The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-01-08
Gke gltteIlfrsmler.
once Nos. rs and ai Fourteenth Street.
c1AY,s BAD LUCK.


Also His Bad Poker Playng-HiS Pres.
l enae of Mind.
BaltiRsr Herald.
i'Yes, sir; that's the very same table on
which Mr.. Clay used to lose the greater
part Of his Congressional salary. AS 1
said, Clay and Bright sat down to play at
s o'clock. Nov, Dick, said Mr.. Clay, as
the game began, understand that 1 can
not play later than 12 o'clock. Ipromis-
cd to attend church at Alexandria to-
morrow morning, and don't want to go
there looking as II 1 had been up all
night
come in and no limit to bets. In those
DAYS there was no limit, as there gener-
allv is now. All o man could demand was
| sight for his money. The cards were
cut and Clay got the first deal. He was a
noted card shutIler. He could hold his
hands four feet apart and fly the cards
from ono hand to the other without n
single card falling. His favorite style was
10 mix the cards from the end, and not
from the sides, holding half deck in each
hand, flirting the cards with his thumbs,
and mixing them into perfect pack with
one movement. He usually dealt with
one hand, with scarcely percephble
movement OF the arm, his long, muscular
fingers enabling him to throw each card to
its proper place. But Clay was not good
poker player. Like most intellectual men,
he played for the excitement, not for
gain, and, as arule, he was so careless
about his bets that he came outlose he mad
q passion for big bets, and he rarely Jailed
to straddle the blind or raise the bet after
the game got fairly started. So, II the
luck came his way, he would win
heavily as long as it lasted. But he was a
great buffer, and bet high whether he
had the cards or not. The men he played
with found this out, Of course, and he
never came out Of a prolonged game with
out being heeced.
"For nearly two hours that night Clay
had everything his own way with Bright.
he didn't hold king-full four times
hand running, followed by jack-full,
then I hope l may be shot for lying.
Bright tried his best to catch Clay in a
BLUFF, but 4. was no use. Clay came to
the front every time with hand that
nothing but fours could phase. AT 1880
Bright had lost 81 800. and had borrowed
$500 from John Hancock. After that
Claws luck deserted him, but he failed to
recognize 1t. He continued to bet as high
on pair OF deuces as he had been betting
on an acc-full. By midnight he had lost
all his winnings and 81 600 besides-all the
cash he had with him.
".I guess we'd better quit, said Bright,
'as you want TO go to church tomorrow.
"Oh! blow the church, replied Clay;
do you suppose l want to hear man
preach right on top OF losing 1000 ut
poker? Not much. You just lend me
$500 and let the game go on.
$50 the game proceeded, and at day
light CLAW was in debt to Bright to the
amount Of s., 800, and that is the way it
stood when the game ended. heard al
forwards from Hancock that Clay, ilqui:
dated that debt by giving Bright deed OF
$50 acres OF Kentucky land, and transierr-
ing to him six shares Of stock in Louis
vile bank.
"Clay went to his room that Sunday
morning, shortly after daylight, TO SO to
bed. But he took sudden resolution to
90 10 Alexandria anyhow, and keep his
church engagement. He went IN the car:
riage OF friend. Quite a crowd followed
him when he went out 10 get in his car
riage. There number OF people were
presented to Mr.. Clay, among them the
rector OF the church. The story was that
while he. was talking to the reverend gen.
tleman Clay put his hand in his pocket to
null out his handkerchief, md in doing
this pack OF cards was suddenly spilled
on The ground. Clay was not the least
abaslled, but deliberately gathered up the
cards, replaced them in bis pocket, and
remarked to the minister and others who
were standing there that q friend mad put
the cards in his pocket as practical joke"