The National tribune., 1899-04-27
WASHINGTON THURSDAY APRIL q, 1899
MONTICELLO.
Home of Thomas Jefferson.
His Fathers Farm-Jefer-
sons Broad Acres-His Uni
versity.

bright day, with the naples abloom
| in scarlet, the birds singing across he
meadows and on the Eillsides, the earth
all red where the pillow and rains had
| treshened it, mists rising from the valley
in the sunlight, the blue OF the SKIES
| shining like a jewel wherever the breeze
had rent the cloudS-on such IL Gay III
| April-a Virginia day, blue and perfect
we iourneyed up the side of the Little
Mountain" to see the home OF 1homas
Jefferson. "Monticello' is owned by
New Yorker. who uses 1t Tor an occ"
| sional residence, keeps it in perfect con,
dition, not imposing new adornmehIs anu
contrivances upon its old-tIme oishi'!
and simplicity, and permits pilgrims l"
the place. One must be sorry to CONFESS
that it is well guarded by host OF ser
wants to protect it from nine-tenthS ="
the pilgrims, who are ruthless vandals.
not hesitating to break and mar the uees
and shrubs, and even carrying OIL housc
hold ornaments. The house is n dieni
fed building of wide and ample Walls
and round about are the many ilttle seph
rate buildings that it was then the 1ash
ion to build-Mr. JeffersOn's Office, the
kitchen, servants quarters, and o'hef
little red brick one-room houses with
white trimmings and green blinds. Inc
wide portico, with its great piliars' over
looks the farm in the valley where fetel
jefferson lived and plOwed his helds' an
unwilling that the son born under MS
lowly brown roof was to bring etefhai
honor to his name and acres.
When Thomas Jefferson-brilliant, ac
complished, full of social graccs, and with
heart and brain teeming with hopes and
energy for the accomplishment OF Tree
dom for his S:atc-came home from the
English schools and colleges, his first
work was to increase his lands and bulid
him a home. His fathers land was not
enough for the ambitious youth in those
ea,Iy days in Virginia, when gentleman
| measured his comfort and claim to arlS-
tocracy by the number OF his acres. so
he bought thousands of acres OF hill and
| vale IiverlandS and fields to call his
own. and on top Of a little mountain he
built his house. To-day many men dwell
in the city that lies in what was then a
little hollow in his vast estates. lhey
have their work, their churches, schools,
their sorrows and Joys in the space that
his eve often glanced over without noting
as he watched the hight beyond where
his University was building. his thou
sands of acres have become the farms
ard homes of the many, and the freedom
that he sought so eagerly has blessed
lhis little kingdom that once was his,
and since those eager days OF his youth
a country has grown to greatness by his
thought.
A winding drive brought us TO the outer
gates, a tolling bell warned the servants
Of our approach and an "Old Uncle Ned
| the ronrt1lS
grinning ard scraping and bowling over
his lest that "NIarse Tom was not IN
No sab; but come right in, san! nan
the way up the long drive through me
well wooded grounds we saw the incl0sed
spacc where Jefferson lies buried. inns
little square is all that the Jefferson de
| scendants own of the great estate. Inc
shaft and it's inscription are exactly as
he MANNED. The United States erected
the monument, ard followed his express
wish that there should be only straight,
plain shaft OF marble, OF ordinary size,
| bearing the inscription: Thomas Jefier-
son. Author of the Declaration OF lnde-
pendence; of the Statute of Virginia for
| Religious Freedom and Father of the
University of Virginia." These were the
works of his life that were his own pride
that he was scholar, diplomat, statesman,
President of his country, these might or
might not be forgotten, but he himself
wished it writ in the stone that he was
the ready champion of freedom-of free
dom for his country, for his State, and OF
chat higher freedom which learning gives.
The sunshine and futtering shadows of
leaf and branch Of the trees on the hill
sides roundabout soften the stem lines
of the marble, and give life and motion to
the silent place.
The inner gate, we'll guarded by darky
servants, was opened for us, and we
came upon the wide lawns, blue with
periwinkles and sweet with little blue
veined white violets. The house was 81
lent ard darkened, and only the old two
faced clock, with its one face turned in
to the great hall ard the other looking
out on the wide porticO, had seen those
gay days when the young master and his
host OF gallant friends danced and sang
with the ladies in their powder and
patches and wide brocade skirts-or OF
those fierce days when the British sol
dicrs rode in hot pursuit of the young
Republican, riding right into the great
hall, whose floor to-day bears a dent from
the hoof of a red-coat's horse. Jefferson
escaped through a secret door and out
the cellar way, whose door we saw on the
lawn The tale runs that he rode horse
that was shod backwards, tricked his
enemies, and was down the mountain