The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-12
CLAY ON THE SALTS
GEORGIA's JUNIOR SENATOR AT A
THUNDERBOLT LUNCHEON.
HON. &c. DU BIGNoN'S GUEST.
DENIES HE'S ON A POLITICAL MIS-
SION BENT.

The Senator Spent the Morning Re
nering Old Personal and Political
Friendships and the Afternoon Mt
ThunderbOIt-Lunch at BannOn
Lodge and the Aftermath on Yacht
Club Piazzns-PrOminent Savan-
nahians His Fellow Guests-A Good
Time, but No Speeches, Politics or
FOrmaIity-The Senator Out for
Health and Pleasure.
Senator Steve Clay of Georgia. is in Sa-
vannah. Yesterday morning he spent IN
renewing old friendships and acquaint-
ances made lang syne," before Senator
Clay had climbed to the rung of the po-
litical ladder he now occupies.
The Senator is the guest of Hon. f. G.
duBignon, whose close personal and po-
liucal friend he is. His visit here, how
ever, is a friendly and personal one mere
ly, and both he and Mr.. duBignon say
that 1t has no connection whatever with
politics or the political aspirations OF eth
er of them.
Senator Clay was the guest of honor In
the afternoon at luncheon given at Mrs.
Bannons, at Thunderbolt, by Mr. du-
Rgnon The party of guests left the city
at o'clock and proceeded to Bannon
Lodge. The composition of the party suf-
ficiently disproved the current assumption
that Senator Clay was on a political mis-
sion bent, as it included men of all shades
of local political belief, and of no local
political belief whatever. All of them
were Democrats, but several of them have
no affiliation with either local faction.
Besides Senator Clay and Mr.. duBignon,
the party included Congressman Rufus E.
Lester, Mayor Herman Myers, Judge
Robert Falligant, Samuel B. Adams, Esq,
Mr.. f. F. Jones, Col George T. Cam A.
A. Lawrence Esq, Col j. H. Estill, Mr.
James NJ. Dixon, Gen. w. w. Gordon,
Mr.. P. A stovall, r NJ. Hitch, Esq, T.
Mayhem Cunningham, Jr, Esq, and Mr..
II. II. Bacon.
One end of the table at which the party
sat was occupied by Mayor Myers, while
Judge Faligant presided at the other.
The luncheon was served in Mrs. Man
mons best and daintiest style. and Sena-
tor Clay, a North Georgian enjoyed
to the utmost the distinctively coast dain-
ties and delicacies with which the menu
was filed.
and no politics. but everybody had a thor
oughly good time. After luncheon the
party proceeded to the Yacht Club, where
the remainder of the afternoon was pleas
antly spent on the broad verandas OF the
club house In the conversation that en-
sued politics may occasionally have play
ed 81 part, but it was topic or CONVEX
sation and not as a controlling issue and
a paramount consideration.
J, hoer
actly well, but certainly his looks belle
him. In outward seeming he has all the
vigorous health which has distinguished
him throughout his professional and po-
| litical career and has enabled him to
endure without perceptibe fatigue the ar
| duous labors he has never hesitated to
| undertake. Some loss of adipose tissue
| there may be and possibly new wrinkle
and an unfa miliar gray hair, but other
wise he is the same Steve Clay with whom
Savannah politicians have waged political
| battle in times past.
The senator is not looking af-
ter politics and political issues
just at present and he doesn't
care to discuss them. The storms
that are rising above the political hor-
lion he views with placid air and his
own fights seem to sit lightly upon him
and annoy him not at ALL -..' "~f
AS member of the River and Harlbor
Committee of the Senate he was i'm po-
sition TO help the bill that was designed
to give Savannah the deep channel from
the city to the sea that the Importance
of the port has come to demand as a
vital necessity. That help he gave and
Savannah remembers him for it. Had it
not been for senatorial courtesy and the
unexpected and almost unexampled vocal
powers of Senator Carter the bill would
by now have been law and the work of
improving Savannahs harbor, under the
2S-foot project. well under way. Senator
Clay shares the belief, general in Wash
ington and with those familiar with mat
tiers congressional, that the appropriation
for Savannah's harbor will be made at
the next session of Congress.
Senator Clay is stopping with Mr.. du-
| Bignon, at the latter's residence on Per-
ry street, west. He, will be in Savannah
some days.
49,