The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-13
At MONTICELLO.
Number of Senator'S Visit JetfersOn's
HOme-What They Saw There.

washington POSl
The first thing the visitors were shown on
entering the Jefferson mansion was the
great box-lke clock, high over the door
three or four times the size of the ordinary
"grandfather's clock" of a century ago, and
made, so it was said, by Jefferson himself
The weights consist of a dozen huge iron
balls, the cords being carried from the
clock so that the weights hang from pull
leys in opposite corners of the room. These
would hardly be an ornament in a modern
reception hail. but in this great high-ceil-
inged apartment they were singularly at
tractive.
Beneath the clock depends a weather
connects it with the vane on the roof. JEFF
ferson was the first weather observer in
the United States, and this contrivance, by
which he could know the direction of the
wind on the stormiest or coolest day with
out going out into the yard and looking up
at the roof. was only one of the many in
ventions of a like character.
In another corner of the room was a
huge spy-glass, with which Jefferson from
the roof of his home, was wont to super
wise the work going on in the various fields
of his extensive estate. 1t is also related
that he used the spy-glass, which has pow
erful lenses, equal to anything of modern
make, to personally watch the construc-
ton of the University of Virginia buildings,
in which he was especially interested.
Colonel Duke, one of the oldest inhabi-
tants of Charlottesville, who was boy of
four years when Jefferson died, told how
Jefferson one day, watching the workmen
laying brick on a university building four
miles away, saw one of the men putting in
a defective brick. The great statesman i'm
mediately descended, called for his saddle
horse and dashed away down the noun
tain and across the valley to the univer-
sity ground, where he called up the Offend
ing workman and made him undo all that
he had done since the poor brick was laid.
This story, Colonel Duke said, jefferson
had often told his father, who had related
it to him.
Jefferson must have been considerable of
a liar himself" was the only comment
made, and that by senator who shall be
nameless because he is a Democrat
Jefferson was wonderful man for ac-
curacy of detail" said Senator Bacon, of
Georgia. II know a man in my State-Mil-
ledge is his name. The city of Milledge-
vile was named after his grandfather. who
was once Governor of the State-who has
in his possession a letter which / have
seen, which is a most remarkable illustra-
ton of this feature of Jefferson's char
acter
Governor Milledge-the grandfather / am
speaking of now-wanted to pay visit to
John Randolph, of Roanoke, and asked
jefferson to tell him the way. The letter of
which l speak gives the most minute direc-
tions for travelling from the city of Wash
ington to Randolph's home, beginning with
telling him where to take the ferry in
Georgetown to cross the Potomac. This let
ter l do not believe has ever been pub
lisbed. 1t interested me greatly, and l think
l shall send for copy and have it pub
lished.
No portraits of Jefferson or any member
of his family now adorn the walls of the
old mansion. All the personal effects of the
family were removed when the estate was
sold in 1S43. 1t was purchased at forced sale
by man named Barley, who soon sold
it, however, to Commodore Levy. A por-
trait of the latter. in uniform, adorns the
wall to the right of the main entrance In
his right hand is q scroll partly unrolled
which bears these words: Author of the
act that abolished flogging in the United
States navy.
Commodore Levy was the uncle of the
p1 esent owner of Monticello. The latter was
born in the old mansion, and was chris
tened by his patriotic parents jefferson
1863 in New York. In his will he provided
that the estate of Monticello should be Civ
to the commonwealth Oh virginia. IN
return for which the State should establish
a school for the education of the children
of warrant officers in the navy. The feeling
ir the North at that time against the South
was so great that the heirs caused the will
to be set aside and in the distribution of
the estate subsequently. Monticello became
the property of jefferson NJ. Levy. To all
suggestions that the federal government or
the State of Virginia should purchase the
place and maintain it public park, Mr..
Levy has replied that no money could buy
it He has no need of money. and il pleases
him to maintain the famous estate as near
" as possible it was in Jefferson's time.
On the mahogany center table in the par
Tor lie foar volumes. the magnificent bind
ing of which not even age has impaired
The books contained the published writ
ings of jefferson and from the inscription
on the f1y-leaf of the first volume 1t is
seen that the books were specially bound
to be presented TO Louis Kossuth, the great
Magyar statesman, patriot and martyr, by
the heir of Jefferson, at the time Kossuth
visited this country. Why they We're not
presented is not known. Mr.. Levy heard
of them in possession of a book dealer in
New York and purchased them for Month
cello.
Many of the magnificent shade trees on
the lawns-oaks. lindens. sycamores. To-
Gusts and walnuts-are of the last half
century growths but several of them were
planted BY jefferson himself. Among these
are two stately linden trees Of remarkably
slow growth.
An Eastern senator. aware OF this fact in