The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-06

had moved to England, pair Of wild
turkeys, and received in return some
English pheasants which he liberated in
his woods He was fond Of horses and
was a good judge Of them. He kept a
stallion. and paid part Of enc Of DR..
Charles Taylor's long bills for medical at
tendance by the horses services He ex-
perimented with mules for a time. secur-
ing ten from Kentucky through his cous-
in. James Taylor.
The main source Of income from the
farm, was Of course, tobacco. This, for
many years he shipped 10 his agent at
Liverpool James Maury, and afterwards
to the firm Of Maury & Latham The
last ten years Of his life he found it more
advantageous to sell his tobacco in Rich
mond John A. Lay being his agent and
the Farmers bank his depository. In
Nay, 1925. Lay deposited TO his credit for
tobacco sold s78T56 in June S597s0, in
July SSH and in August $3.50 This
might have been a part, and a large part
Of one seasons crop, but It is impossible
10 compute from il the amount actually
cleared. Towards the end he was IN
able himself 70 effetually superintend his
estate. on account Of his failing health,
and finding overseers, as Corbin express
ed it. more perplexing than even the
negroes themselves" he decreased his
farming activity HIS financial embar-
rassment increased. and the whole es-
Enlistment at Montpelier was curtailed.
From a stable fun Of horses for pleasure
purposes he came at the end to have
only a pair. He was obliged to sell some
Of the outside property he owned. and
nevertheless he was in debt. He solicit
ed a considerable loan from the United
States bank in 1925. but Nicholas Biddle.
the president told him the bank had
adopted a rule against long loans and
loans on real estate, and could not grant
his request
The Montpelier life was, indeed. such
as none btu a rich man could support.
Ii was simple enough. but ruinously law
ism. When Madison retired from the
presidency and came back to Virginia to
stay. he gave an entertainment 70 all the
people in the county The lawns were
covered with tables and the people feast
ed inside and outside the house There
was a constant stream Of visitors at all
seasons. and many If them were guests
Of the house for several days at time
With his never. failing good nature and
humor. Madison used to say that some Of
these visitors were taxes AMI others
bounues, but they were al made well
come and were given food and drink
The record Of importau0ns and purchas-
es Of wines alone would astonish the
most extraya giant modern housekeeper
himself drank little. but his guests re-
naming at the table after dinner were
prabaly less abstemious. It was at these
sit-ines that he was fond Of telling those
eood stories which used to pass from
mouth 10 mouth. and few of which
have been preserved.
To run the house end farm at Mont
pelier required q goodly crew Of negroes.
and Madison had about one hundred
slaves. In the house were Paul Jen-
Rings. major d1mo and bo5v-servant 70
Madison: Reuben. a worthless scamp,
whom Madison used to threaten to per
souaUy castigate Turkey and Betsy in
the kitchen. one famous for her pastry.
and a lot Of others whose names are now
lost. Among the country negroes in the
south there is even now an easily recog-
nized opinion concerning the whate fami-
lies formerly their owners and now their
employers. a man to be popular with
them must win his way by considerate-
ness. kindness, justice and generosity.
They take pride in the chief characters
and chief establishments in their neigh
b7rhood. The old ones preserve among
them TO the present day Madison anec-
dotes and stories which have not lost
flavor by constant repetition, and are
doubtless meli3wed by general embeIIish-
ment. but which have the true basis Of
remembered and traditional kindness. The
position which he came to occupy with
his white neishbors was such as no
other man ever held before or has held
since Everybody knew him and every
body held him in reverenuaI esteem To
them he was the greatest man in Amer
lea