Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-02

GOWN turc0 aces WQcQ clay 0aQ TWO
in his hand. Clay had been aceus,
toned to playing with gentlemen, and
one of the poker party, who told me
the story, said that his anger at this
moment was terrible BE slowly drew
himself out of his seat and rose up
ward until ne seemed about seventeen
feet high. He drew his pistol and the
nam made for the door. Clay cid
not follow him, but he expressed his
indignation by walking around to his
chair and shooting hole through Its
center. The gambler left the town
instanter."
Il have another card story" con-
tlnued Major Calkins, and Senator
Jones. of Nevada, is my authority for
it. He says the incident actually
happened in one of the little mining
towns of his state. One night at the
leading saloon of this little town a
party of half dozen were playing
poker. Among the players was very
nice young fellow, a graduate of Yale
college, and a man who had been
quite successful at M ming, and had at
the same time made himself popular
Of the party was one eyed stranger,
and the rest was made up of other
honest miners about the camp. The
play went on from early in the even.
ing until about midnight, and all this
time the one-eyed man seemed TO get
all the good hands. Several times
the college graduate thought he saw
the man was cheating, but he did not
appear to notice it. At midnight the
college graduate rose up and quietly
said: Gentlemen, we are all tired of
playing, and some of us are about
broke, propose now that we take
recess and have some oysters and
champagne. After we are through
we will throw away these cards, get
new deck. and see if our luck don't
change. We will set out to play
square game, and (here he looked
hard at the one~eyed stranger as he
put his hand on his revolver at his
belD the first man we catch cheating
we will shoot out his other eye.'
Well, the motion was carried, the
oysters were eaten, and the luck did
change. The one-eyed man lost every
cent of his winnings, and as daylight
broke through the dirty panes of the
saloon windows he arose declaring
himself dead broke"
Speaking of the one eyed man and
Client together recalls to nv mind a
very funny story beard in party of
congressman last night, retailing a
repartee which Clay made at dinner
table there In response to a joke upon
him attempted by John Quincy
Adams. sit was" said the congress
man, "at a dinner given by the Amer
lean commissioners after the conclu-
sion of the treaty. Henry Clay told
it himself. He was sitting at the
seat of honor at the right OF the head
of the table and Immediately opposite
aim was sitting John Quincy Adams.
MIR. Adams seldom made joke, and
when he arose and spoke as follows
about Mr.. Clay, there was no man ia
the party more astounded than Clay.
Said Mr.. Adams: 1--WE have at last
finished the business which called us
TO This convention, and am glad of
it. Not that our relations have not
been pleasant, but think it is high
time that my friend Mr.. Clay should
depart. / think it is to the interest of
himself and family that he should go
at once, because, gentlemen, at the
hotel at which we both stop there is a
serving maid, young, rosy and fair to
look upon. This fair girl was met by
Mr.. Clay this morning, just in the
hall outside my room, and [ distinctly
heard him offer aer 5-franc piece for
a single kiss from her cherry Ups.
Like good girl she scorned his offer,
tore herself from bis embracing arms,
and ran down the hall.
1.-THE assault was so unexpected
that Clay blushed to his temples, and
was for moment at loss for a reply.
as John Quincy Adams was closing,
however, he noted the well-known
weakness of Mr.. Adams eyes, which
at all times were full of water, and
kept him constantly busy hopping up
the tears. While the attention of the
table of diplomas was so directed at
Mr.. Clay he pulled out his handker-
chief and wiped his eyes with signif-
cant ina tation of Mr.. Adams gesture
he then slowly rose and said, as ne
looked up and down the table, and
finally fixed his wondering orbs upon
Mr.. Adams face: What the gentle
man opposide me has said is all true.
It is true that the girl is very beauti-
full and it is true that her lips were
very tempting to me. The story of
my failure to pick the cherries is also
true as far as it goes, but the whole of
the story has not been told. I did
offer the maiden five francs for kiss,
but as [ attempted to take it she
sprang from my embrace and indig~
nantly exclaimed: do you think 7
am such fool as to give you a kiss
for five francs when I've refused that
old gentleman across the hall who
has offered me twenty with tears in
his eyesY"
''rhe laugh was on Adams. He
took the joke angrily, and for several
days would not speak to Clay. Clay,
however, went to him and aLologized,
saying he had been dumfounded by
Adams remark, and that the more so
because it contained more truth than