The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-03
JEFFERSON. THE NAN.
Traits and FObes Of the Famous Vrgnian Unearthed From
New Sources.

jefferson, the nation builder, the
statesman, theorist and philosopher, is
well known to his countrymen; in fact.
to all the world. The Jefferson of every
day life is a less familiar, but no less
interesting figure. No one of Jefferson S
many b.ographers has succeeded in CIV
ing an adequate presentation Of his per-
sonality, but from contemporary de-
script ons, old letters and family reco-cs
it is possible TO get a very fair and &C
CITRATE mental picture OF Jefferson's hu-
man side, for, like all heroes, he was
intensely human.
In point of stature Jefferson was IN
the Washington and Lincoln class, SIX
feet, two and a half inches in height
not as well built as Washington, but
resembling in lines of certain disoro-
portion the great Kentuckiar rather
than the almost physically perfect Viz
ginian. He was a good horseman, but
in this respect below the Washington
standard, as, indeed, what man of that
era was not? Like Washington, too,
Jefferson possessed prodigious strength.
He was the strongest man in his coun-
", and could lift the weight of LOCO
pounds with ease. His great strength
was an inheritance from his father,
who is described as having been "a
wonder OF physical force" Unlike Lin
coin, not a trace of awkwardness could
be discovered in Jefferson. The widely
different association of the two men
easily account for the fact. The log
cabin in the wilderness, the fiat boat,
the small country village, the rough
western circuit in those pioneer days,
the shirtsleeves legislature of a young
state. could not be compared, as schools
of department and the graces of life,
with the comfortable planters mansion
in colonial Virginia, the classical school,
the old college of William and Mary,
the stately establishments of the opu-
lent slave owners, with square miles Of
rich estates, the cultured life of early
Philadelphia, and, finally, long resi-
dence in the most splendid of European
capitals, and a close personal and ofiic-
ial intercourse with the leaders of the
brilliant and aristocratic court of the
most polished of French kings. But,
despite these differences, there is a
close resemblance in character and dis
position between these two national
heroes.
LACKED BEAUTY OF PERSON.
Jefferson was not a handsome man.
At the age of II he is described as tall,
rawboned, freckled and sandy-haired;
the feet and hands large, the wrists
thick, the chin and chsekboneS promi-
nent. But his appearance, of course,
improved as he grew in years. The. face
was angular the features strong and
the lines firm and well-defiined. His
complexion was rudy, the texture of
the skin fine, and the color delicately
fair. The sandy hair of youth deepened
to a reddish chestnut of luXuriant
growth. The eyes were full and deep
set, in tint a hazel, and beautiful in
expression. Daniel drew this portrait of
jefferson at the age of So: The head,
which is not peculiar in it's shape, is
set rather forward on his shoulders:
and his neck being long, there is, when
he is walking, an habitual prOtruSion
of it. 1t is still covered with hair which,
having once been red and now turning
gray, is of an indistinct sandy hue. His
eyes are small, very light, and now
neither brilliant nor striking. His chin
is rather long, but not pointed. His
mouth is well formed and still filed
with teeth; it is strongly compressed,
bearing an expression of contentment
and benevOlence. His complexion, for
merly light and freckled, now bears
the marks of age and cutaneous affec-
tion. His limbs are uncommonly long,