Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1909-06-23
WEDNESDAY, JUNE %, 1909
Jefferson Walked To The Capitol

1t is quite true that Jefferson did not
ride horseback to his inauguration. He
walked. Here is the story of the in
auguratlon, as told by NJ. A. Lane in
Uncle Remus' Magazine;
AS for the official inauguration. that
was done in IL much more quiet and I'M
tiemonstrative manner. There are many
versions of the ;yay it was done. and
some of them are hardly worth ones
while considering. One of these latter,
however, has been made much Of and
has been told SO often by historians
that ought to have known better, that
it deserves Il special notice here The
more SO Us this story is the regular
tradition always retold to the rising
generation as an example of the sim.
plicity' of our early American states
men. This common tradition is really
one of the pretticSt of our national
myths, but as the actual facts in the
case are in reality very much prctticr,
1t will do no special harm to pulverize
it. 1t is the story of how Jefferson
"OhO w tiiC SStplIoi W JG lIluuS uTdGc(l,
md it runs usually about us follows:
After hasty cup of coffee, the great
Democrat luSt threw his leg carelessly
over his horse and ambled along all by
himself to the capitol, where he care
lessly jumped off and tied the bride to
the picket fence. before slipping up to
take the oath. This story has been told
so often that it has acquired IL distinct
nuSty flavor Always accompanied by
the explanatory statement that this
historical piece of simplicity was re-
lated by an eye witness who was there.
IND who is, therefore. %uppOs ID TO have
seen it, the story has long since passed
INTO the myth stage, where it survives
as green as IL bay tree. putting forth
ITS buds and leaves once every four
years like quadrcnnial plant
The eye witness was II certain John
Davis, Englishman by birth, and hence
u traveller by profession. Davis chanc-
cd to he in Washington about the time
Df the inauguration, took copous notes
OF everything he SAW and heard, and
published them on his return to his
own country. One of the things he
heard was the story of how Jefferson
vent to the Capitol on the morning of
bhe inauguration. and the persons he
heard it from were number of good
Fellows at the boarding house where
Mr. Davis had lodgings. Not only did
.heSc accommodating fellows furnish
Mr.. Davis with this piece of immortal
copy, but they even went SO far ~ to
make history for him in any line he
hked. His book was published i'm 1903
ut London, and can still be seen.
Jefferson did not go to the Capitol
III that way. 1t had been his intention
% go i'll his own coach, which had been
III process of building, but which could
not bc finished in time. In the absence
1T the coach, he walked.
That jefferson was troubled with
nonc Of the problems that Washington
hLd to consider, in the WAY of dress
and the like, no one need doubt. if we
remember that Jefferson was q born
.tristocrat and man Of quality who
believed and proclaimed Us loudly No
ne could that all men were born equal
With every right in the world to wear
gold shoe. buckles and iewol-hilted
'words. to say nothing ut all of silk
''tockings' he tlagrantly attrcd himself
IN the 'habiliments Of the coin,fion man
When the time came for him to set
"ut for the Capitol, he requested four