Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1885 — Henry Clay’s Favorite Dishes. [ARTICLE]

Henry Clay’s Favorite Dishes.

“I want to- tell you,” said; the superannuated restaurateur, “of Henry Clay. Perhaps you never heard, of what an eater he was. Well, I can say. that I knew Mr. Clay a great many years, because I waited on him bpfrh. at the National Hotel and at Hancock’s restaurant, as well as a good; many other places.. Mr. Clay was. a great lover of broiled oysters and baked pumpkins. He could eat more than* any man I evdr see. Perhaps you don?t know that Mr. Clay used to eat butter on, his watermelons? Well, lie did.. I remembervery wall that on a certain day when, there- was a great many famous men at the table, including Mr. Corwin, Calhoun, and Gen. Carey, of Michigan* Mr. ©lay had his watermelon set out before Mm. He said: ‘Now, gentlemen,. you have before you the most magnificent product off the vegetable kingdom. Now, here is the most magnificent product of the animal kingdom —butter.’ Well, sir, Mr. Clay pror eeeded to butter his watermelon,, and he put butter on thick, and I can say that he did not stop at one slice, in fact, he did not stop at four or five slices of buttered watermelon, every time they pnt watermelon on the table. But I can say thai hone of tho other gentlemen ever followed his advice. One of Mr. Clay’s friends, a Kentucky Colonel, tried it once, but yon ought to see him lay it down real quick. No, sir, I never see nobody else *bept Mr. Clay take te buttered watermelon.”— Washington Cor. Philadelphia Press.