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Show Thomas Jefferson a Man of Varying Talents When Thomas Jefferson retired from public service in 1809, as he left the Presidency, he turned to the broad acres of Monticello to spend the 17 years that were to round out his life, writes Harlowe R. Hoyt in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. His second presidential term had not been a happy one. His attempt to enforce the embargo , act had been disastrous, John I Marshall's definition of treason in the trial of Aaron Burr thwarted the President's attempt to convict his former associates. Bluenoses assailed him as an atheist because of his friendship for Thomas Paine. Jefferson was a man of many talents. He possessed a smattering of French, Italian, Spanish, Latin and Greek, but was master only of English. He was a fiddler and composed com-posed little tunes. He invented a duofold writing machine and a cane that could be converted into a chair. He had a finger in platting the city of Washington and dabbled in architecture archi-tecture to the extent of being credited credit-ed with what is known as Colonial. With these manifold interests he was a politician of the cleverest kind and worked to gain his ends as befitted a master of his craft. The simple democracy which he assumed was more or less of a political po-litical pose. His father's death left him in possession of 1,900 Virginia acres. This, through his own efforts, ef-forts, he increased to 5,000, which again was doubled through the death of his father-in-law. Ten thousand acres then comprised the estate with the fine residence that in course of time was to become a national shrine. Reitrement in Monticello proved an expensive luxury. Jefferson was beset with visitors who went to see and remained to be entertained often for several weeks. He enjoyed en-joyed the good things of life, was a genial host, despite his lack of humor, and right royal were his gatherings. When it is remembered remem-bered that the Southern callers took their own servants to lessen the responsibilities re-sponsibilities of the host and to increase in-crease their own comfort, it can be seen what a drain was put upon Monticello. |