The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-15
TEE STORY OF MON rICELLo.
How the Homo CT Jefferson is Said to
Have Come to Its Pres ent Owners.
From the Hartford Colrdnk


Have Come to It's Present Owners.
From the Hartford Courant
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, Aug. 1.-The
Monticello plantatio i is owned by man
AIMED Levy pronounced, or rather re-
quested to be pronounced, Levvy). | will
t IL you how he came into possession of it. if
you will listen to long story, which you
Will not hear elsewhere. My narrator mad
it OF ms father, and his father of his father,
who was the son Of that Martha Randolph,
Jetfersou's OILY surviving dAu2 hter, who
was loft at his death, when her father had
paid every dollar ne owed, even to the
uttermost farthing, without a home or
means of support l. happened in this wise,
aud we must so back to the second war with
Great Britain
w hen that difficulty was over the United
States government gave brevet rank to
most OF the creditable army and naval men
who had served through the struggle.
Young Levy was breveted fir t lieutenant
and went over TO France, where he took
high rank ia Jewish social circles-so high
rank that one of the maiden ladies of the
Rothschild family declared her passion for
the handsome commanding-lookin young
American, and swore that she would be-
come his bride. The elder Rothscnilds
were shrewd lot. They sent for tue hand
me black-eyed officer and asked on what
terms he would Instantly return home He
Indignantly assured them that he was Fan
officer and gentleman" They accepted
this fact and increased their brlbe, but not
until he had obtained something like $780,
OOO-a large sum in those days-did the
gallant American feel that his honor would
be I'm tailed and his purse atthe same time
replenlshed.
He remained in our service till about 1926
or 1891, a short time after Mr.. Jefferson's
| death, when Mrs. Randolph was about to
quit Monticello, b ing destitute of means to
keep it. A relative of her family was in
Philadelphia on business, and in his hotel
he mentioned that on a certain dAy ius5
time for him TO get to Charlottesville.
Monticello would be sold Five gentlemen
who happened to hear this speech had a
| consultation, came to the Virginian, aud
asked what figure the house and grounds
would probably bring. 1T will be sold, y
said the relative, for So, 900 TO satisfy a
cred tor who will gladly let it go for that
| on account of his consideration for the
family, for we hope to buy it in" The five
PhiladepAians at once handed the Virgin
ian 5000. Give it," they said, "anony-
mously 10 Jefferson's daughter. 1t is fro n
five men who hon his memory too highly
to permit his home to go out OF the
| family"
The Nirginian was a kind hearted but
| loQuacious follow. His whole nature was
| stirred with this news. In the stage coach
| that night, between Philadelphia and
Washington, the housekeeping youth be-
trayed his homely wits. He told every
| body of how his Cousin Martha" was to
| have Monticello Tor the rest of her days.
| that he had the check for the amount in a
Philadelphia Tank. He treated everybody
20 Old rye whisky on the strength Of it when
he reached his next stopping place. But
| there he fingered. like other mightier men.
| too heavy vita slumber to go on when tae
| bugle sounded His potatons cost him a
| days delay. But the other passengers were
not belated. Among them was a handsome.
| stalwart, younglsa man with Hebre W
! features.
When the Virginia relative arrived in
| Char lotteSville week later he went in haste
TO the pre- 81 e credit II. Here" he said.
lis your s., 900, old man, and Cousin Marth a
ard the childre have got Monticel o. y
| Monticello, " said the creditor, "was boug ht
yesterday at IL O'Clock by a northern gentle.
man, who had seel the advertisement of
the sale in Washington paper. 1t was
not my fault I'd have gone under tod ~
! if | hadn't le5 him have it at nv advertised
| price" The Virglnian went out dazed-he
went to the hotel, he found the Jey, aad
asked him what he would take for Jeffer-
sons homestead. Zone hundred thousa nd
dollar" said he who had outwit ell the
Rotnschilds. "Mein fren, YOU are a Clever
feiler, but YOU talk too muohn
| Well, as Jefferson himself has said, there
is nothing so foolish as impo ent
rage. The beloved MonIcello passed. into
tue hands of Commodore Levy, and Martha
| Randolph and her ch ldren entered 1t once
more only in all their lifetime The old rogue
was gond-natured creature. He kept the
house and grounds immaculate. Jeffefson's
belongings we're acred from profane touch.
AS each year the graveyard gats was
| opeued to receive me member of the fast
! dec vi ace his sable coach and driver
folio wed the last of all mournerS in the rear.
| HIS rejected wreathS he would return to the
humble mounds when tEe family had driven
down the winding mountain road The
| year of his death he wrote a note to Martha
Randolph a d said to her that in her declin-
ing years she might feel, perhaps, less
bitterly. would she and her remaining
daughters come to the house and spend the
day on Jefferson's birthday-that he himsei f
would not intrude upon thsmfn
II must see il befo | die said the old
woman, and at o'clock that spring morn
ing they entered the grounds. All was
UNCHANGED as they drove into the terraced
box walk in front of the house. They en-
tered, and every chair, every table was in
place. All tue rooms were opened. all
the books were on taeir accustomed shal vas