The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-10-04

the most luscious grapes was sent up and
General Clay has, perhaps, the finest fruit
in Kentucky. He is famed for his water
melons, and on the inside of the hall near
the door, l noted at least score of great
melons, some of which were four feet long
and about eighteen inches in diameter. l
found them as sweet as they looked, and
General Clay discussed the fruit as we ate
them together. 1.-The best melons," said
he, one day as we were getting away with
one about the size of q waste-paper basket,
| never get into the market. They have
thin and brittle rInds and they are sure TO
| break in shipping. You note that this
melon has white seeds, and still tits as ripe
as it can be. l find that the seeds OF melons
change with cultivation and the seeds OF
this stock were black when | began to cul-
tivate them few years ago, but they have
| changed from year 10 year until they are
now as white as snow" During our meals
we ate as rule alone for the general keeps
! bachelors hall-he discusse gastronomy
and the laws Of health, and told me that he
attriO uted his longevity to temperance In
eating and that he always got up from the
table hungry. He preferred vegetables to
meats, and though the table was loaded
! down with good things, he took but little.
He proudly said that everything on his
table with the exception OF the pepper, the
salt and the coffee, had been raised by MIN
, on his farm, and tn he felt happy IN being
! independent At one time during my stay
! he talked of farming and said that he found
the raising of sOuthdown sheep, and export
cattle, the most profitable and am told
that he has the finest sheep in the United
States. Within the past few years General
Clay has divided up large part OF his Ken
tucl;y lands and has given them to his sons.
He still holds, however, 300 acres ABOUT his
home and the working of this is his busi
ness and amusement.
LINCOLN AND SEWARD.
One evening during my stay 1 asked Mr.
Clay who was the greatest man he had even
known He replied, Il believe that AOra-
ham Lincoln was the greatest man this
country has ever produced. AS a diplomat
ne was greater than all his diplomats. Az
q general ne was superior to any general n
the army, and as a statesman he FAR Out
ranked his cabinet. He was clog2ed in his
administration by his cabinet and he nae
, some bad elements ABOUT him. Take Sc
ward for instance. He was not in sympa
thy with Lincoln. He was man OF NJ
principle and he was always working fol
! himself and stealing from the presidency
knew Seward very well before the con
vention of 1860, aud | called on HIM here a
Washington. He was then very anxious
! to be President. and ne showed me paper
he had written in which he announced hi
was for the Union, slave or free. Tha
killed him with me, and | then decided tina
2 | would have nothing to do with his candi
, dacv. he knew that [ went against hin
2 aud he became my enemy and we were enc
mics till the day of his death. He wa
| secretary of state while | was in Russia
! and heaped many petty insults upon me.
first met Lincoln before he was elected Il
l Congress. 1t was during lecture that
, gave at Sprinefield and Lincoln was sit
ting whiting in the back part of the crowd
7 | became well acquainted with him later on
l and when he was nominated, | was leading
candidate for vice. President, but | did no
, go to the convention nor make any effort t.
have my friends nominate me, and Hamlil
2 was chosen. President Lincoln wrote m
shortly after this that he intended to ap
. point me secretary of war; l had serve
, in the Mexican war, and had some miltar
t training. would have accepted the posi-
l tion and | remained at Kentucky at N
: home here waiting for Lincoln TO fulfil hi
! promise. At last one day, l received let
ter telling me I had been made minister I
Spain. | did not want the Spanish missio
S and l strrted at once to Washington to sc
9 about II"
|. HOW RUSSIAN MINISTER WAS APPoINTEl
went to the White House as soon as
got TO Washington" continued Generi
i Clay, ''and 1 found the President in the
t orary. he received NE pleasantly and
, told him st once that l could not take tt
i mission to Spain. Said l, Il don't want
t go to any of the effete monarchies
: Europe. l have served all my life for N
q party, and l have never asked for an offic
q | had thought that l might take one as
: sort of vindication of my principles, bl
v since you have so many better men this
II myself. think had better 20 back to k