The Portland daily press., 1872-01-13
THE PRESS,
SATURDAY MORNING, JAN. Is, 1879.
Henry Clay.
Henry Clay.
SOME UNPUBLISHED ANECDOTES OF THE
GREAT KENTUCKIAN.

SOME UNPUBLISHED ANECDOTES OF THE
GREAT KENTUCKIAN.
A correspondent furnishes the Denver Tri-
oune with the following characteristic anec-
dotes of Henry Clay:
Inc course OF Mr.. Clay on the compromise
measures was very unsatisfactory to the
South, and his own State denounced his ac-
ton as freely as any. 1t was the usual GUS
tom, ON his arrival home to spend the sum-
mer months, for large concourse of people
20 pc present to welcome and shake hands
| with him when he left the stage. ssNow- ex-
cepting few personal friends, there were
none: and they had even talked of electing a
Democrat in his place. Clay got into his
| carriage, which was as rickety concern as
| can well be imagined and rode home in
moody silence. We knew he was mad, and
said among ourselves: "There will be h-ll
to pay" The following day he did not 90
out. During the second day his servant went
to his room, and informed him that a crowd
was at the front door. ''Begone," was the
only response. The negro went down and
told the crowd that Mr.. Clay was quite un-
well, and the fatigue of travel had greatly
Frustrated him. The doctor had just left and
forbidden his seeing company, but he would
be happy to see them as soon as able. For
several days this went on. People then be-
gan to call meetings and send committees.
The State officers finally took it up and in
vited him to give an address. shall never
forget that speech. His voice was like bu-
gle and swelled to trumpet calls. His eyes
glowed like fire. He frothed at the mouth,
and defied them with the eloquence and DOW
er OF demon. But it took the gallant Ken
tuckians by storm, and he was again elected
to the United States Senate.
Clay owed S3o, 900, for which therewas a
mortgage on Ashland. The interest was al
ways paid punctually, but he could never re-
duce the principal, and this at length became
source OF great annoyance to him. In 1874,
when he visited the bank to pay. the interest
as usual, the old French clerk handed out the
note "What does this mean?' INQUIRED
Clay, under the impression that they had re-
fused to let it run any longer and he knew of
no way to meet it. "The note is Cancelled,
SIR" replied the clerk; "you owe the bank
nothing" ''My GOdp' said Clay, 'have 1
friends as good as this p. He was affected to
tears, which is said to be the only time he
was ever known to weep.
John Clay was a wild reckless fellow and
the favorite of his mother. In those days it
was not beneath a woman's dignity to do
something, and she would often take in knit
ting or pick berries, which she would send to
town; and John would soon be on a spree
with the money. She was one of that kind
who can never do enough in the world, and
use all their exertions to alleviate distress and
the sufferings around. One night it was
whispered around among us boys that John
had gone away to fight duel. In the morn
ing, as we went to our meal we halted before
entering the breakfast room, as was our Gus
tom, waiting for Mr.. Clay to come from his
study and lead the way. We saw Mrs. Clay
standing near by, and as he came out, she
rushed to him, throwing her arms about his
neck, and sobbed out: "John has gone to
fight duel" Never shall forget the scene
or the expression of the old mans face. He
had terrible eye when aroused, and now it
flashed fire. He seemed to rise to the height
oftwo ordinary men. He took a step back
ward, and with his hand raised to the full
length of his long arms, said with his finger
quivering toward heaven, and with voice
which went through me like an electric
shock:
"My dear woman, if John is right, in Gods
name let him fight, by Godv' The poor wO-
man went back to her room to weep. We
followed Clay into the breakfast room where
he ate his toast and drank his tea in silence,
and then returned to his study to read.
Whatever his feelings as a father might be,
they were not shown in his countenance or
appearance. have seen Forrest, Macready,
and Booth, but they are tame to the voice,
gesture, and eye of Clay on that occasion.
LII Glt ldll VI lSfO, SWOTLQ, Vi
Cincinnati, sent to Mr.. Clay demljohn of
native wine. Mr.. Longworth had imported
the grape seed from wine-makers in Italy,
and prided himself on having splendid
thing 1t was five gallon demijohn, the
stopper covered with wax, and stamped with
the letter "L'' There were six of us boys
in the family, averaging some sixteen or sew
enteen years old. We used to study in the
evening in our room, and would borrow the
oalIo Enxr Of hxsy, lstoI,-
er of cider and hat-full of apples to help
us along in our lessons. One night it was
proposed to taste of the Cincinnati wine.
We found a corkscrew, and carried up
pitcher-full. 1t was capital, and before many
days we found the demijohn empty. We
knew Clay was liable to want it any time,
and it must be filled. On the following
night we took servant who toted the big
| bottle on his head to small storeroom, two
| or two and half miles away, kept by a
negro, where we had it filed with whisky at
fifteen cents gallon; which, with quarter
we gave the boy for helping us along, cost us
dollar. We had hard work getting this
| demijohn back to the house-it was not
shaped right for easy carrying-but at length
it was safe in the cellar. We had previously
made some wax about the color of that which
was on the stopper, and had carved a letter
| 81" out OF piece of bark. The bottle was
duly sealed stamped and deposited in its prop
er place. In 1874 the prospects were that
Mr. Clay might be President, and he thought
so himself He gave grand dinner, among
his guests being John J. Crittenden and Tom
Corwin. Everyone was in the hest of spirits,
and after the ladies retired the merriment was
| even higher than before. We boys remained
never being excluded from his great dinners.
As the party were about rising, said Clay
"Gentlemen,' have some of the finest wine
in the world, and the first native American
ever manufactured; and there can be no
more fitting opportunity for testing its merits
than the present. John, do you know where
abouts in the cellar that bottle of wine is
which was sent Ito me from Cincinnati p
eyes, sir,'' replied the servant. 'Do yor
think, John, you can bring that demijohr
here under your arm and not shake it up?'
minutes John came back with tha
big fve-gallon demijohn under his arm
snow, John, set it down, and tax,
out the cork" The cork came out pretty
easy-it had been out before. ''Now, John
take that demijohn in under your arm ant
tilt out little in all the glasses" Johr
again took the demijohn under his arm anG
went around filling all the glasses, while We
looked on in wOeful silence. "Now, gentle
men," continued Clay, 1--WE will drink this
standing, to the health of my friend Long.
worth, of Cincinnati" He raised the glass
to his lips, stopped, and gave look about the
table, We six were just going out of the
door, in single file, just as fast as our leg
could carry us. We heard the word ''Boys
in the lion-voice of Clay, but the remainde
of the sentence was drowned in the shout
of laughter from his guests.
Formerly very large, ,well-known, and some
what noted biy-goat roamed at large tn
streets of Washington, and the newspaper boy
boot-blacks, and street-imps generally mad
common cause against him. Clay never ikeC
to see dumb animals abused or worried, anG
on one occasion, while passing down the av
enue, a large crowd of these mischievous ur
chins were at their usual sport. Mr.. Clay
with his walking-stick, drove them away, Civ
ing them sound lecture in the meanwhile
As they scampered off and Billy, seeing n
one but Mr. Clay within reach, made a charg
on him. Clay dropped his cane and caugh
his goatship by the horns. The goat would rea
p, being neaurly as high asthe tall Keutuckia
himself and the latter would pull him dow
again. This sort Of sport soon became tire
some, and he could conceive of no way b
which he could free himself from the two
horned dilemma, so in his desperation he san
out to the boys to know what to do. One
the smallest in the crowd shouted back: "Le
go and run, you id fool?' Clay alway
maintained that thoYob ha siopad the treat