The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-10-28

two separate purchases. Madison pre-
pared certain Of his papers for publ
cation before he died, and Congress
bought some of these shortly after his
death. Later on it bought h re-
mainder. Then some Of the papers
fell into the hands Of his stepson,
Payne Todd who deposited them with
James C. Mcclure of Washington. Nc
CURE was a collector of manuscripts.
He had loaned Todd money and Todd
had given him the papers as security,
and when the debt was not paid they
fell n his hands. Later on the Nc
CURE collection was sold to the Chi
cagO Historical Society. and it was
only a year OF SO also hat I persuad-
ed that society to sell them to us. The
heads of the society were business
men. They thought that the Madison
collection rightly belonged to the Ma
tional library, and they gave it to US
at just what it cost them. These Mad
ison papers comprised 10 volumes,
n the items in our Madison docu-
ments altogether are in the n%eighbor-
hood Of $4,000.
I'VE have also some papers Of Mon
roe, and some which were bought
from the descendants Of John Quincy
dams. Many Of these have not been
bound yet. We have a large collec-
ton of documents relating to Andrew
jackson. The chief collection left by
Jackson was given by Gen. Jackson's
adopted son to his friend Francis p.
Blair, and Blair's descendants turned
them all over to the government about
five years ago. In addition to this col
lection, there were a large number
of JaCkson's letters and papers in the
hands Of his adopted sons widow.
bought those manuscripts from her
about two years ago., so that alto
gether we have now a remarkably
complete collection of the Jacksan pa
pers. They number about 80, OOO doc
= uments or items. They begin with
~JackSOn's early youth and run or
down to his DEATH"
How about your collections of Var
t Buren,, Tyler and Polk?"
! Van Buren, did not leave a grea
t many papers," said Mr.. Hunt. III,
was a very cautious man and hi de
e stroyed many Of his letters. Still W,
have a large collection which wa
s presented to the library about 81
years g by his descendants. w
t have very many papers of James x
Polk which the Government bough
from his descendants. Polk was care
a full and methodical. He saved letter
e and papers,, and we a altogethe
IS thirty or forty thousands Of his docu
ments. Among these is his diary
Il which we bought from the Chicag
d Historical Society. AS to the lyle
d papers, the most of them are in tn
p hands of his descendants at Williams
h burg, and l have no doubt but Thu
1t they will in time come to the librar.
e. Lyon G.. Tyler, the president of Wi
liam and Mary College, has charg
n of them, and he has promised to Civ
them to u.s."
s. What other collections Of presider
s. tial papers have your"
Of I'VE have scattering papers of Wi
IN liam Henry Harrison, Zach Taylo
~ and Willard Fillmore, but we have 4
ey collections Of these presidents. tt
ID Fillmore papers are in the cuStOC
a. OF the Buffalo Historical Society ar
they will probably be sent here aft
as a while. They are not very impor
ey ant, but Fillmore himself was not in
pOrtant. He was not nearly as strO1
III as Tyler. John Tyler was a persol
ality. Fillmore was in many respec
a ~nOnentity. AS to the papers
Zachary Taylor. after his death. tn
&c remained in the hands of his son
IF the old Taylor plantation in Loui
&c lana. Then the house was burn
a. down and all the papers destroye
sc The aperS of William Henry Har1
as son were lost in the same way at I
TO time his house was burned, and
,rs there are collections of neither Ia
,ev lor nor Harrison.
III. W have the papers of Frank
hts Pierce, such as they are. They a
N not many and they DO not amount
Of much President Pierce was a char
of ing man, and l do not think full il
nd tice has been done him. By the VIZ
ov- there is an interesting story told abe
him in connection with Buchanan's
pa auguratiOn. This comes from a \
Gamble, who was a boy at the un
Young Gamble and his father n