The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-03-09
The Son Of Mrs. President Madison

The Son OF Mrs. President Madison
vide Awake.
Mrs. Madison's property, valued at
$50, 900, was finally divided between
Anna and Payne Todd-to the lat
ter the money was welcome. Hehad
dissipated his own fortune, his
mothers private property, and
Montpellier-''he literally drank up
the place and the negroes" remarks
one who knew him well, speaking Of
Montpelier. President Madison had
labored in vain to reform his habits
of idleness and extravaganza and al
SO had paid many of his debts.
Some of his means he had sunk in
the erection of a strange structure,
on on eccentric plan, upon his own
estate. Todds- birth, intending that
his mother should there make her
home. The house originally upon
the place had been burned and he
had built a great tower with hall
room and state dining room, group
ing around it several small buildings,
some old, Others new; in one of these
cottages his mother was to live, en-
tering the dinging room through a
window. When he built this house
which for lack of money he was I'M
able to complete-he was interested,
like many people at that time, in the
subject of silk culture and intended to
turn the place into q silk farm; and,
Enthusiastically, before he had
planted his mulberry trees, or hatch
ed his silk worms, he imported a
number of Frenchmen to make the
silk. Toddsbirth is still standing
not far from Montpelier.
Mrs. Madison last breath brought
forth the words, "My poor boy!"
and it is impossible for any one to
think of her son without a sigh. Step
by step he grew disagreeable and dis
sipated. A cousin, recalling him to-
day, writes:
GAS for my cousin, Payne Todd,
my childish memories of him do not
bear repeating. His manners were
perfectly Grandisonian, but l was
little afraid of him. Do not ask me
why"
He became a gourmand and Who'll
ly lost his beauty and elegance. He
cultivated a taste for foreign cook.
cry, and friend of his boyhood says
that he was continually sending to
the Old World for favorite articles oil
food; so that at last he was enor-
mously stout, quite the figure that
man must be who drinks liquors as
constantly and eats as self-indulgent-
ly as did he. One who remembers
him in his later years, after his inner
tied beauty wass obliterated, says
that he looked very much like every
other common man who becomes
dissipated-bloated and pulled and
grizzly and slouchy.
Payne Todd accomplished nothing
In his life that was worth q mans
while. During the first years of the
Monroe administration he was Pres
ident Monroe's private secretary, but
for some reason did not remain. He
ran for congress and was defeated.
He never took his place among coun-
try gentlemen as the master of his
estate. He never married. He for
feited the esteem ofevery friend whom
his mother and President Madison
secured for him. At ~, he died Of q
long and fearful fever in Washington,
two years after Mrs. Madison, at a
hotel On Fifteenth street, surrounded
by some of his mothers old slaves
but with no white person near him.
During his conscious moments he had
been full of grief and remorse. In
the snow and cold, on Washington's
birthday he was laid to rest in the Con-
gressional cemetery, followed there
by a carriage containing one friend
and another with his servants. 9th
srs of the family buried there were
afterwards removed. but no one had
sufficient interest in Payne Todd to
care where he rested. His only part
n the world now is an example of a
wasted life.