The mirror., 1923-01-04
Saltwater, Minnesota, Thursday, January A. 1923.

This keeping open house very nearly
ruined Jefferson financially. He had to
sell his library, which he had been COL
lecting for over SO years, and even the
money thus obtained was but temporary
relief. Some friends heard of his difficult
ties and raised $4,000 to assist him. But
he did not live long to enjoy the relief
thus given, for on July 4, 1926, on the
5Oth anniversary of the signing of the De-
claration of independence, he quietly went
to eternal rest.
In 1772, when he was % years old, JEFF
ferson married a pretty, young widow of
%, and carried her off through binding
snowstorm to Monticello Though the SER
wants had retired, not expecting them on
such night, they were quickly aroused
and cheerful though belated welcome
was prepared. His wife died when still
young woman, leaving Jefferson with
three little girls to care for, and leaving
a numbness in his heart that only many
years could heal.
After Jefferson's death, the estate was
purchased in 1928 by DR.. Barclay who,
two years later, sold it to Commodore Uriah
p. Levy, of the United States Navy. The
new owner of Monticello presented to the
United States the Jefferson statue which
now graces the Capitol, and which some
have declared to be the most perfect piece
of statuary in the country. Levy was in
the war of 1912, and in the fight in the
English channel between the Argus and
the Pelican he was taken prisoner. When
the war of the secession broke out, Levy
remained loyal to the United States and
was appointed to the command of the Bos-
ton navy yard, but died while on his way
there.
Monticello remained in the hands of
Levys manager till 1864, the heir being
his nephew, Jefferson M. Levy, then but a
child, who remained in New York during
the war. In 1864 the Confederate Con-
gress passed an act confiscating the prop
erty. The. slaves and the furniture, but
not the paintings, were sold at auction
and scattered. The building and the $50
acres of land comprising the estate were
sold at confscation sale to man named
Filkin for about $S5O,OOO in Confederate
money Filkin, however, never took for
nal possession of the place and it remained
in charge of the Levy manager. The re-
suit of the war, of course, left the act of
confscation void, and Monticello remained
closed till 1876, at which time Jefferson M.
Levy became of age and took possession.
The owner Immediately set to work to re-
store the mansion, which had suffered con-
from the ravages of time. He
advertised for and purchased all the origi-
nal Jefferson furniture he could find.
Those articles of furniture which he failed
to recover he duplicated and placed in
the mansion. AS result Monticello and
its furnishings are as nearly identical with
those of Jefferson's time as it is possible to
make them, though many things of later
date have necessarily been added.
Monticello is different from any of the
other colonial houses of the south. 1t is
more elaborate. Its exterior is temple
like structure story and half high, about
IS feet wide by 70 feet deep. The cen
trail part of the house consists of hall IS
feet square, a drawing room of the same
width back of it, and large porticos in
front and rear.s On each side of the CEN
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