The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-05-23

the first half of the past century, was
practically self-educated, and it was
his early school days in Virginia that
gave him the familiar nickname
"The Mill Boy of the Slashes.' The
neighborhood in which Clay was born
and where he spent his early child
hood was known as THE Slashes.'
Clay's ancestors had emigrated
from England to Virginia early in the
seventeenth century. Clay's father,
who was minister, died when Henry
was only little over years of age,
in 1881, and a short time afterwards
the boy was sent to the country
school in the neighborhood, taught
by an Englishman named Peter
Deacon Here he learned to read
and write and a very little arithme-
tic In this log school house in the
"Slashes," the only school Clay ever
attended, he spent three years. Al
ter leaving this school he lived with
his mother on the little farm which
was their home, and assisted her in
such duties as boy of his age could
perform, being often seen on his way
to a neighboring mill with bag OF
grain; wherefore his popular title
later in political campaigns of THE
Mill Boy of the Slashes.'
The story of Henry Clay is one of
the romances of American history.
Almost in night he rose to fame and
power. The rapid rise shows the
wonderful chances the poor boy had
in his day. For poor he was and
when hardly tall enough to reach the
handles of the plough he was COM
PEELED, in order to assist in the sup
port of his widowed mother, to walk
barefooted along the burrows. Again,
from time to time, whenever the
meal barrel was low, he would take
a turn of meal to Mrs. Darricott's
mill on the Pamunkey river, jogging
along on the family pony with grist
bag for saddle and rope for a
bride.
"The Mill Boy of the Slashes'
kindled, at the time, much sentiment
in the bosoms of the American peo-
pie, and constituted a part of every
popular political pageant of the Whig
party in the presidential campaigns
of 1914. 1t continues to be poetic
since the generation which first felt
it's power has passed away. 1t will
never cease to be so while poetry is
natural to man.
The humble beginning of Garfield
on the tow-path, and Lincoln split
ting rails is duplicated in Clay's
homely mill trips, and while the
former two attained the greatest of
their ambitions, the presidency, Clay
was no less prominent figure, even
if he failed to reach the goal after
three unsuccessful attempts.
At the age of IA Clay was placed
behind the counter in retail store
in Richmond, whittier he family had
moved when his mother married a
second time. His talent was early
recognized, and he was given clerk
ship in the Virginia high court of
chancery. Here he acquired consider
able experience in the copying of le-.
gal documents, and after certain
time he determined to become a
lawyer.
After Clay was admitted to the
bar he felt that Richmond did not Of
fer the opportunity for which he was
searching, and he set out, with his
practitioners license in his pocket,
for the newly opened country of Ken
lucky, where his mother and father
had preceded him. The Mill Boy of
the Slashes" was now to become the
leading lawyer of Lexington.
Clay was barely 21 when he reach
ed Lexington. In early years, finding
his voice defective, he had set about
steadfastly to improve it. Day by
day he declaimed to the empty fields
or to audiences of farm animals un-
til, by dint of long practice, he had
perfected the rich, silvery tones that
charmed ali hearers, and with which
he could play at will as on the stops
of an organ.
Clay's success as lawyer was un-
paralleled, and as a natural corollary
of the law he came into politics, and
here, too, he made rapid progress.
His first position was a seat in the
legislature of his State, which he ac-
ouired in 1903. There he soon be-
came recognized as the remarkable
man OF the State, and it is told that
when The Mill Boy of the Slashes'
spoke in the house the balconies of
tho senate were amDtied