The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-16
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Henry Clay's Poker Hands.


Drag may be a poor dog. but he
was the daddy of poker and played a
mighty big hand in somo Of the first
dealings of this country. This early
form "f poker was almost pure bluff.
for 1t was played without the draw"
and thusly. three cards in the hand
and II a up On the table. Then
bet like hurricanes and dry summer
woods attire. This great game cost
Henry Clay fortunes, all for our good,
as 1t turned out, Henry losing to Poin-
dexter $4,000 i'll one night.
"Brag." 1t seems. vas the true parent
Of Shirt Sleeve Diplomacy" and
ClaS's bluffs were fierce, short ana
sweet as he played them in the treaty
oS Client. Britain's demands, or,
rather, commands. We're 'modest"-
all of Michigan, Wisconsin,. Illinois
and most of Indiana and n third nj
Ohio must be turned into an Indian
reservation for II buffer between the
Great Britain was to take most of
northern New York and New England,
Americans were to give up inshorc
fisheries. The hearts of the -Four Eel
low Commissioners dropped into their
boots. Clay saw the bluff the second
1t dropped and gayly and joyfully
smclled tho battle from afar. From
then on Clay always let them go as far
as they liked. but always saw the bluff
and went them Il few better.
Clay. as the real author of the War
Of 1872 and as the popular idol and
speaker of The house, was aversc to
neither bluff o war; in fact. Henry
wished Wharf.-The war was popular in
the west. Clay never played second
fiddle n was as awesome and fear
some a fellow as they ever made them,
even If he was as gay as Godfrey
Chaucer while being as bold as Robin
Hood.
Clay was not worrying much with
the %ponrparlers. Tho many private
and public dinners he enjoyed hugely.
making hosts of friends, as usual. The
shirt sleeve" part of the treaty was
like this: From the first Clay object
ed to c%onceding the British long dis:
patches, figurative language and am
biguous and courtly phrases. Clay
fought i'll most instances for n
writing paper. saying it was good
enough for the British commissioners.
Boorish. tut this with Clay's hfgh-roll-
ing Prince Hal manners, made the
British unconsciously think he was IL
true lord. and 80 they yielded him due
respect.
Now, here is the way old brag poker
was played into the poW-WOw, copy-
ing John Quincy Adams's valuable
diary: Clay said he had no doubt
but three years more of war would
make us a war-likc people, and that
then VIC should come out of the war
with honor. Whereas at present, wen
upon the best terms we could posi-
bly, obtain. we shall have only IL half
formed army and half retrieve II
military reputation. He was for play
ing Drag with the British plcnipo-
tentiaries: they had been playing
Drag with us throughout the whole
negotiations: he thought it was time
for us to begin to play 'brag' with
them. He asked me if 1 knew how
to play 'brag.' ] had forgotten how.
He said the art of II was to beat your
adversary by holding your hand with
a solemn n confident phiz and out
Dragging him. He appealed to MIR.
Bayard if it was not. 'Ay.' said Mr..
Bayard. but you may lose the game
by Dragging until the adversary sees
the weakness of your hand And Mr..
Bayard added to me-: Mr.. Clay is for
Dragging a million against a cent"
Even when the treaty was made
Clay. AS reported by Adams. said I'VE
had made a damned bad treaty, and
I did not know whether I would sign
or not" Clay's Contumaciousness and
sporty spirit was the nations great
gain. Beloved Clay.