>On Sat, 3 Oct 1998, Ken Follett wrote:
>
>> Gab thought it was just more pig iron until Annalee scrapped the dirt
>> off with her finger. He could not believe it; she had found a bronze
>> political campaign button made for the 1844 Whig party presidential
>> candidate Henry Clay and his vice-presidential nominee, Theodore
>> Frelinghuysen.
>
Interestingly enough, one of our former designated Raleigh Historic
Landmarks was the legendary Henry Clay Oak. Setting up a table in the yard
of his good friend General Polk, it was under this great White Oak that
presidential candidate Henry Clay is said to have written the famed
"Raleigh Letter" which may have cost him the election of 1844.  Expressing
his opposition to statehood for Texas, he is reported to have said "I would
rather be right than president."  He was right, he wasn't president.

Regrettably, the tree succumbed to disease in spite of valiant efforts to
save it, including having the state attorney general fertilize his leg up
his pants when the hydro-fertilization probe was sunk into the heavy clay
soil.  A memorable ceremony.

_______________________________________________
Dan Becker,  Exec. Dir.       Much like the Lorax who speaks
Raleigh Historic                    for the trees
Districts Commission          I speak for the buildings and
[log in to unmask]                 even for Mies...
            DISCLAIMER:          ...But my views may not be
                                               RHDC's