The Washington herald., 1920-12-09
Ex-Presidents Now Can Command $4,000
In Olden Days Poverty Was Grim Factor

ing from his library only to eat and
sleep. He continued. nevertheless. to
WELD some influence in public af-
fairs, carrying on an extensive cor
respondence; and on one occasion he
did come out of his hole to attend
as delegate, in 1920, a State conven-
ton.
John Adams was not an amiable
! character. He was Jealous Of Frank
lin and envious Of Washington, often
declaring that he had made" the
latter.
Thomas Jefferson q Bankrupt.
Six former Presidents-washing
ton, Jefferson. Madison, jackson,
johnson and Hayes-became planters
or farmers. After the Father of his
Country had gone back to Mount
Vernon, Nellie Custis wrote to q
friend that he was exceedingly con-
tent to be once more Farmer Wash
ington.
The oldest President at the date
of his Inauguration was the elder
Harrison. who was IS. The youngest,
Theodore Roosevelt was I3. The
average age of all the Presidents
when inducted into ofiice was 53-
exactly the present age of Presi-
dent-elect Harding.
when Thomas Jefferson retired
from the Presidency and returned
to Monticello he was much in debt,
though at the time the fact was
not known to most OF his friends.
He emulated the example of WASH
ington by trying to be a farmer, but
was SO far unsuccessful that each
year he ran more behind financially.
In the meantime he was keeping
open house, entertaining lavishly
and sometimes having as many as
fifty guests.
At length his affairs got into such
bad shape he was compelled to ask
Congress to buy his library and his
toricsl papers, which were there
upon sold to the nation for s2S.OOo.
These books and papers now form
one OF the most valuable posses
sions Of the Library of Congress.
The money tided Jefferson over for
a while, but he was bankrupt when
he died seventeen years after his
departure from the White House.
To the day of his death he took
an active interest in public AFFAIRS.
He established the University of
Virginia, serving as it's first provost,
and personally superintended the
erection of its buildings.
The Hermits.
Mention has been made Of James
Madison as one of the four former
Presidents who became hermits.
After leaving Washington he sought
retirement on his estate in Virginia,
which was of baronial size Gin Or
ange County,, and lived there a Sc
cluded life for nineteen years. He
was practically a recluse, deIegat-
ing the care of all his business and
other affairs to members OF his fam
lily. His widow, the ,much-beloved
Dolly, went back to Washington
to live, occupying the house that
is now the home of the Cosmos
Club, only a block from the White
House. Her husband left her COM
fortably well OF, but a worthless
son sQuandered her money. and she
was hard put to 1t for means be-
fore she died.
James Monroe, on becoming a
former retired to a farm at oak
wood Hill. in Virginia. Being en-
barrassed by debts he moved thence
to New York. where he opened a
law office. Unfortunately, the mar
ket for former Presidents at that
period was not what it is today,
and he was not very successful.
Probably worry hastened his death,
which occurred half a dozen years
later.
John Quincy Adams, having ac-
! cepted an election to the House of
Representatives, became a leader OF
his party in that body. After nine
teen years of service as a Repre-
sentative, his death came suddenly
and rather dramatically. Members
sitting near him saw him fall over
upon his desk; the House adjourned.
and he was carried into an adjoin-
ing room. where he passed away.
A brass star set in the marble floor
OF Statuary Han. which in Adams
time was the chamber of the House.
marks the spot where he sat. He
was 81 years old.
Andrew jackson withdrew to the
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