The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1897-04-14
THE HOME OF JEFFERSON

INV 1ork Dispatch.
Monticello, in Virginia, the BIRTHPLACE
OF Thomas Jefferson, should be, William
j. Bryan believes, a. national reservation
and memorial of the great Democratic
President. The recent candidate for the
Presidency has set his heart upon this
project and is going to advocate it with
all his characteristic energy.
Mr.. Bryan will put forth his ideas on
the subject next Thursday before a.
league Of Democratic clubs. He will adj
vocate that Congress make ali appropria-
ton for the purchase of the property and
the maintai11anee' thereof, and sltot,b4
this project fall through, then the Dem
ocrats OF the country subscribe sum of
money for the same purpose. .s;i =;
: But there is this slight ;drawback-.to
Mr.. Bryan's hopes-the property is
owned by Mr.. Jefferson M. Levy, of this
city, who takes SO great a family pride
In it that he does not care to part with it
tor any amount of money. Mr. Bran is
hopeful, however, and will push his Ell
treaties and negotiations. Mr.. BRYAN
wrote to Mr.. Levy last Saturdy> askino
him to name the selling price Of the
Monticello property and briefly outlining
the great project he had for. a national
memorial. MIR. Bryan believed that
private interests, no matter how la,idaLle
ought to give way to public redfuire-
inents. He furthermore believed that it
would rebound to Mr. Levy's honor to
have the nation to take hold of the birth
place OF the distinguished President.
Mr.. Levy yesterday sent a courteous
reply to MIR. Bryan, to Washington, and
duplicate of it to Lincoln, Neb. The
g1st OF his answer was that. not alb, the
money IN the United States Treasury
would induce him to part with it. This
Is not the first time Mr.. Levy has been
approached on the same subject. He
has refused large sums of monev for
Monticello. Mr.. Bryan knows this, but
hopes that if the project is taken up by
the nation, the owner may change his
mind. Mr.: Levy told me yesterday that
were 1t not for his family. which took
mold OF It soon after Mr.. Jeffersol's
death, in 1926. there would be no .Ieffer-
son home to negotiate for. The LEWIS
have preserved it and maintained it and
have done better than the government
could, dos. "The property consists oil
oto aeresf said Mr. Levye .'an ;1aidr,out
IN park: Serpentine roads wind in and
but Of the park for 40 miles. There is IS no !
restriction on the public tie pari isl
oper to them at all .tiiles::s When l anil
Here visitors are admitted to the house
and when am away my card 11dsi IS a sxaffi-
cie1t passport. s!{ - :s.,afG 1
lie Monticello mansion is .known' :as
one OF the most famous homes of great |
men, both in this country and abroad
After the death of Jefferson it passed into
he hands'of an= ardent adn1irer ofslilis
commodore g p Uriah P. Levy, of the United
states Navy. He aud his mother made
their home. In 1884 Commodore Lew
to the United States the col
osal bronze statue of Jefferson by David
lie Anjours, now in the Capitol He
ought On the side of the Union. =
When his nephew, Jefferson M. Lew.
became of age, he repaired and restored
he old home to its former glory and
grandeur after it had been closed up fort
ome fifteen years. Everything is re-
aimed i'll the house in the same style- asj
# the time of Jefferson. Mr.; Levy Ias]
from abroad objects-of art andI
las replaced the lost articles of f,,rn,i- /
ure as near to the style of former yearsI
S possible. The great statesman isl
urled in the woodland, some fifteen
hundred yards from the house. Main
rairite shaft marks his grave, and a
Ugh iron railing surrounds the grave
ard
The RoBEsoN1AN office is eouip-E
ed with new type. new plcsses- .
nd other machinarv snd ;o MI !