The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-13
MONTICELL'S SAGE
MISSOURI PAYS TRIBUTE AT TOMB
OF JEFFERSON.
MEMORIAL SHAFT UNVEILED.
INTERESTING EXERCISES HELD ON
HISTORIC SPOT.

st. Louis Jefferson Club, $50 Strong,
( Comes All the Way to CharIottes-
vile to Honor the Memory of It's
Great ExempIar, Bringing with
Them a Beautiful Shaft of Red
Missouri Granite - The Affair
Taken Part in by the People of
AlbermarIe County Addresses
Made by Distinguished Missou-
rians and virginians.
Richmond, Va, Oct. 1.-TWO hun
dred and fifty members of the Jeffer-
SON Club of St. Louis, Mo-, together
with great throng of citizens from
Albemarle county and other nearby
points, assembled to-day at Monticello,
the historic home of Thomas Jefferson,
few miles from Charlottesville, Va,
to pay their tribute of devotion at the
shrine of the great statesman and
patriot.
The occasion was primarily due to
the Missouri organization, which bears
the name of the sage of Monticello.
They came to the Old Dominion to do
honors to their great exemplar and
to unveil at the home of Jefferson a
beautiful memorial shaft of red Mis-
souri, granite, which they brought
with them. In years gone by Virginia
had contributed to the bullion state a
gray granite shaft which formerly
NAKED the grave of jefferson,
and now stands on the campus
of the Missouri state university
at Columbia, Mo. The new monument
now offered as a graceful token of ap
probation for this priceless gift, bears
the following inscriptions
Thomas jefferson. Citizen, states
man, patriot. The greatest advocate
of human liberty, opposing special
privileges, he loved and trusted the
people. To commemorate purchase of
Louisiana. Erected by the Jefferson
Club of st. Louis, Mo. on their pill
grimage, Oct. II, 1901. To express
their devotion to his principles"
JeGersOn's own Inscription.
The inscription on the shaft which
now stands on the Missouri university
campus has become world famous be-
cause it was written by Thomas JEFF
it shows the achievements which he
considered the most meritorious of his
long life. The inscription on that
stone reads: s..
Here was buried Thomas Jefferson,
author of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence. of the statute of Virginia for
religious freedom, and father of the
University of Virginia"
The authenticity Of the gravestone
\
Congress appropriated $4,000 for a
monument over Jefferson's grave, the
Misses Randolph, residuary legatees of
Thomas Jefferson, presented the orig
inal shaft to the University of Missouri,
It was unveiled July 4, 1885, on the
university campus with ceremonies in
which United States Senators Vest,
Thomas Bayard, then secretary of
state, and other prominent Americans
participated.
The Jefferson Club, which left ST.
Louis in a solid train of Pullmans on
Thursday night, reached Charlottes
vile early in the morning and after
breakfast on the train were taken in
hand by members of the city council.
The formal exercises at Monticello be-
gan at 10, O'Clock, but the long line
of carriages containing the Missouri
ans and others filed into the ground
shortly after 9 o'clock. At the head of
the visitors was the clubs famous
drum and fife corps.
Many Distinguished Speakers.
The visitors were welcomed to Month
cello by Hon. Jefferson M. Levy. who
alluded to Jefferson as the greatest
statesman and profoundest thinker of
any time or country"
Responses, were made by Harry B.
Hawes, president of the club, and
Lit. Gov. Lee of Missouri.
The presentation of the granite
monument was made by Hon. M. e.
Benton, Congressman from the Fiji
teenth Missouri district, and in the alb
sence of Gov. Tyler, the monument
was accepted by Gen. Fitzhugh Lee,
representing the Democracy of Virgin
ia.
The following addresses were also
delivered:
"The Declaration of Independence"
by ex-Gov. William ]. Stone.
Abolition of Law of Entail" by Con-
gresham Charles E. Cochran.
distinguished Sons of Albemarle,"
by Hon. r. T. w. Duke
1.-The University of Virginia" by
Hon. Frank NJ. Estes.
The copper box put in the base of the
monument contained the constitution
of the club, the names of the higher
officials of the United States govern
ment, and a parchment roll of the Oh
ficers of the Jefferson Club.
At 2:30 the Westerners were enter
tained at luncheon by Mr.. Levy, and
an hour later most of them drove TO
the University to attend the virginia
Enn