Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-24
HOME LIFE OF JEFFERSON.
Anecdotes by Persons Who Knew
Misunderstanding "reminiscences.


From, the Baltimore Sun.
AS it is precisely the minute details OF
his private life that go so far towards
portraying a great man, it is not strange
that curiosity in regard to them increases
the further he recedes from view.
JEFFERsON's TOMB.
Sight-seers and tourists from all parts
of the civilized world still occasionally
pay their homage at the modest tomb in
Monticello's graveyard. An excellent
country road leads from the village to
Monticello, his homestead, on a little
mountain top two miles OFF. Three hum
bred yards from the house, on the right of
the road, the eager wayfarer catches a
glimpse Of the monument erected over his
remains, small granite shaft designed
and inscribed as he directed in his will.
1t was so mutilated and Clipped for relics
that the inscription became uninteIligible
not many years ago, and Congress appro-
priated the money for a renewal OF the
monument and it's railing.
MoNTICELLo.
Fifty yards from the monument one
steps upon the artihcaily leveled top of
the Little Mount" which is the meaning
OF the name of Monticello.
Mr.. Jefferson bimselfw was the architect
o. his mansion, which, commenced in 1862,
was sufficiently completed for his Occu-
patton In 1770. After his return from
France he made improvements on the
original plan of the building, which is in
the Italian style, and constitutes, even in
dts decay, a very elegant villa aside from
all associations connected with it. The
exterior, succeed aud painted white, is
of the Doric order of architecture, and in
side the Ionic order is followed. 1t con-
sists of one large square pavilion, entered
from two pOrtic0es with lofty stone pillars
and steps. The first floor has a very
large, high room, called the "Octagonal,"
from its shape, richly Ornamented in the
antique style. Two small wings, with
Ouly ground floor and attic, are Joined to
the pavilion, and communicate with the
Kitchen, store rooms, etc, forming a base
ment over which rs a terrace. The hall,
entered from the front p0rtic0, is the tuli
height of the house, midway corridors
leading through the wings 10 the veTaa-
dahs. In the northern wing are two bed
rooms on one side of the corridor, dining
and tea room on the other side. In the
southern wing is Mr.. JeffersOn's bed
room on one side OF the corridor and a sit
ting room just opposite on the other side,
the rest OF the space being devoted to a
small library, through which the corridor
extends to the terrace, On the west side,
the parlor, or "OctagOnaP room. projects
20 feet beyond the body of the house, with
library room of the same form above,
covered by round roof. The first plan
OF this DarlOr was square, but it was af-
forwards found necessary to extend the
room beyond the square three sides of
an Octagon. The "OctagOna'' was the re-
ceptiOn and ballroom. Its floor was a
very pretty piece of les selated woodwork,
formed Of l0-lnch squares, made of the
wild cherry, very hard and the color of ma
lhogany, each square having a fOuT-inch
border of hard, light-cOlOred bescb, the
whole being capable of high polish. The
work was well put tOgetGer, and is as
good as new to-day, though OF course it
would stand no comparison beside the va
riegated parquetterie5 embellishing the
palaces of Italy.
The dwelling is truly an original one.
Throughout it's arrangements Mr. Jeffer-
sons idiosyncracies are traceable, as also
the notions he adopted from French
households and brought back home with
him. The same large French clock that
stood in the hall in his day Is still at its
post OF duty, but not OF duty, Tor it en-
not from decay mark the hour. A small
marble bust of NOltaire he brought from
Paris stands yet near the mantelpiece in
the OctagOnal, where it originally stood,
and marble bust of the founder himself,
made by the Italian sculptor Ceraechi. is
seen by the visitor on first entering the
main portal. The bedroom in which he
died is only remarkable for its small size
and simplicity. On the whole, the Wis
itOr leaves the mansion and its grounds
with the conviction that its founder could
not have selected a more picturesque site
if he had searched throughout his native
State, beautiful as SO many portions Of
1t are.
AUNT POLLY'S RECOLLECTIONS.
Col. Wentenbaker, the gallant COM
fnander of the present Thirteenth regi-
ment, Virginia Volunteers, is a manufac-
turer OF tobacco in Charlottesville and a
son of the librarian Mr.. Jefferson ap-
pointed for the University in 1926. On
being asked who was the person living in
The village with the amplest recollection
of Mr.. Jefferson. the ColOnelsaid: ''Well,
l reckon you had first better take a note
which will give you 60 my sister Fanny,
who has charge of the University In
Urinary; and she will present you TO Aunt
Polly who recOllects and has a good deal
to say about him." Aunt Polly is an aged
negress, a celebrity in the village from.
the fact that she can wildly recall the
sage's latter-day life at Monticello, sne
having waited upon him at table during
her youth. Feeble from great age, she
has been given room in the University
Infirmary ia view of the services she rem
dered to the owner of Monticello. When
she first began those services che was IT
years old, and Charlottesville consisted of
very few wood houses. Everybody in
such small place could tell Mr.. JeffeT-
son as far as he could be seen coming or
going, whether on foot, In carriage or on
horseback; usually he went about
mounted. When out in his carriage 1t
was drawn by four bay blO0ded horses,
hnely harnessed and ridden by pOstiilions
dressed in gray rOuDdabouts; of course
such an unusual turnout Indicated his
approach as far as 1t could be seen, and
children would point 1t out gleefully, and,
clapping their little hands, haHoO at the
top Of their voices, "Mr Jefferson is COM
lngp "Mr. Jefferson is cOming!"
For as he took delight in them, so
ne was favorite with them, and 1t was
MS practice TO pet and rOmp with all the
children or the families he visited in the
helghbOrhood.
Aunt Polly used to wait upon him at
table, standing behind his chair TO watch
and supply his every want. She IL evil
uentiy still impressed with the honor she
mad OF performing this special SerVice;
hne says she knows she has seen one great
man eat. He was a small eater, aud pre-
Tered soup and vegetables 10 meat, wine
" whisky. which in fact he did not drink
at al. His wines were directly imported
LOT his own use, and were chiefly Bor-
neauX and Madeira. He was a smoker,
though not OF cigars; he carried about
WIKI him "A big cherry stem foot long