Morning journal and courier., 1884-06-25
R ,nry Clay's Horse.
The Nag the Great Statesman Won at .
 Game Of Poker.

The Nag the Great Statesman Won at .
 Game Of Poker.
 Washington Letter to the Houston Post.l
 1T recollect Henry Clay's turnout very well," said an old tiner Che had one of the old style Concord buggies, with top that suggested Mother Hubbard bonnet. It was evidently Sc eondhand affair that MT. Clay had picked up in trade and nowadays would do very well for an old woman to haul vege- tables around town in. The cushions were stuffed with moss, and SO well worn you could see the moss sticking out at the sides. I'll bet Henry Clay didn't know what lap robs was, and as for a whip he didn't have any. He used to slash his old sorrel stallion with the end of the reins so loud you could hear it a block off. The steps of the buggy were gone and NIT. Clay used to jump over the wheels. When he wanted to get in he put one foot on the hub and swung the other around over the wheel and dashboard. The wheels were so high be had to let the top down to get in. They had exle-grease in those days, but MT Clay had evidently never found 1t out. He always drove his horse at & canter and you could hear the front wheel s of his buggy squeaking as many notes as there are on plccolo.
 ''Ah, well do remember that sorrel stal- Iion," continued the old-tiner. Henry Clay won hiu one night at poker in John Han- cocks saloon, which is still run ming on the avenue, from Col John Bright, who lived at Falls Church, Va Bright used to come over every week and play poker with Clay. and he generally went back to Falls Church with 4 pocket full of money. But that was Clay s lucky night. He got away with $1,20O of Bright's money, his watch, saddle and bridle. overcoat, saddle-bags, new suit of clot hes that were in the saddle-bags, three finger rings and a breast-pin, a brace of pistols and bowie knife, and pair of boots-
 'Oh, you needn't laugh" said the old- timer, with great animation; that's the way they played poker in them days. man went the whole hog or nothing. Why, didn't you never hear of the timA Henry Clay bet himself clean down to his undershirt, and he offered to pull that of, but the other fellow didn't wear an undershirt to put up against it Well, sir, it's so, anyhow, and the very table he played the game on is now in the front room upstairs over Hancock's saloon. It's an old pine table about three feet square with al hole in the middle to drop the percent age through for threes. fulls, ffushes and jack pots. Well, sir, about that old stallion. He was well-known around Washing ton for sev- eral years, He always nickered when Clay came near him. Clay carried pocketful of shell corn and he gave the horse 8 handful every time he got into the buggy. The boys knew the stallion well, and they used to give him pieces of bread, cake, nuts or anything of the sort. He'd eat watermelon and meat, and I've Feen him eat wads of paper, as though he was trying to make the boys laugh. We'll, sir, Clay had a nigger named Sam. One day he loaned the stallion to Sam to drive to Alexandria. Sam got drunk before he left town, and be started out on the gal lop. He didn't stop till he got to Mount Vernon, twenty miles of. Then he turned around and galloped all the way back The old stallion dropped dead atthe edge of South Washington. There was over 100 boys at the funeral In revenge Clay sold the niggar ,Ion in the bill of sale that the planter should hitch Sam in shafts and work him in the cane mill. Fact, sir ID
 Whfts Elephants.
 IFrank Vincent, jr., in the Manhattan for July.l
 It is three hundred years since the western world received the first extended account of the wonderful white elephant. This account came from an Englishman named Fitch who must have encountered great difRoulties in through Burmah at that time), and may be foand in Hakluyt's quaint and fa- nous Collection of Navigations, Trafaques and Discoveries This tells us that at that time the King of Burmah had four white ele- plants, which were very strange and rare. It also records that if any other king had one the Burmese king would send for it, and would rather lose part of his kingdom than not get it. The chronicle further tells us that when any white elephant was taken to the king, ali the merchants of the city were to visit it, upon which occasion each of them presented it with half 8 ducat. As there were a great many merchants this made good round sum. At that time the white elephant stood in the kings house and received great honor and service. Each of them had an apartment of it's own, decorated with golden ornaments and ate it's food from gold and silver vessels. Every day, when they went to the river to baths, canopies of silk or cloth of gold were held over them, and drums, clarionets or other instruments them. As they came out of the river each had a gentleman in waiting to wash it's feet in silver basin, an officer be- ing appointed for that honor by the king. The black elephants were not so well treated They were evidently regarded as the cana1ile, t soueh some of them were very handsome and fully nine onbits or thirteen and half feet high.