Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-29
HENRY CLAY's HORSE.
The Nag the Great Statesman Won at a
Game Of Poker.
WoeFfv9fo~ it,


81 recOllect Henry Clay's turnout very
WELL" said an Old-timer; she had one Of
the old style Concord buggies, with a TOP
that suggested Mother Hubbard bonnet.
1t was evidently a secondhand affair
that Mr.. Clay had picked up in a trade
and nowadays would do very we'll for an
old woman to haul vegetables 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 a laprObe was.
and as for a whip he didn't have any. He
used to slash his old sOrrel stations with
the ends Of the reins so loud you could
hear il a block of. The steps TO the bug
" were gone and Mr.. Clay used to lump
over the wheels. When be wanted to get
in be put one foot on the hub and swung
the other around over the wheel and dash
board. The wheels were so high he had
to let the top down to get out. They had
axle-grease in those DAYS. but Mr.. CLAW
had evidently never found it out. He al
ways drove his horse at a canter, and you
could hear the front wheels of his buggy
squeaking as many notes as there are on
piecOlO.
i.Ah, well do I remember that sorrel
stalliOn," continued the oId-timer. ssIen-
~ Clay won him one night at poker in
John HancOck's saloon, which is still rum
l..
who lived at Falls Church, Va. Bright
used to come over every week and play
poker with Clay, ana he generally went
back TO Falls Church with a pocket full
of money. But that was Clay's lucky
night. He got away with 81 200 of BrighGs
money, his watch, saddle and bride,
OvercOat, saddle-bags, a new suit of
clothes that were in the saddle-bags,
three finger rings and a breastpin, brace
Of pistols and bowie knife. and pair Of
boots -
ooh, you needn't laugh,'' said the old
timer, With great animation: ''that's the
way they played poker in them DAYS. A
man went the whole hog or nothing. Why,
didn't you never hear Of the time Henry
Clay bet himself clean down TO his under
shirt. and be offered to pull that off, but
the other fellow didn't wear an undershirt
to put up against t.? Well, sir, it's SO, any
how, and the very table he played the
game on Is now in the front room upstairs
over HaucOck's saloon. It's an old pine
table about three feet square with hole
I in the middle 60 drop the percentage
through for threes, fulls, flushes and jack
pots. Well, sir. about that old stallion.
He was well known around Washington
for several years. He always nickered
when CLAY came near him. CLAY carried
a pOeketful Of shelled corn and he gave
the horse a 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 Fve
seen him eat wads OF paper, as though he
was trying to make the boys laugh. Well,
sir, Clay had niger named Sam. One
day he loaned the stallion to Sam to drive
10 Alexandria. sam got drunk before he
left town, and he started out on gallOp.
He didn't stop till he got to Mount Yer
non. twenty miles off. Then he turned
around and galloped all the way back.
The old stallion dropped dead at the edge
of South Washington. There was over
100 boys at the funeral. In revenge Clay
sold the Niger to a Louisiana sugar
planter, with prOvlsO in the bill of sale
that the planter should hitch Sam in
shafts and work him in a cane mill. Fact,
siris'