Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-04-24
MONTPELIER, HOME IF PRESIDENT MADISON.

guest" One of these wings, with the
gardens and Offices attached to it, wai
devoted exclusively to the use of OLD
Mrs. Madison, the presidents mother
who lived to a great age. Here she LED
a quiet life, near to her children, but
apart from the gay throng with which
the house was often filled. The front
door has acquired a quaint, old-time
look from the high, pointed cornice
over it. Inside the house is large and
c~ommodious, furnished plainly, but
richly, and everything is arranged with
a view to comfort, rather than orna-
ment. But the especial beauty OF
Montpelier is its magnificent trees,
many of them hoary with age, which
shut the old house in with a sort OF pro-
tecting tenderness from the outside
world. To the right is an avenue OF
| spruce pines, planted under the per-
sonal supervision of Madison, and not
far ava a grove of ancient walnu.
trees, under whose shade a solemn
quiet reigns, and the grass Is always
green. Near the house is a majestic
oak, which is SO large that a horse
placed on one side OF it cannot be seen
from the other. This has been criti-
cally tested by many people, among
them President Hayes when he visited
Montpelier, accompanied by his Cabi-
net, in 1878.
At one end Of the avenue OF pines to
which we referred above, is an ice
house, dug in the ground according to
the Virginia fashion. Over it is a
dainty little Doric temple, in which
Madison often spent long summer
mornings, reading or %conversing with
his friends. One of the traditions
which the good folk of the neighbor-
hood delight in telling is about this ice
house, which was the first ever heard
of in that section. The negroes could
not believe their ears when ordered to
fill 1t with ice early in the. winter, and
the overseer, himself filed with doubt,
straightway attempted to dissuade his
master from so useless an undertaking.
Madison was greatly amazed at this md
la%ughingly promised the man an iced
mint julep on the next Fourth of July,
in exchange for his largest turkey the
following Christmas. To this the over
seer willing agreed. deeming his turkey
perfectly safe. On the GLORIOUS
Fourth just enough ice remained in
the straw to fill the compact, and Madi-
son fold the story with great elee tn his
friends while carving a fine, large tur-
key for his Christmas dinner.
During the summer months the in
mates of Montpelier spent most Of
their time on the spacious lawn in front
OF the house. and often had dinner
served under a large, vine-covered ar
bor. In one OF Mrs. Madison's letters,
written on a hot July day fifty-seven
years ago, she says: Yesterday we had
ninety people to dine with us, at one
table, fixed under the arbor. Only a
half dozen Of them stayed all night, but
I am less worried about a hundred
guests here than twenty-five In Wash
inRton, in summer especially. / truly
believe a country home Is the ~aappiest
and most Independent in all the world"
About a quarter of a mile from the
house IS the family burying ground,
is SO surrounded by trees that
many OF the ~gravestones have been
thrown out Of line BY their spreading
roots. In thissspot lie the remains Of
.I-