The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-01
HENRY CLAY AT POKER.
How a Royal Flush Lost Him olym-
plan Springs.

How Royal Flush Lost Him olym-
plan Springs.
Looking for a story, are you son?'
said the old, poker-p playing Kentucky
Colonel, as the st. Louis Globe-Demo-
Gratis Owingsville, KY, correspondent
walked UP to him anu offered him CT
gar. Lets see did [ ever tell you of the
time Henry Clay lost his fine property
the Olympian springs. out ten miles from
here, way back in the 3O's, to George
Landowner No? Well, sit down and l
will tell you about It,
II was a little shaver then, and used
to go with my father out to see Henry
Clay when he owned and lived for a time
at the Springs as we called them then.
All the girls and boys from all over the
south, clear to New Orleans, used to
come up there then, and they had some
great times, l can tell you. Clay had
race track there, and some of the bloods
brought their racers with them and
Thousands of dollars were sometimes
wagered on a single race There was good
fox-hunting hereabouts then, and the
hunters would gallop all over Bath
county nearly before they returned. Then
they would let their horses rest up day
or two and then they would have c race
themselves out on the old course. And
the dances they had there at the old
Owings mansion and then out at the
Springs were marvels of brilliancy.
THE racing game and the counting
game was not all they had there In the
old days. Old George Lansdowne lived
here in Owingsvlle then, and he was
worth anywhere from 900 to 100000.
He was a great poker player and once
II. awhile, when he was feeling good he
would go out to see Henry Clay and
they would have a game which would be
a wonder even now in the days of big
stakes. Clay was always glad to see him
because he was always certain of an ex
citing time with the Colonel.
"Lansdowne seldom got the least bit
under the influence as we say of gentle
men, but when he did he was a terror.
Remember how he used to get slightly
in his cups saddle up his mare. load up
his shotgun and maze his niggers hide
out in the bushes an around Owingsville
hill Then he would make a Niger walk
in front of him, beat the bushes for the
hiding niggers, and when one would jump
up and run the colonel would up with the
gun and let him have it. Hurt the Niger?
Oh, no; the gun was only loaded with
beans, and afforded the colonel great
pleasure and didn't hurt the niggers, so
what was the difference? Couldn't gen.
tleman indulge himself in q little pleas
ure with his own property? And when
the colonel got angry, why, l have seen
him swell up so in the neck from an
ger that his collar button would burst
from his shirt and roll over the floor.
That always made the old colonel laugh.
"About the poker game? Oh, yes, Well
one day the old colonel woke up and he
sure was feeling his keeping. He de-
termined to go out and see how his friend,
Henry Clay, was doing. So he had his
niger get his horse and rode out there.
Arriving there ana partaking of light
refreshment, Lansdowne proposed po-
ker game. Clay agreed, and the two
went to the poker ROOM Soon the game
was on, fast and furious. First Clay
would win what there was in sight. and
then Lansdowne would come up with
good hand and take in everything on
the board This continued almost all day,
but along toward night Clay began los
ing steadily. He lost and he lost.
1.-THE colonel kept ralying him on his
luck deserving him, and still Clay Kept
losing. Finally Clay pushed his cards
back from the table md said, George,
I have no more money by me at this time,
but the springs are mine, what will you
bet against themY
For some minutes Lansdowne studied.
Then he said Henry, l have long wanted
the springs property. They will be worth
Just $4,000 to me If | win. And you will
be that much a head If you win. What
DC you say?'
"Clay agreed, and the colonel pulled
long wallet out Of his pocket and counted
out cash and notes for the $4,000. Then
the game began again. First one would
lose and then the other. At last Clay's
luck again deserted him and his pile of
chips got lower and lower. Both had
good hands and both stayed every time.
Clay would raise, ana the old colonel,
studying his hand, as if he was in doubt
would see it anu stay. Finally, Clay
threw down his hand said in the YER
nacular Of that day, that he was all
in. He had held a good hand. an ace
high straight flush of spades. The old
colonel looked at Clays cards a moment
and then again at his own hand. "A
good hand Henry, he said "a good hand.
But and then he laid down slowly,
one by one, the ace of diamonds the
king of diamonds the queen of diamonds,
the jack of diamonds and the ten of
diamonds-the royal flush-'this is a bet
ter one
"Clay pushed back his chair. and, fol-
lowed by the colonel. walked out of the
room. A few days la~er the legal trans
fer of the property was made, and the
colonel became owner of the springs.
They have never been the same since, and
never will be, / reckon
The colonel sighed as he rose from his
chair, and followed by the reporter,
made for the open door.
go and write your story, son." he
said. "and say that that was the strongest
poker game ever played in these parts"
Then. as the reporter whispered some
thing to him, the old Kentuckian smiled
and said; "Well, it is trifle COOL don't
care if I do" and back he went into
the hotel