The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-04-18
He Declines TO Let Uncle Sam
Buy Monticello.
1T WAS HOME OF JEFFERSON
Preparations for Unwilling Of Column
bus Memorial on Union Station
Plaza. In Washineton-Rubey's
Good Roads Plan.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


ferson. The government lost the place
many years ago. and the present own
er declares he does not wish to sell
the property to Uncle Sam or anyone
else.
The wife of Representative Martin
w. Littleton Of New York has written
much about Monticello with view to
arousing enthusiasm for it's purchase.
She wrote q little book called "One
Wish" not long ago and TO this she
intends to add chapter to increase
the sentiment in favor OF government
ownership Of the old Virginia resi-
dence of the third president
The new chapter in Mrs. Littleton's
book shows how the government once
lost Monticello. 1t appears that Com
modore Uriah p. Levy, descendant
of Jefferson on the female side, pur-
chased the estate at auction following
the death of the great American. and
later willed the property to the United
States Relatives interposed. took the
matter into court, and managed to
break the Will, and in this way the
famous property came into the pos
session of Jefferson NJ. Levy Of New
York, a nephew of Commodore Levy,
and now a representative in congress
from the Empire state.
Will Honor Columbus Memory.
The Knights of Columbus have been
holding a. quarterly meeting in the
city Of Washington. They prepared
TO take part in the ceremonies Of the
unwilling Of the statue of Christopher
Columbus, which will stand on the
plaza of the new Union station. There
are to be elaborate ceremonies in
| Washington when the Columbus mem
orial is unveiled in Il few weeks time.
! The Knights of Columbus will have
| $4,000 men in line In full regalia, with
scores OF floats. elaborate and histori-
| cal, depicting incidents in connection
with the discovery OF America by the
great Italian who sailed under Span
ish colors.
Other organizations. of course. will
take part. The navy and the army will
help In the ceremonies, and there will
be an address by the president of the
United States.
Rubeys Good Roads Bill.
Representative Rubey OF Missouri
has introduced a bill into congress ito
distribute the surplus in the treasury
of the United States TO the several
states territories and the District of
Columbia for the sole purpose of i'm
proving the roads therein" The meas
ure introduced by Mr.. Rubey makes
| il the duty of the secretary OF the
treasury at the end of each fiscal year
to take an account of all the funds UNI
der his charge and after deducting
| from the sum the amount required
| by law 10 be kept in the treasury, to
declare the remainder, If any, sur
plus for which immediate provision
shall be made to distribute in sum
not exceeding $25,000,000 annually on
per capita basis TO the states and
territories and District Of Columbia for
the Improvement OF the postal roads.
There is not very much chance that
the Rubey bill will become law, even
though ii avoids constitutional diff
culties by making the money available
only for roads which are used by the
government for postal purposes. The
interest in good roads, however. has
been spurred recently in congress.
Uncle Sans Relics.
Uncle Sam is a hoarder of relics
and collector Of curios. lie has
one advantage over private col
lectors in that people know what
Jealous care he exercises to pre-
serve things and how willing he is to
give credit where credit is due. So
il is that many holders of things his
toric present them to Uncle Sam, GER
tain that they will be spread before
the gaze of the admiring thousands
with the name Of the donor attached
in large letters set up and printed
after the best manner of the govern
ment composing room and printery
Sometimes, however, Uncle Sam
has to buy something and preliminary
TO doing it he tries to find out how
much il is to cost and if there is any
chance OF getting it for nothing.
Sometime ago, for instance, he nego-
tiated with n Portland, Ore, man for
the purchase at the price of $500 Of a
manuscript order book, once the prop
erty Of Gen. Arthur Stint Clair, who
was governor of the Western Terri
tory and commander Of its military
forces during the administrations OF
Presidents Washington and Adams.
Uncle Sam gets his money TO buy
manuscripts from the secretary OF
the treasury after congress by joint
resolution has given him permission
to make the purchase.
Had Grants Field Orders.
II is said in Washington that in the
city of Utica. N. Y. there is an his
toric treasure which surpasses in in
terest mere order book OF Arthur
Saint Clair sterling soldier though he
was. There died recently in Utica a
man who owned scores of General
Grants field orders, written entirel"
in the generals own hand, and every
one bearing the signature of the gen.
eral of the United States army. Grant
It is said, wrote these various orders
and dispatches and gave them to HE