Morning journal and courier., 1885-05-27
Stories About Henry Clay.

Washington Correspondence Of the CleVeiahu
 co,,o+or Rack of Kentucky is one of the hest story-tellers in Congress. He went to school as boy at college near Asnlano' tue residence of Henry Clay, and he descrloeo the other night visit which numoer oi the college boys once made upon the olo
 statesman. He said: "As MT. Clay rose to
 ,,aet ns his face shone with smiles, and eve
 " boy in the party was stralsnt"aS ns
 friend. In the course of the talk he asked us what we thought of his pictures. lhere were a number, some paintings and some en- cravings, hanging upon the walls ln olHefehs | narts of the room. We finally decided upon ono the picture of a woman holding boWi l of steaming mush in her hand, as the hnest ! one in the collection. As we did so MT. Clay Ianohed and said: tYes, boys, l think you 1 have picked out my best picture, ana as you
 have done so I must tell it's history. got
 Albert Ga1atin, Johnnn nn ufney d eHn Hdams TaEd aafd
 myself were there making the treaty, and l Mr. Gallatin and myself took chances in a 1 picture raff1e. My prize turned out to be that picture, pointing to an inferior engra-
 wing on the other side of the room, and
 Gallatin got this. Now Gallatin knew very little about art, and I did not know very
 much, but I could see at glance that lis
 ! picture was far better than mine, and that
 should be laughed at if we took the pictures | home and comparisons were made. 1 saw
 that I must get hold of Gallatin's pictures
 i and said to him: EMr. Gallatin, these two
 | pictures were made to match each other and
 the man who has ought to have both
 Now I will tell you what l will do. will
 l put my picture against yours and we VIII
 play a game of cards for them. The man
 ] who wins shall take both pictures and you
 ! may name the game
 ss 'Mr Gallatin thought 8 moment, con
 ! sented and said seven up,' and" continued Senator Beck, q can hear Henry Clay s hearty laugh now and see his smile of intense rnerriment as he concluded, As soon as Gal latin said seven-up I knew I had him. He knew but little about cards and was one of t the best seven-up players ill Kentucky. The result was as I had anticipated and got the
 picture"
 f Another story about Clay, so well authen- } ticated that it comes almost directly from |, ] Henry Clay's mouth, relates adventure of
 | his with old Throckmorton, a noted hotel ? 1 keeper at Louisville in Clay's day. Throck- t morton was one of MT. Clay's most intimate S Kentucky friends. In their latter days the g two were almost inseparable and they often ] | joined hands over the whist table, Throck- e morton was fine whist player and nothing q | irritated him more than to have his game in g terrupted or spoiled by talking Throck- t morton generally beat Clay, but Clay got D | ahead of him at whist party in Louisville [ when ne ana InTOChmOIGOu WOlO PoAcAAoAS S The stakes were nominal-a dollar game think-and as soon the party sat down al r the table Clay began to tell stories. The re- 5 suit was that he paid no attention to his s hand and through his blunders trick afte1 : trick was lost Throckmorton protested t from time to time, finally saying, Really : MT. Clay, for man of your ability, educa
 tion and reputation, you are the poores l. 1 whist player I have ever known" The play e continued in the same way and Throckmor b ton grew more and more angry. At las k Clay said, ''You are making more fuss b. e your objecting than I am by my stories 6 Now,'' and here he pulled out ten dolla n gold piece 'twe will each lay ten dollars ol @ the table, and the man who talks first shal @ lose his money"
 @ To this rhrockmorton consented and th l twenty dollars were laid beside the stakes O c a dollar a side in the middle of the table = Clay then began to play worse than ever. H e trumped Throckmorton's aces and threV > away his own suit until Throc morton, wh h for some time had been gritting his teeth l. rose and pushing the money at Clay, said e 'sHere. take your twenty dollars. l am no
 going to let twenty dollars stand in the wa, t. of my telling any such a card-play1ng 1d1o n as you are showing yourself to be what ,- think of him." He then went over Cla n roughshod Clay laughed as he put the tw "a l gold pieces in his pocket, and the compan. n laughed with him when he said that he ha ,t been trying for years to beat MT. Throck ts | morton, and he was glad to feel that he ha | done sO fOF once