Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-02-17

having been published, the material
then collected has been, at our request,
kindly handed over to this paper for
publication
trious statesman was Secretary of
State, under the younger Adams,
and when, like the antlered monarch
of the forest, he was almost driven
to bay by the fierce blood hounds of
party, under the foul and loathsome
cry of "bargain and corruption" he
sought, in July 1927, temporary
refuge from this pitiless storm of
calumny in a visit to some Of his
cherished friends in Berkeley coun-
ty. He spent some days in Martins
burg, and it is needless to say that
he was received here with all the
enthusiasm due to his exalted genius
and patriotism. He decided to pay
a brief visit to the Berkeley Springs
and a gentleman now residing in
our county, accompanied him in a
carriage. When about 2 O'Clock in
the day, they reached what was call
ed the Halfway House, a sort of
tavern kept by Dick Sheckels, a man
of enormous proportions, fat and
unwieldy, and weighing near four
hundred pounds, they found the old
landlord sitting in the shade, before
his house. indulging in his usual
habit in the bot days of summer, of
keeping himself cool by burying his
feet in the earth and piling it up
around his legs, nearly as high as his
knees. The arrival of the carriage
did not in the least disturb the placid
ity of the unwieldy landlord. When
Mr. Clay approached the house, his
travelling companion presented him
to Mr.. Sheckles, saying: Permit
me to introduce to you the present
Secretary Of State, Henry Clay, of
kentucky" With that the old gen
tleman gaZed for moment at the
tall, spare and erect figure before
him, and rising to his feet said:
"Did you say this was Henry Clay,
of kentucky? Why, 1 thought he
was a great big man like king |"
mo, Mr.. Sheckles," said Mr. Clay,
"you are more kingly in your pro-
portions than | am. You see in me
nothing but a broken down public
servant, worn almost to skeleton
by State" and the calumnies of my
enemies"
In May 1914 Mr.. Clay was invited
by a public mass meeting of his
friends in this county to visit Mar
tinsburg and to partake of the hos
FATALITIES of the county. We take an
extract from the letter of introduc-
ton as it contains some facts
worthy of remembrance:
MARTINsBURG, w. VA.)
March 14th, 1S44.
TO the Hon. Henry Clay:
Sir-The county of Berkeley boasts
of some historical recollections con-
nected with your fame, which she
is not disposed shall at the present
period be lost sight of or forgotten.
She looks with becoming pride to
that sagacity which prompted her
sons some twenty years ago, to seek
to give in your person that direction
to public sentiment, which it is now
receiving from the patriotism and sa-
pacity of the whole Union. 1t was
here. in this very county-by action
of the people in primary assembly,on
the 14th of June, 1924, that your
name was first presented to the peo-
ple of Virginia, as candidate for
that exalted station, for which you
now stand nominated in the hearts
of near two millions of your admir-
ing countrymen. 1t was herein
this county-that the electoral ticket
was framed and announced, which
presents your claim to the sutfrages
of YOUR native State. The short per-
iod which elapsed after the annunci-
alton of that ticket, connected with
the circumstance, that your claims
were brought in competition with an
elder of the Republican party, hold
ing the same general principles or
policy with yourself, and also a ma
tive of this State, prevented your re-
ceiving that support in this COM
monwealth, which none at that time
denied to be due to your patriotism,
exalted character and eminent pub
lie services. Still Berkeley by her
recorded vote, preferred you then las
she has ever preferred you since and
as she prefers you now, to all living
statesmen, as the representative OF
her principles in the administration
of the national government. She