Page:Women of Ohio; a record of their achievements in the history of the state (Vol. I).djvu/60

56 power of more than 100 years ago. The house was frame and painted white, a main building of imposing size with wings at each side. Galleries 40 feet long curved forward at either end of the main house to connect with offices. The forest in front of the house was cut, to provide an unobstructed river view.

Imagine the amazement of travelers descending the Ohio as this wonderful island home burst on their gaze. They must have rubbed their eyes. They must have been astonished to realize that it was not a momentary mirage, an enchanted illusion.

But no, it was a real house, beautifully furnished, equipped with library and laboratories far in advance of those privately owned by most students and scientists of that day.

Space is lacking to tell of Harman’s telescope, his contrivances for electrical experiment, his pharmacy, his law library, his Greek and Latin classics, his bass viol and violincello. For this highly gifted and deeply unfortunate man was even, it seems, a talented musician.

So was Margaret. She sang beautifully, to the more or less unappreciative ears, perhaps, of most of their many guests.

But she sang also ,not wisely but too well, to one who seemed to have been very able to convey his admiration.

Who was the gallant listener?

None other than Aaron Burr. None other than the man who came within one vote of being president of the United States. The gifted, yet ill-starred lawyer, soldier and statesman, whose main function in history seems to be that of showing how poor a loser even a great man can be.

For after Burr was again defeated in 1804 in an election for governorship of New York, his anger against Alexander Hamilton, a strong Federalist, was fanned to flame by contemptuous criticism Hamilton was alleged to have expressed. Burr challenged him to a duel, killed him and turned many more decent men against himself.

Wild with jealousy, eaten up with ambition, he came west to rehabilitate his shattered fortunes. A fine way to do this, from Burr’s point of view, would be to separate from the Union that part west of the Alleghanies, conquer Mexico and set up an empire of his own.

This sort of thing required, of course, plenty of money as well as a persuasive tongue. On learning of the Blennerhassett fortune, Burr decided to let this much talked of scientist and visionary, in on the game. He thought it ought to be easy money—and it was, for a while.

For Margaret Blennerhassett too, had big ideas. Shewasnotatalla bad woman, apparently and her life was certainly a tragic one. But like her poor husband, she seems to have been dreadfully lacking in common sense.