Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-04-09
The Old Home. Of Clay.

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A correspondent Of the Knoxyill
Chronicle has been visiting "Ashland,
the old home of Clay, and has with com
mendable energy collected many interest
| ing "reminiscences. These excerpts will b
found readable:
"The mansion so long occupied by Mr.
Clay and his family was two story bricl
with one story wing, roomy and comforta
bic enough, but quiet and plain. Its prin
! cipal interior adornment was mementoe'
and testimonials from his friends and 20
liticai admirers. a large oil painting Of
Washington and his family, presented by
Mr.. johnson, of North Carolina, covered
almost one entire side of the parlor. Il
was while inspecting this picture thai
| Count Bertrand, the devoted attendant Of
the prisoner at st. Helena, drew a parallel
between Washington and Napolean, so ia
t%yrabfe to his lmperiA1nnAster as to cause
Mr.. Clay to exclajm: .Ah, Count, don'l
forget the morals of our man. Here, also
was the bust of Bolivar, sent to Mr.. Clay
in 1927. the Freedom of the city of New
\ ork; silver pitcher from the ladies Of
Tennessee; silver vase, three feet high,
presented by gold and silver artisans of
New Y ork, in admiration of his produc-
ton efforts, and two oil paintings drawn
by his colleagues, Messrs. Russell and Ad-
ans, at a rattle in Client, during the nego.
tiations closing the war of 1872. Mr.. Clay
generously proposed to win the paintings
from his brother commissioners at cards.
The picture pasteboards were produced
and shuf1ed and in few minutes Mr..
Russell had lost his prize, and soon after
old John Quincy, who had selected the
game of ''seven-up" had to part with his.
SIN addition to the articles already
named, Mr.. Clay was presented with a
family carriage, which is still to be seen
on the streets of Lexington; massive
gold medal, received only . few months
before his death; gold snuff box, said to
have belonged to Frederick the Great; ag-
ricultural implements, fine plates, china,
cutlery and other manufacture. These
souvenirs are all scattered among relatives
and friends.
"Mr. Clay's library, at Ashland, while
it was respectable, was not large. owing,
mainly, to his long residence in Washing
ton. His life and habits at home would
remind one of well-to-do English gentle
man. He rose early, bathed, shaved and
took horseback ride every morning. He
was exceedingly neat in his dress, and, on
all occasions wore the inevitable swallow
tail coat, which is produced in all Harris
statues of him. Although he frequently
entertained distinguished persons of all
nations at Ashland, it was always done
with plain and simple elegance. He new
or attempted display. His was "a good
old Kentucky table," and that was all.
He thought it good enough for any one,
and it most certainly was. His hospi-
table board was mainly supplied from his
own farm, which furnished him the
richest cream, milk and butter, from cows
of prize pedigrees; bacon and Southdown
mutton, fruits and vegetables of all kinds,
poultry and substantial luxuries; the very
POAO VI OAOnuS nuu VuO ouOh1uS PAIL
cake that graced his table came from his
own corn and wheat fields; the wines were
sherry, Madeira and port, pale sherry be-
ing his favorite. But the attraction OF
Mr.. Clay's table was not it's juicy viands;
the wonderful orator himself was the great
dish. His guests Toasted upon his eloquent
words while the Southdown grew cold be
fore them. 1t was thus he entertained La. |
fayette, the Earl of Derby, Daniel Web
ster, MIR. Lowndes, Lord Monteith, Presi-
dent Monroe, General Bertrand, Van Bu-
rem, Harriet Martineau, M. Politica, the |
Russian Minister, and host of others
But Mr.. Clay could not claim all the cred
it for being able to thus bountifully feed |
his guests.
Here the great energy, good sense and
of his wife comes in. What
Ashland would have been but for Mrs
Clay, the good Lord only knows, for her
husband was at the capitol of the nation
more than half the time. She attended to
including five sons, who &C
,ording to their old teacher, Amos Kend-
II, were not the meekest lambs that gam
ooled at Ashland. She managed the farm,
with it's crops and live stock, her house
1old affairs, large family of children and
not few negro servants so we'll, as to as
list largely in Keeping up Mr.. Clay's for
June, which was subjected constantly to
heavy drains. She often pulled the finest
vegetables with her own hand, and sent
hem, with butter, milk and fruits, regu-
arly to market to besold. She often said:
My children laugh at me for selling such
'hings, but they never object to the money
get for them.''