The Seattle Republican. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1???-1915, 1901-04-12
OBSERY YATIONS
Of the Worlds Important
Happenings.
SHORT COMMENTS

Gen. Clay's Fancied Vendetta
Leads Him to Battle with Sher-
iff Lake Washington Gets
Favorable Mention-Russia Re
cedes From Manchuria- Beers
Making Grave Mistake Fun
ston's Rapid Reward - Civil
Government for Philippines.
GEN. CASSIUS Nj. CLAY.
If Gen. Cassius M. Clay is not the
human inigma of the age, then, un-
questionably such a person has not as
yet been located. His recent battle
with the sheriff and his deputies who
wanted to serve papers on him for the
restitution of property in his posses
sion belonging to a daughter, whom
he had few days prior driven from
his house because he thought she, too,
was a part of a vendetta which he has
talked and written about for the past
twenty years as plotting to take his
life and property, is one of the most
remarkable things that has ever act
ually occurred outside Of Rider Hag-
CARDS mind. 1t equals the escapades
of the most imaginative novel writer,
and certainly confirms the allega-
ton that Gen. Clay, though at one
time one of the nations strongest and
most able statesmen is now a mental
and physical wreck. What a history
has Cassius M. Clay, the famous Ken
tuckian, made for himself. His life
truthfully and carefully written would
make dime a dime novel hide it's
face behind a hyperbolian sham.
With the ambition and fire of a Cae-
sar, he threw his whole soul into the
cause of abolitionism, and it can be
truthfully said that he did as much
during that fearful struggle between
father and son and brothers to break
the shackles from the limbs of 4,0OO,-
600 Negroes and bring about a more
perfect union of the states as did any
other living man. For such services
President Lincoln rendered him all
kinds of honored positions, many of
which he filled with singular credit to
his country and honor to himself
But. tired of having honors thrust
upon him, he withdrew to private life
and hied himself to his Kentucky
home and assumed the role of a re-
cluse, where he lived many years in
peace and happiness owing to his
great wealth. Such a humdrum life
became monOtonous to him; he con-
ceived an idea, put the same into ope-
ration and married a 15-year-old girl,
and that, too, after he had reached
the octogenerian milestone. But to
such match no real happiness could
ever come, and soon his unpretentious
little country child-Wife, Dora Rich
ardson, deserted him, and after secur-
ing divorce, married one of her
country associates more congenial to
her own walks of life Gen. CLAY.
however, has never given her up, al
though she is married to another. and
although he has made her comfort
able for life, he still has a desire to
leave all of his wealth to her, to
which his children seriously object;
and this is the real cause of his fam
cied vendetta and recent fight with
the sheriff and his deputies What a
pity that such strong-minded men in
their earlier days of life should live to
see the day when they would become
formerly were strong-minded and
stablei
LAKE WASHINGTON
The many national embroglios that
the United States are having with
countries lying on the Pacific waters
and the determination of the war au-
thOrities of this country to keep a
large fleet in the Pacific waters, has
prompted such authorities at Wash
ington City to order an investigation
of the great Lake Washington fresh
water harbOr as to the advisability
of it being made a rendezvous for the
warships not actively engaged in war
or on patrol duty in the Pacific when
such are needing repairs and over
hauling. For many years the citizens
Of Seattle have endeavored to con-
vince the government that Lake
Washington was the most excellent
fresh water harbor for just such a
purpose that was to be found any
where in the United States but to nc
avail. When the Lake Washington
canal will have been built by the gov
ernment (mOney for which has al
ready been appropriated, and the work
on which will be begun in june, that
lake will be able to accommodate
every naval vessel that will be sta
toned on the Pacific coast, and all al
the very same time. This is no idle
fancy Western fish story or Seattle
real estate boom, but an undeniable
fact, and one that will bear the clos
est investigation on the part of any
committee appointed by either the
government or by even a rival city.
RUSSIA AND MANCHURIA
After much diplomacy on the part
Of the United States Russia has con-
sented to not push matters in the
province of Manchuria, China, but
will allow the situation to remain as
it is under the circumstances and wait
for future developments Russia, it is
said, a few days prior had threatened
to withdraw from the union of allied
forces in China, and act Independent
OF them in the Chinese settlement