, 1860-08-03
The Rat.Tail Cactus.

We cut the following extract from Sc
ries of Anecdotes of Mike Walsh" now
publishing in the N. Y. Leader:
At the foot of the Capitol gardens in
Pennsylvania avenue ION the right hand side
when you are fronting that building) is an in
closed sPace-national property-cOntain.
ing one or more tenements and some con.
servatories and hot houses. Here for some
years, and until his death, enjoying Uncle
Sans patronage, sojourned Frenchman,
learned in botany and many other sciences.
Some COM anions, while passing these
premises, were Wanting his requirements
to Mike, who, from spirit Of contradiction,
called them in question. He doubted
whether these eminent botanists knew the diff
ference between oats and whea', and believed
he SAID, that BOwery boy could persuade
them that corn was clover. Finally Mike
undertook, botanically," to deceive the
Frenchman with whatever he could pick
up where they stood, in the lane sklrting his
premises. From . wreck Of flower pots
and rubbish, he selected one sound pot and
dead rat lying near the heap. Placing the
rat in the flower pot, be covered it up with
mould, leaving out the tail, which he fixed
perpendicularly by tying it carefully with
small green stick, which happened to be
convenient" among the garden rubbish.
He next called on the professor and told him
that friend, L cut, (whOse ship, having
touched at one Of the islands Of the then
terra iReognitd, Japan, had excited some in
terest, had presented him with very curl
Gus kind Of cactus. This he wished the pro.
fess0r TO examine. No one, Mike said, had
been able 10 make It out, and be might have
il for ten years and not find FIVE people who
would: 90 he hardly felt justified IN keeping
il out Of public collection, and yet he did
not like to part with . keepsake from friend.
The Professor eagerly repaired to exam
inc the vegetable curiosity. After Q close
inspection, he determined what it was, or, at
least, christened il by fine Greek name
two words, as 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 sur
rpndering this fair production Of the vegeta.
bic kingdom to the keeping Of the botanist.
The reluctant Nike eventually consented,
on the willing and solemn assurances Of the
Professor that Il would be tended with the
utmost care, and so it was. Placed in o
hot-house, it was cautiously but carefully
sprinkled with water at temperature II
seventy degrees by the thermometer. Il
was noticed and described in the National
lntsliigsneer. The notice was copied into
the other papers. The plant was exhibited
with pride to several eminent individuals !:
at length, with the heat and moisture, the
tip Of the tail began to excoriate. The
Professor was delighted-=it was budding.
Il was examined with great interest BY one
Of bis ehiei patrons, the great Daniel" to
whom the botanIst promised one Of the first
slips for Marshfeld. at was too good o
joke to keep" said Mike, "especislly in q
bot house, 60 before long they smelt raj"
The wrath and shame Of the Professor was
excessive, and so was the indignation Of the
great Daniel, not At the author Of the joke, but
at the unfortunate botanist, whom he stigma
tized as . sd frog-eatng Frenchman,
through whom be had been taken in, and who
ought 70 have known better"
d