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Show LIGHTNING AND HENRY CLAY. Keiituckians have reason to be proud of their patriots of the past (to say nothing of those of the present), and they show n commendable pride in them (those of the past) by erecting monuments to their memory. In Lexington cemetery they have a statue to Henry Clay. The statue has stood for many years to furnish inspiratoin to the younger generations and to perpetutae the memory of the great Kentuckian. But hard luck seems to pursue that statue. The press dispatches last week tell that the statue was struck by lightning, knocking off one of the statesman's arms and doing other damage dam-age to the marble figure. This would not merit discussion, probably, if it were the first time such n thing happened to the Henry Clay statue, but we are credibly informed that in the summer of 1903 the old statue was strick by lightning and decapitated. decapi-tated. The damage sustained seven years ago was repaired re-paired by appropriation from the state treasury, though it is probable there is no authorization in the Kentucky constitution for such appropriations. The work of repair was so recently completed that the rededication of the newly encapitated monument monu-ment had not taken place when the storm of last j week came along and used the monument for target tar-get practice. What significance may attach to the circumstance that lightning should play sportive tricks with the monument of Henry Clay we are in no position to say. The incident at lease serves to prove the fallacy of that ancient aphorism that lightning never strikes twice in the same place. It also calls attention to the recent decision of the department of agriculture that lightning rods are all right, so the suggestion that the statue be rebuilt and equipped with this saving device may not be entirely out of place. |