Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-04-27
The Rat-TaiI cactus.

The New York Leader, in giving a sketch
of the late Mike Walsh, relates of him, when q
member of Congress, the following:
At the foot of the Capitol gardens in Penn
sylvania avenue ION the right hand side as you
are fronting that buiding) is an inclosed space
national roperty-containing one or more
tenements and some conservatories and hot
houses. Here for some years past and until
his DEATH enjoying Uncle SANS patronage, So
journed u Frenchman, learned in botany, and
many other sciences Some companions, while
passing these premises, were Wanting his ac-
quirlnents to Mike, who, from spirit of con-
tradction, called them in question. He doubt
ed whether these eminent botanists knew the
difference between oats and wheat, and believ-
ed he said, that q Bowery Boy could persuade
them that corn was clover. Finally, Mike un-
dertook, g botancally," to deceive the French
man with whatever he could pick up where
they stood in the lane skirting his premises
From wreck of flower pots and rubbish, he
selected one sound pot and dead rat lying next
the heap. Placing the rat i'll the flower pot
he covered it up with mould, leaving out the
tail, which he fixed perpendicularly by tying it
carefully to a small green stick which happen
ed to bc convenient amongst the garden rub
bish. He next called the professor, and
told him that a friend, Lieut.. -, (whose ship
having touched at one of the islands of the then
terra ineognitd Japan, had excited some inter
est had presented him with very curious
kind OF cactus. This he wished the Professor
to examine. No one, Mike said, had been
able to make it ont, and he might have it for
ten years and not find five people who would
so he hardly felt justified in keeping it out of a
public collection, and yet he did not like to
part with keepsake from a I" friend"
The Professor eagerly repaired to examine
the vegetable curiosity. After close inspec-
ton ne determined what it was, or at least
ehristened it by fine Greek name = two
words, Mike said, averaging sixteen letters
The Professor exhausted himself in persuading
Mike that the interests of science required that
he should sacrifice to them the sentiments of
friendship, by surrendcring this rare produc-
tion of the vegetable kingdom to the botanist.
The reluctant Mike eventually consented, on
the willing and solemn assurances of the Pro-
fessor that it would be tended with the utmost
care and so it was. Placed in hothouse,
it was cautiously but carefully besprinkled
VIII water dC temperature vi ScNcuty uc-
grees by the thermometer. 1t was noticed and
described in the National Intelligencer. The
notice was copied into other papers. The
plant was exhibited with pride to several EN-.
inent individuals. At length with the heat
and moisture, the end of the tail began to ex-
coriate. The Professor was dclighted-it was
budding. 1t was examined with great inter
est by one of the chief patrons, " the great
Daniel" to v hom the botanst promised one of
the first slips for Marshtield.
1t was too good joke to keep" said Mike,
/" especially in hothouse; SO before long they
smelt a rat" The wrath and shame of the
Professor were excessive, and so was the indig-
nation of the great Daniel, not at the author of
the joke, but at the unfortunate botanist, whom
he stigmatized us "d-d frog-cating French
man, through whom he had been taken in, and
who ought to have known better"