The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-04-15

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mat the pens were quilts and had to be
! trimmed frequently. and that both pens
| id- 10 DE Kept mixed, and that the weight
| OF the instrument had to be moved with
! every stroke Of the pen. and that Mr.. JEFF
| ferson had stiff right wrist-then one
| VIII nave some idea of what he would en-
| uure IN personal discomfort for the sake
| OF the method which forced him to keen
| copies of his letters
| When he entered President Washing
| tons cabinet as secretary of state ana
there met Alexander Hamilton, secretary
| OF the treasury, all through the battle
! royal which ensued betwee them he
| maintained his writing habit He kent
| notes of what went on at the cabinet
| meetings, making them on envelopes and
| stray DTS or paper. and afterward copv-
| ing them in n book He kept IN that
hast until Just before he retired from his
| second term MS president to return to
| private life. These scraps and notes he
published. under the title of The Anas of
! Thomas Jefferson" "anas' being a mean
| ingless word of his own invention The
| publication of the notes, giving as they
| dld the most intimate secrets of the first
sixteen years of fedora administration,
| causel some bitter controversies many of
| which are not yet settled
Fighting for personal freedom was the
| serious business of his life writing let
| tiers ard notes his chief occupation, play
Ing the fiddle and higher mathematics
/ were his recreations and amusements, and
| building houses his reckless dissipation
In late years there has been an attempt
| to tear down the reputation of Mr.. JEFF
! ferson as a fiddler. One late hlogra pher
says he was the worst fiddler in Virginia
| Writer'S of his time credit him with be-
! ing one of the best Whatever the truth
| ma be about his iddling ability, It is OF
IN In Nir-
| ginia were worshipng at the shrine OF
! the pretty widow Martha Shelton, Mr.
Jefferson went with his violin and Martha
! played on the harpslchord. The beaux,
who had come for miles to pay court,
stopped in the hall and listened THAT'S
Tom Jeferson's fiddle" said one. Then
we had as well leave" said another. And
they left. or course, the pretty Widow
SHELTON became Mrs. jefferson, and until
he- death the relations between the hns-
band and wife We're ideal. At her death
Mr. Jefferson was almost killed by grief
ana the shadow that fell on him then was
never lifted.
Mathematics he loved. He liked to re-
vel in the higher branches of that ex-
act and abstruse science but like Ma
poleon, who mad the same tastes, he sell
dom could foo. up a column of simple ae-
counts without making n mistake. lie
kept an elaborate system of books, but
went bankrupt. He built houses SO prod
, igally and entertained so many visitors
at Monticello that he was literally eaten
out of house and home. When he first
entered the practice of law he made a
great deal OF money, but upon entering
politics he declared his purpose never
to engage, while in public office. in any
kind of enterprise for the Improvement
OF my fortune, nor to wear any other
character than that OF farmer" In his
old age he was saved by Congress buying
his library, although he was forced to
ask the state to permit him to dispose Of
his estate by lottery. When he retired
from the White House he was In actual
danger Of being arrested for debt.
Jesse Maury of Charlottesville who died
only year ago at the age of 50, remem-
bered Mr.. jefferson quite well. He was
fond OF telling IA story of the day when
building was to be dedicated at the
University of Virginia. and President
Monroe had come from Washington to
be present. Ex-President Madison was
there. also, and Mr.. jefferson, of course.
The three. Jefferson, Madison and Mon
roe. were walking down the street. when
they met Mr.. Maurys father and the boy.
Replying to the elder Maurys salutation.
Mr.. Jefferson said: well, we have three
Presidents here; IL there was another We
would have a quorum and could take
drink Mr.. Maury drew himself UP and
said: You Forget, Mr.. JEFFERSON, that |
am the president OF the Charlottesville
Possum clubi' It's a quorumu cried
Mr.. Jefferson, and there was a tavern
handy with mint all ready for the cup.
Mr.. Jefferson was accused of being an
ATHEIST by his political enemies. lie said
OF the sayings of Jesus: "A more beauti-
full or precious morsel of ethics [ have
never seen; IL is document in proof
that am real Christian-that is to say,
a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus" This
was said relative to the so-called "Jef-
ferson Bible" made up of the sayings OF
Jesus. which he cut from the texts of
the Bible in Greek. Latin. French and
English, and pasted In parallel columns IN
blank book Congress a few years ago
had $500 Photographic copies made of the
book, but the supply was soon exhausted.
Mr.. Jefferson was an accomplished linz
guist, reading Greek and Latin with ease,
and speaking French. Italian and Spanish
with fuency. He wrote treatise on the
study OF Anglo-Saxon which stands a
classic. His Notes on Virginia" COM
piled at the request OF the French gov
ernment remain i'm use today as the foun-
daton for histories and biographies of
that state. After more than eighty-three
years OF a singularly active life. Thomas
jefferson died on the Fourth OF July. 1925.
just forty years from the day when his
great Declaration OF Independence was
adopted The same day. John Adams.
the second President of the United States,
also died. FREDERIC j, HASKIN.