The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1913-01-17

he beQueath Monticello. He %beQueath-
ed it to the people Of the United States
and wrote that should the government
refuse the beuueSt Of fail to qualify us
inheritor for the people then the prop
erty was to 60 to the people OF the
state Of Virginia. and should the state
Of Virginia fail or refuse to qualify
then the property was to 90 to certain
Hebrew congregations in the cities of
New York. Philadelphia and Rich
mond. His heirs. however. viewed the
matter from Il different angle. There
was 4 lawsuit. prOtracted and hard
fought, as Il result of which the prop
erty vas returned to the Levy heirs.
TO straighten up the title they then
had a lawsuit among themselves. and
Jefferson NJ. Levy. after the will had
been broken. acquired the entire prop
erty.
Story Of Monticello.
The story of Monticello began many
years AGO. Few people know it. Plenty
of myths. traditions and chimney cor
ner talk have been going the rounds
for years. Monticello is Il mountain
$50 feet high and stands all alone. 1t
came into possession of the Jefferson
family by grant in 1885 and remained
in the family until after the death of
Thomas Jefferson. July t, 1896. Shad-
well. his birthplace, was at the foot Of
NInntionIn tn --n - h-~,1 low
The place is not marked by any stone.
Cnnoticed, it lies there under the trees
on the river Rivanna.
But jefferson already had chosen a
site at the top of the mountain for his
future homestead and had begun work.
old. He had no architect but himself
no builders but slaves and no landscape
gardener. He made his own bricks
wrought his own nails. constructed his
vehicles and trained his laborerS. Mon
ticellO house was not completed fol
thirty years.
AS long as he lived the doors of Monti
cello We're open day and night. From
under it's roof a new light had shont
out over the world and filled it Will
hope. The light was the light Of liber
ty. Men of all the world who walked
in the light came to the little mountain
70 bring their gratitude to it. The.
turned to Monticello to make homag
to the author of the Declaration .
American Independence.
1t was then that Monticello becam'
Il Mecca for people of all races an'
creeds. The number of tourists visit
ing there each year is estimated to b.
more than 10000.
The Grounds.
The property is inaccessible in win
fer because of the bad roads winding
M the mountain side to the mansion
The grounds are entered through tn
lodge, and as soon as new visitors III
rive a great. deep toned bell tolls out
sort Of mournful proclamation OF tn
fact to the servants on the hill. At tn
mansion visitors are confronted wit
y sign. done in large letters and place
so that missing it is quite Impossible
which conveys the information tina
guests are expected to remain in tn
grounds only twenty minutes. If vi:
itors have foreknowledge Of condition
and requirements it is possible 70
them to go to Monticello armed with
permit from Mr.. Levy to enter tn
mansion: otherwise all they see is tn
shattered exterior.
About halfway between the lodge an
the mansion is the graveyard. Il las
resting place for himself and His fan
ily. chosen by jefferson very early i
life. Under Il slab of granite SUI.
mounted by a shaft is the inscriptio
he requested:
Here Was Buried Thomas jefferson
Author of the Declaration of America
Independence. Of the Statute Of vi
GINA. Religious Freedom and the Fl
Their of the University of Virginia."
Government requirement OF Montice
lO first came before congress in 1S6
1t failed then. and Jefferson NJ. Lev
! : got the property for $1,000.