, 1885-02-07
CLAY AND JOHNNY"
A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE
GREAT STATESMAN.


baltimore Hrraid.l
sid l know Henry Clayf repeated Mr..
John n. Holmes, of the firm Of Holmes &
Sons, In his Office tho other day. Mr.. Holmes
face lit up with an amiabls smile rs he cpp<
timed:
"Indeed / did. and never met "A stranger
to whom I felt 20 drawn as ! did to him,
when first l became acquainted with him.
That was a good many years ago" Mr..
Holmes added, running his fingers through
his white hair. at was away back IN 1893
This Is how il happened:
-1n those days l was a boy Of 10 years and
lived with my mother in Frederick county.
Va. about eight miles from Winchester and
about a mile from the stage road that ran
from Wa hington across the mountains One
day the stage met with an accident coming
coming down the hill. near our place, and
was upset l hurried 10 the scene and learned
that a man had been killed As l wanted to
see what n dead man looked like, / APP
proacheda tail, bony man who wa seated
by the roadside writing n letter on his knee,
TO ask where the dead man was. He directed
me pleasantly. and when / had seen all l
wanted, l returned and asked him II he
wouldn't come up to my mothers housr for
dinner
Il would like to do SO very much. sonny
be replied, but l can hardly walk
That's all right responded; IN go get
our harouche.'
ale objected that it would be too much
trouble, but finally consented. So / got the
vehicle and took him up to the house, while
the other passengers walked. While at din
ner my mother and 1 discovered that the
genial gentleman was Horny Clay. We also
discovered that he was very anxious to get
10 Winchester ut once, In order TO take the
stage there for his home In kentucky. My
mother suggested that ] drive him over. He
thanked me, and nothing could have pleased
me better. When we were ready to start /
took the reins. but Mr.. Clay said to me:
See here. Johnny, suppose you sit back
with me and let my colored man, Charles,
drive
@An right, sir, said I, and back l went
It was a delightful ride to me. Twin never
forget it. Mr.. Clay completely captivated
me He talked to me about school,, about
horses, about farming, about shooting, in
fact, about everything that would interest a
boy Of my age, bringing himself down to my
level.
"'Now, Johnny. l want you to slip this
into your pocket, Mr.. Clay said whom We
reached Winchester. He handed me $40. /
told him that my mother would never con-
sent to my taking that. It would reflect
eI"AA A0oIAtAlANls
81 don't want to pay you, OF course he
urged 1 only want you to take this as a
present.
Il demurred again, and not until while
driving home l looked on the back seat did /
know Mr.. Clay had quietly put tho money
there.
THE next time 1 saw Mr.. Clay" Mr..
Holmes went on TO say, Hwns in 1912. at
Dayton, Ohio He had just addressed a
m~ass-mesting and the people were pressing
forward to shake his hand. 1 was a
stranger, but l thought l, too, would go up
and speak to him. told him my name was
Holmes. He stopped to think and said that
he once dined at the house of n Widow
Holmes in Virginia almost ten years before,
aud remembered that she had a little son
named Johnny. He often thought about
their kindness, he said, and wanted to know
IL l was any relation When ! told him that
] was Johnny he seized both my hands and
shook them with all his might, inviting me
to his hotel that night
II saw Mr.. Clay again four years later. In
Cumberland, Nd, in 1646 He paid a visit
there a few weeks after / came to live there.
A reception committee OF all the big guns in
town waited at the railroad station for his
arrival. / managed to get In among the
crowd, near the edge of tho platform. When
the train stopped Mr.. Clay stepped of about
IA dozen feet from where / was standing. The
reception COMMITTEES was advancing, hat In
hand, to greet the great statesman, when
suddenly he caught sight OF me, and, paying
little or no attention to the advancing COM
mittee, pushed over TO me, extending his
hand and exclaiming;
why, John, Is that youf What on earth
are you doing heref"
"The crowd Immediately turned its atten-
ton TO me, and after Mr.. Clay had ac-
knowledged tho committee's courtesy, he
took my arm and walked down to the hotel
with me. It was remarkable how polite
everybody In town became to be after that
little episode.
@My last meeting with Mr.. Clay was in
l549." Mr. Holmes added: II wns trying
to get a mail agency and had been faith
fully promised the influence of a congress-
man who had been on the most Intimate
terms with all my family since his boy
hood / discovered, however, from As
sistant Postmaster General Dundass, that
my supposed friend was really working In
another mans interest. taxed him with it
and told him that, in spite of him, / would
have the Office. SO l visited Henry Clay and
found him sick in bed. He asked me what
the trouble was. and l told aim. l wanted
him TO help me out, l said 1t was the first
time 1 had asked him a favor
Give me that portfolio" he said.
Il did 50 and be wrote a few lines to the
latter. In two days l had my commission.
1t only goes to prove that Mr.. Clay never
forgot q kindness done him He got more
NI.r $780,. la -. = -