The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-09-30
JEFFERSON IN UNDREss.

lie OF tne nOur, nOthing more interesting
could have been selected by a magazine
than a sketch Of the queer, quaint ways
of one hundred years ago, when Thomas
Jefferson was dabbling in local politics
in Virginia, and was about to be married
to the beautiful widow, Mrs. Shelton,
who gave happiness and brightness to
ten years of the great mans life. In the
October Scribner, Paul L. Ford has
given an interesting sketch from Janu-
AIRY LIST, 1772, Jefferson's wedding day,
showing some OF the experiences attend
ing that event, and miscellaneous entries
which are decidedly piquant, viewed at
this distance. One entry in his note
book shows that he gave Mrs. Shelton
ten shillings on December 10Th, and
next day forty shillings for a marriage
license. On January LIST he gave the
Reverend w. Coutts five pounds in con-
nection with the wedding, and the next
day five pounds marriage fee to Mr..
Davies, and on the following day ten
shillings for the fiddler. On January %
he informs us that he gave Mrs. Jeffer-
son seven shillings and sixpence.
jefferson was then practicing law, and
had plenty of cases, though it would
appear that the returns were not very
large. His practice at this period
amounted on paper to 1.4S9 pounds, but
he actually received from 1867 to ITO
in fees only 474 pounds, los. 1t is clear
from his note book that he kept a very
strict account of his expenses. For in
stance, n memorandum shows that he
loaned Patrick Henry seven and one half
pence. Only think of Patrick Henry,the
great orator of Virginia, the man who
astonished the British by his %eloquence
and learning, borrowing from Jefferson
seven and one.half pence. or 10 cents.
Nothing could more strikingly illustrate
the difference between those times and
our own. In another place he credited
his mothers estate with one bottle of
wine.
coilCthiHS VI tic CoLuitiOH " WdSco
is shown by other entries. Mr.. Jeffer-
son had a large number of slaves and it
seems that his work was done chiefly by
men that he hired. One entry shows
that he agreed to pay George Brady s
pounds a year land meat as given to the
other negroes of our family. He pays
his taxes ard clothes himself" The
hire of seven negroes that he hired of
Mr.. Epps in Bedford for a year was set
tied at lG pounds, out of which was to
be deducted the feeding of their children,
which was. as Mr.. Cox said, not allowed
for. In the next year some of the en-
tries are very curious. One shows that
he paid one shilling and three pence for
seeing an alligator and two shillings for
seeing some Dutch dancing. Then he
paid two shillings and %sixpence for a
puppet show, thirty shillings toward the
expense of a ball. and twelve shillings to
hear an organ played at church. For
two tickets to see a balloon he paid fff-
teen shlllings, and at a masquerade ball
six francs. This last of course was
while he was in France. For seeing a
learned pig he paid one shilling. Three
days after the destruction of the bastile
in Paris he records that he gave six
TO see the bastile, and a little later
gave sixty francs for the widows of those
killed in taking the bastile. His polit-
lcal career in Virginia furnished many
curious items. One shows that he paid
Mrs. Scott for cakes at election yesterday
forty-tive shlllings, and again paid Rich
ard Scott for six dozen cakes at the
t~wenty-four shillings.
Whether these cakes were really cakes,
or only another name for grog, is a ques-
ton which the politicians must settle.
but is is certain that candidates have
long since ceased setting up the cakes to
their constituents. But later we find
that Mr.. Jefferson also had expences for
other things besides cakes, at election
time, for we find a record of one shilling
for beer, ninepence for d toddy, at An
derson's, n shilling and sixpence for
grog, and one shilling for punch. Then
we find that he lost seven shillings and
sixpence at backgammon, and at lotto
eighteen shillings, and we also find that
he had to pay one shilling and three
pence for Mrs. Jefferson's loss at cards.
The author of this sketch says in clos
ing, I'VE have seen Jefferson in many
phases, and in all he has been found cul-
tured, generous, rather ex%travagant, and
very human"
Though the times are so different
men are very much the same, and when
we look at Jefferson in undress we have
a familiar type of the average man of
our own day. How many among them
have the character or the ability Of JEFF
ferson can only be determined by time
and experience.