Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-04
sroRLEs ABOUT HENRY CLAY.
How He Got the Best of Throckmorton
in a Game OF Whist.

in n Game OF whist.
from q Washington Letter.
Senator Beck, of Kentucky, is one OF the
best story-tellers in Congress. lie went
to school as a boy at a college near Ash
land, the residence Of Henry Clay, and he
described the other night visit which a
number Of the college boys once made
upon the old statesman. He said: "As
Dir Clay rose to meet us his face sbone
with smiles, and every boy in the party
wasstraightway his friend. In the course
Of the talk he asked us what we thought
of his pictures. There were number,
some paintings and some engraVings,
hanging upon the walls in different parts
Of the room We finally decided upon one.
the picture OF a woman holding bowl OF
steamlng mush in her hand, as the finest
one in the collection. AS we did so MI.
Clay laughed and said yes, boys, l
tank you have picked out my best pic
ture. and as you have done so | must tell
its history. / got that picture at Client,
and in "A curious way. Albert Gallatln,
John Quincy Adams, and myself were
there making the treaty, and Mr.. Gallatin
and myself took chances in Il picture rat
tle. Ny prize turned out to be that PIC
tUre, pointing to an inferior engraving on
the other side of the room, 'and Galiatin
got this. Now Gallaun knew very little
about art, and ] did not know very much,
hut could see at glance that his pic
ture was far better than mine, and that
] should be laughed at il we took the pic
lures home and comparisons were made.
: saw that must get hold OF Galatians
pictures, and said TO him: MIR. Gallatin,
these two pictures were made to match
each other and the man who has one
ought to have both. Now | will tell you
what will do. | will put my picture
against yours and we will play game Of
cards for them. The man who wins shall!
take both pictures, and you may name the
game
" Mr.. Gallatin, thought moment, con-
scented, and said 'seYen-up," and" con-
tinued Senator Beck, 81 can hear Henry
Claws hearty laugh now and see his
smile of intense merriment as he con-
cluded: AS soon as Gallatin said seven
up knew bad him. He knew but little
about cards and . was one OF the best
seVen-up players in Kentucky. The result
was az had anticipated and got the PIC
ture.'p
Another story about Clay, so well au-
thenticatCd that it comes almost directly
from Henry Clay's mouth, relates an ad-
venture of mis- with old Throckmorton,
day. ThrockmOntOn was one Of MIR.
Claws most intimate Kentucky friends.
In their latter days the two were almost
inseparable aud they often joined hands
over the whist table. ThrOckmOrtOn was
a fine whist player, and Gothing irritated
him more than to have his game interrupt
ed or spoiled by talking. Throckmorton
generally beat Clay. but Clay got ahead Of
him at whist party in Louisville when
he and ThrOckmOrtOn were partners. The
stakes were nOminal-$t game, l think
and as soon as the party sat down at
the table Clay began to tell stories. The
result was that he paid no attention to his
hand, and through his blunders trick al-
ter trick was lost. ThrOc&mOTton pro-
tested from time to time, finally saying:
ideally. Mr.. Clay, for a man OF your
ability, education and reputation you are
the poorest whist player | have ever
known" The play continued in the same
way, and Thr0ckmOrtOn grew more and
more angry. At last Clay said: You
are making more fuss by your Directing
than | am by my stories. Now" and there
he pulled out "A $40 gold piece, 'we will
each lay $40 ON the table, and the man
who talks first shall lose his money"
To this ThrockmOrtOn consented, and
the $40 were laid besides the stakes Of 81
a side in the middle OF the table. Clay
then began 10 play worse than ever. He
trumped TbrockmOrt0n's aces, and threw
away his own suit, until ThrOckmOrt0n,
who for some time had been gritting his
teeth, rose, and, pushing the money at
Clay, said: "Here, take your $50. ! am
not going to let $50 stand in the way of my
telling any such card playing idiot as
YOU are showing yourself to be what l
think of him." He then went over Clay
roughshod. Clay laughed as he put the
two gold pieces in his pocket, aud the
company laughed with him when he said
that he had been trying for years 10 beat
Mr.. ThrOckmOrtOn, and he was glad to
feel that he had done so for once.