Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1885-12-09
HENRY CLAY AT CARDS.
Tho Great Statesm IN Badly Fleeced by q
Senator from Indiana.

SENATOR Irhm luuiauhs
Henry Clay was an invetcrato gam
bier, and the old card-players at WASH
ington indulge in many anecdotes about
tho manner in which he used to lose
the greater part of his salary as sem
ator. He was noted card-shutfler.
He could hold his hands four feet apart
and fly the cards from one to the other
without single card falling. His fav-
orite style was to mix the cards from
tho end and not from the sides. holding
a half deck in each hand, flirting the
ends with his thumbs, and mixing them
into perfect pack With one movement.
He usually dealt with one hand, with
scarcely q perceptible movement of the
arm, his long, muscular fingers enabling
him to throw each card to its proper
place.
One summer Saturday afternoon,
when the senate was not III session, Mr..
Clay sat down at Hancock's restaurant
to play with Senator Bright, of Indiana.
When dinner time came they were
about even, and when they returned to
the card-tablc after dinner it was al
most o'clock. Nov, Bright" said
Mr.. Clay, MS the play began, under
stand that can not play later than -
o'clock. promised to attend church
at Alexandria tomorrow morning, and
don't want to so there looking as If l
had been up all night"
The blind was half dollar. a dollar
to come in and no limit to bets. In
those days there was no limit, as there
generally is now. All a man could de-
mand was sight for his money. The
cards were cut, and Clay got the first
deal. Like most intellectual men, he
was not a good poker-player, playing
for the excitement rather than for gain;
and. as rule, he was SO careless about
his bets that he came out loser. He
had passion for biz bets, and he rare
ly failed to straddle the blind or raise
the bet after the game got fairly started.
So, if the luck came his way, he would
win heavily as long us it lasted. But
he was 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 Game out of
prolonged game without being heeced.
For nearly two hours that night Clay
had everything his own way with
Bright, holding a kingfull four times
hand running, following by a jack-full.
Bright tried his best to catch Clay in a
bluff, but it was no use. Clay came to
the front every time with hand that
nothing but tours could phase. At
haf-past 10 Bright had lost 81 800, and
had borrowed $500 from John Han
cock. After that Clay's luck deserted
him, but he failed to recognize it. He
continued to bet as high on pair of
deuces as he had been betting on an
ace-full. BY midnight he had lost all
his winnings and 81, 900 besides-au the
cash he had with him.
II guess we'd better quit" said
Bright, "as you want to go to church
tomorrow"
20, blow the church, replied Clay,
lido you suppose want to hear a man
preach right on top of losing $1,000 at
poker? Not much. You just lend me
$500, and let the game 60 on"
So the game proceeded, and at day
light Clay was in debt to Bright to the
amount of $1,000, and that is the way
it stood when the game ended. Han
eOCh uSeu W say, "ucH uC tOiu Iuo
story, that Clay liquidated that debt by
giving Bright deed of 800 acres of
Kentucky land, and transferring to him
six shares of stock in Il Louisville bank.
Clay went to his room that Sunday
shortly after daylight, to go
to bed. But he took a sudden resolu-
ton to 90 to Alexandria anyhow and
keep his church engagement. He went
in the carriage of a friend. Quite a
crowd followed him when he went out
to get in his carriage. There a 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 gentleman Clay put his
hand in his pocket to pull out his hand
kerchief, and in doing this pack of
cards was suddenly spilled on the
ground. Clay was not the least abashed,
but deliberately gathered up the cards,
replaced them in his pocket, and re-
marked to the minister and others who
were standing there that friend had
put the cards in his pocket as practi-
cal joke.-Boston Budget.