Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-06-26

square game, and there he looked |
hard at the one-eyed stranger as he |
put his hand on his revolver at his |
belt 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 my mind
very funny story I beard in party of
congressman last night, retailing a
repartee which Clay made at a dinner
table there in response to joke upon
him attempted by John Quincy
Adams. at was" said the congress
man, lat 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 toble and Immediately opposite
MIN was sitting John Quincy Adams.
Mr.. Adams seldom made a joke, and
when he arose and spoke as follows
about Mr.. Clay. there was no man in
the party more astounded than Clay.
Said Mr.. Adams: I'VE 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 I 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 60
at once, because, gentlemsn, at the
hotel at which we bath STOP there is
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 l distinctly
heard him offer ner 5-ffanc piece for
a single kiss from her cherry lips.
Like good girl she scorned his offer,
tore herself from his 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 we'll 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 imitation of Mr.. Adams gesture.
He then slowly rose and said, as he
looked up and down the table, aud
Enoll,- Eynl h,e 40 0,,tNs
Mr. Adams face: What the gentle
man opposite me has said is all true,
1t is true that the glrl is very 5eauti
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. | did
offer the maiden FIVE francs for kiss,
but as attempted to take it she
sprang IT, Il my embrace and indig~
nantly exclaimed: DO you think l
am such a 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 eyesP"
''rhe laugh was on Adams. He
took the joke angrllJ, and for several
days would not speak to Clay. Clay,
however, wsnt to him and aLologiZed,
saying he had been dumfounded by
Adams remark, and that the more so
because it contained more truth than
fancy"
Another story about Clay, so wall
authenticated that it comes to be al
most directly from Henry Clay's
mouth, relates an adventure of his
with old Throckmorton, noted hotel
keeper in Louisville in Clay's day.
Throckm0rton was one of Clay's
most intimate friends. In their after
days the two were almost inseparable
and they often joined hands over the
whist table. Throckmsrton was
fine whist player, and nothing irritat-
ed him more than TO have his game
interrupted Or spoiled By talking
Throckmorton generally beat Clay,
but Clay got ahead of him at whist
party in Louisville when he and
Throckmorten were partners. The
stakes were nominal-$1 game,
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 after trick was lost.
Throckmorton protested from time
to time, finally saying, Really, Mr..
Clay, for a man Of your ability, edu
cation and reputation you are the
poorest whist player I have ever
known" The play continue IN the
same way and Throckmorton grew
more and more angry. AT last Clay
said: 'You are making more fuss
by your objecting than | am by my
stories. Now" and here he pulled
out SO gold piece, I'VE will each
lay 80 on the table, and the man
who talks first shall lose his money"
To this Throckmorton consented, and
the $50 were laid beside the stakes of
81 a side, in the middle of the table.
Clay then began to play worse than
ever. He trumped Throckmorton's
ace, and threw away his own suit,
until Throckmorton, who for some
time had been grittlng his teeth, rose,
and pushing.th the money at Clay, said:
Here, take your money. | am not
going to let $50 stand in the way Of
telling any such card playing idiot
as you are showing yourself to be
what 1 think of kim" He then
went over Clay rough -shod. Clay
laughed as he put the two gold pieces
in his pocket, and the company
laughed with him when he SAID that
he had been trying for years to beat
Mr.. Throckmorton, and he was glad
to feel that he had done SO for once