Evening star., 1936-02-09

scientist. When he f1rSt came TO this
city he did not forget the folks back
home. but frequently wrote letters to
Mrs. Mitchin, some of which have for
tunately been preserved.
ONE letter in particular gives his
first-hand impressions of Mr.. JET.
ferson nearly year after he had be.
come the Chief Executive. and has
this to say of the author of the Dec
laration Of Independence:
Washington, January 10, 1902.
81 promised gou in a former letter
now President of the United States.
II have had several opportunities OF
seeing and conversing with him since
my arrival at Washington. He is tall
in stature and rather spare in flesh.
His dress and manners are very plain;
he is grave, or rather Sedate, but
without any tincture Of pomp, ostenta-
ton or pride, and occasionally can
smile, and both hear and relate hu-
morous stories as well as any other
man of social feelings. At this mo-
ment he has rather more than ordi-
nary press of care and solicitude, be-
cause Congress is in session. and he is
anxious to know In what manner the
Representatives will act upon his
message, and how the communica-
tions he expects soon to make to the
Senate will be received by that branch.
Of the National Legislature. --.
He has been many years q wild
over, and has never. that know of,
showed any disposition to form sec
ond matrimonial connection. His
children are two daughters, one of
whom is the wife of an old fellow
student with me at the University of
Edinburgh, Thomas Mann Randolph.
He has generally a company of
8 or 10 persons to dine with him
every day. The dinners are neat and
plentiful, and no healths are drunk
at table, nor are any toasts or senti-
ments given after dinner. You drink
as you please and converse at your
ease. In this way every guest feels
| inclined to drink to the digestive or
the social point, and no further. Our
company on one occasion were Dr..
Eustis and Gen. Varnum of Massa-
chusetts, Mr.. John Randolph of Vir-
ginia. Gen John Smith and myself
! from New York. Representatives, and
/ Mr.. Baldwin of Georgia and Mr..
Breckenridge of Kentucky, Senators,
the former being the pro tempore
President of the Senate. The Presi-
dent and his secretary, Capt. Lewis,
completed the party.
"Mr. Jefferson has interested him.
self very much in propagating the
cowpoX. He has even inoculated
many persons with his own hands, and
talks on the subject with the intelli-
gence of physician, so ardent is his
philanthropy and such his zeal to
extirpate the smallpox"
A MOTHER letter, written by Sen
ator Mitchell on December Z,
1901, and which brings us close to
home, tells of early Mount Vernon
and its noted hostess, as follows:
IT rode this morning from Gadsby's
Hotel, in Alexandria, on the Virginia
side of the Potomac, on visit to the
celebrated estate of Mount Vernon.
lately the property and residence OF
Gen. Washington.
my companions on this visit were
Mr.. Van Ness and Maj. Holmes. On
our way we met Col. Walker, Mr.. and
Mrs. Bayard of Delaware and Mr..
and Mrs. LowndeS of South Carolina
returning from visit to Mount Ver-
non. On our arrival we were received
by Mr.. Lewis, a gentleman who mar
ried one Of the Misses Custis, grand
daughter of Mrs. Washington, and
who, with his wife, now resides here.
Presently Mrs. Washington and
her other granddaughter, the cele-
brated Mrs. Law, now here on visit,
entered. The old lady was habited in
black and wore plain cap with q.
black ribbon; she was affable and
polite and made us welcome in that
hospitable though unceremonious
manner that without hesitation We
agreed to stay and dine.
Mrs. Law was dressed in white
and both looked and acted in that en-
gaging and superior way for which
she is so justly famed. Her little
daughter and her husband were with
her. Three young ladies, the Misses
Stewart and a Miss Henly, and Mrs.
Washington's grandson, Mr.. Gusts,
also joined us little before dinner.
Mrs. Washington presided like a
lady Of hospitality and good sense,
tempered by much acquaintance with
company. Everything was neat and
well ordered, bespeaking her to be
quite the mistress Of her household,
and regulating all its concerns" '.
About nine members Of the frs;
Congress to meet here stopped /;
Courad and Memunn's boarding hou.
which was subsequently operated :
Pontius D. Steele. Later, the builC
ings we're occupied by the United
States Coast Survey and then they
became the Law House, and more re-
Gently the Hotel varnum.
Across the street on the east side
Of New Jersey avenue, from Jeffer-
= Continued on Sixth Pase.l