Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1887 — TRUE FRIENDSHIP. [ARTICLE]

TRUE FRIENDSHIP.

Three Strangers Who Saved the Name anil Credit of Henry Clay. Baltimore Auiermn. * Perhaps no man in public the United States ever had so strong a per* sonal following as Henry Clay. His friends were everywhere, and they were so numerous that hq himself never knew them "halfl>y , ~nkine. When; the “Mill Boy of the Slashe” was the candidate of the Whigs for the Presidency, it became known that he had overdrawn his bank account at the Maysville bank for a considerable sum. One day three gentlemen, strangers to President Scott of that institution, and asked Mr. Scott how much - Clay had overdrawn. ,He replied tersely that that was none of their business, and that his bank, was not in the habit of. telling strangers the private affairs of his customers. The visitor said that they Had come to make the account good, and that they had asked the question that they might know how much was required of them. That placed a different phase on the situation, and Mr. Scott told them that Mr. Clay’s account was overdrawn to an a mount $30,000. The visitors opened their saddle-bags and immediately paid over the amount. Mr. Scott tried to find out who they were but was unsuccessful, and up to thejday of his death he never knew who were the benefactors of/his customer. Mr. Scott’s son, uqw a resident of Bloomington, 111., would be interested to know who were the riders that carried $30,000 in their Saddlebags to save the name of Henry Clay, but no one has yet been able to enlighten }jim.