The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-11-11
CHI D W1FE'S STORY.
Onra Richardson Clay Asserts Tha She
Reluctantly Wed ted the General.

Dara R,chard.on Cha Asserts That She
Reluctantly Wsdied tho General.
VALLEY VIEW. KY. Nov. 3.-Dora
Richardson Clay, the child-w.fe OF
Genera Ca>sius Marcellus CLAW, Of
Whitehall, who is visiting he~ brother,
Clcll Richard son, q day laborer, in his
little boarl cabin opposite the South
ern Lumber Companv's plant, told the
following story of leaving her hus-
ban |:
1--WE got along very we'll until Mr..
Clay went to Cincinnati several months
ago to have his eyes treated. Before
that time | was fairly contentel to
stay in the b g house with him alone,
but while he was gone he got Manic
Fggerstaff, the daughter of a neigh
Dor. to stay with me-. The young men
who called upon Mamie, Of course,
would talk to me. Now had never been
accustomed to young mems company
and l did not know what to d, l
was afraid MIR. Clay would be angry
with me-, and when Mr.. Clay came
home somebody told him that | had
not conducted myself right while he
was away. l told him the people
were telling him lies about me, and
he said he thought so, too From that
time on | was not altogether happy.
When Mamie went home it became
dreadfully lonesome. and l made up
my mind that l would come to see
brother Clel, and pay him a long
visit. l told Mr.. Clay that l wanted
to leave and come and stay with my
brother awhile, and he said. that
l was a free agent; that I was
old enough Il am ~ to know what
was right and that he did not
want me to feel that he was making a
slave of me. Some of those Who had
pretended to De my friends had told
me that l was Mr.. Clay's slave, and
that they would not stay there and be
in bondage. not for all his money and
land and sheep. Well, l left two
weeks ago, and five times l have been
to Whitehall since l came to visit
brother. am undecided just when l
will return to make Whitehall my
permanent home, but l will go back
when get ready.
"You see, l was very young when l
married Mr.. Clay, and l scarcely knew
what l was doing. l don't think l
would ever ave married him had it
not been for my brother, Clell, who
begged me time and again to consent
to become Mr.. Clay's wife. l knew
he was far above me, and could not
see how he could love a little, ignor-
ant girl like me; but Clell kept on in.
sisting, and at last 1 gave up and we
got married. He told me that Mr.:
Clay would educate me. He has
had a number of teachers for me, but
I soon got tired Of them, and do not
care tc keep on trying to read those
old books. He tried to have me taught
music, but it was SO much practice
that l don't believe l will aver make a
musician. Yes, he bought me u piano
and a banjo, but there is one instru-
ment that nobody seems to have
heard of, and that is the accor-
dion. He brought me one Of tn,
incest ones you ever saw and
can play on it some, too. Oh, yes,
when we were first married he bought
me the prettiest kind of a doll, with
nice, rosy cheeks and golden hair, and
I could make 1t cry, too. One day !
broke one of its eyes, and Mr. Clay
sent away off somewhere to have the
eye put back.
Here is his picture when he was 81
gears old. Wasn't he handsome:
Here is another picture of him when
be was United States minister to Rus.
STA. Look how fine he az See his
uniform; isn't it pretty? Isn't he
grand looking?"
Then she produced a picture of the
general taken q few mo1ts,s ago and
with a sigh she said:
but that is the way he locks now
Hes SO old. It's a pity; don't you
; think SOP"
STRAYED OR STOLEN-Chest.
nut sorrel pacing mare, white il
: face, strayed or stolen from the ole
r Steel ranch Is miles below Hermosa
: weight about 100; i,
years old and ,alrly we'll broken ,t
, drive:S1O. 90 rcward.-C. D. Brophy
Keystone, S. D.