Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-04-10
How q Toast Miscarried.
Corr. San Francisco Bulletin.

There were residing at Ashland, the
residence of Mr.. Clay, neal Lexington,
in ls43 and 1874, three of his grandsons
and myself, attending the classes of
TRANSATLANTIC university. During the
fall of 1S43 Nicholas Longworth, of Gin
.cinnati, sem to Mr.. Clay a five-gallon
demijohn of wine, sealed with ordinary
wax and stamped with a letter 81" that
had the appearance of having been cut
from a piece CT rough wood. Charles,
Mr.. Clay's ~favorite and confidential
colored servant, was requested to place
the demijohn in a secure place in the Gel
lar. MIR. Clay gave us the privilege,
after finishing u class studies each
night, of going to the cellar for what
apples and cider we wished. On one
occasion Henry Durable, one of the mess
proposed to me instead of filling the
pitcher with cider to tap the demijohn
of native American wine. We did SO,
and continued to do * night after night,
as we preferred it to cider, until it was
empty. A consultation was held, and a
unanimous opinion expressed that some
thing had to be done, and that without
delay. We brought into confidence the
old Guinea negro gardener, Mike, at IL
o'clock at night, and snow six inches
deep on the ground, which resulted in
his assisting us, in consideration of
quarter of a dollar cash in hand, in tax.
ing the demijohn to town, some three
miles distant, and for fifteen cents a gal.
Ion got an old Dutchman, who made
precarious living by trading whisky at
night with colored persons, to fill up five
gallons of the same. On our return we
smeared over some sealing wax, and, hav.
ing cut a letter L from the end of a
broolh-stick, branded it, and placed il
once more in the cellar where it belonged.
During the fail of 1874, when there
was every indication that Mr.. Clay
would be elected president, he gave a
dinner party TO Tom Corwin, Charlie
Morehead and many of his neal friends
As usual, at this dinner Mr.. Clay wa.
present. We sat down to the table at :
o'clock, as was customary at that time
After a long and sumptuous dinner, dur
ing which time many wines were dis
cussed, Mr.. Clay said: Gentlemen, ]
have an abiding confidence the day will
soon come when America will prove t.
be the great wine-producing country Of
the world; and with your permission
will produce a sample of the first Amer
lean wine ever made, from my old friend
Nicholas Longworth. "Charlie," my
hoy, " can you go down to the cellar ant
bring up from the right-hand corner tina,
demijohn of wine that came from Mr.
Longworth?" "Yes, sir" "Hold
Charlie; see here. Now you do so will
very great care. Should you shake i
the very least bit you will spoil it. Now
Charlie, just set it with the greatest cas-,
on the floor beside me. All! that's al
right. Now, my good boy, take tn
corkscrew and extract the cork; dom
shake it. There, there, take it unde
your arm, easy if you please, just tip u
a little all round. Now, gentlemen
with your permission, drink standing Il
the health of our old friend, NicholaI
LOngworth, the manufacturer of the frs
native wine ever made in America" A
the wine touched their lips Mr.. CLAY
looked at us boys, seated at one cornei
of the table,and with that stentorian voic'
that was peculiar to him when reused
cried, "Boys!" We slipped from GU.
seats, through the side door, and as w
entered the cedar trees out of sight hear(
such a shout from his guests as wasnevel
heard in the old mansion at Ashland.