Mary and Miss Sarah
N. Randolph opened school for
young ladies at Edge Hill, where the
| flower of Southern womanhood has
since been educated. Mrs. Jane Harli.
son, upon her widowhood, also went to
Edge Hill, and Miss Mary died several
| years ago. The school at Edge Hill
became so prosperous that Miss Sarah
| Randolph concluded to extend It, and
in consequence leased the Patapsco In,
stitute at Elliott City, Nd. Here sue.
cess alike crowned her efforts, and last
fall she gave up Patapsco and leased n
| magnificent house at the corner of
Eutaw Place and Lanvale street, the
| most historical quarter of Baltimore
She now has 100 scholars, representa-.
| tive of the best families of Baltimore
and the South.
#*M
The same correspondent says. There
are many descendants Of Jefferson liv.
ing, from great grandchildren to sew.
oral times at-grandchildren as tue
| family are wonderfully prolific.
Branches of the Harrisons, Bufllns,
Andersons Of Savannah, Ga, and
| others are lineal descendants Dr. w.
~ ~ ituHuolpll VI CnarIotteSVillc, va,
great-grandson, has a large family OF
sons and daughters, and VIM. L. Ran.
dolph of "Under the-Hill,' near Char,
lottesville, has q daughter and three
sons, Miss Sarah Randolph is well
known in literature chiefly by heI
Life of Stonewall Jackson" She has
also published greatly praised critiquC
on Nittorio Alfiero, the Italian poet OF
auld lang syne, Edge Hill is o grand
old place of 1 600 or 1,200 acres, somC
miles from Charlottesville, and !,
filled with relics Of the great com
moner,
ShufeldCs lsthmus survey.
EDITOR CRITIC: Upon reading tonight
issue was surprised to read cOmmunica
ton signed "W. NJ. H." in relation to thu