The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-04-18

THE RAT-Ts1L CACTUS.

The New York Leader, in giving a sketch
of the late Mike Walsh, relates of him, when
a member of Congress, the following:
At the foot of the Capitol gardens in Penn
sylEania avenue Con the right hand side as you
are fronting that building) is an inclosod space
national property-containing one or more
tenements and some Conservatives and hot
houses. Here for some years past and until
his death, enjoying Uncle Sans patronage, So
journed a Frenchman, learned in botany and
many other sciences. Some companions, while
passing these premises, were Wanting his ac-
q%uirements to Mike, who, from a spirit of con-
tradiction, called them in question. He doubt
ed whether these eminent botanists knew the
difference, between oats and wheat, and be-
lieved, he said, that a Bowery boy could per-
suade them that corn was clover. Finally,
Nike undertook, ''bntanically, to deceive the
Frenchman with whatever he could pick up
where they stood, in the lane skirting his prem
ises." From a wreck of flower pots and rub
bish, he selected one sound pot and a dead rat
lying next the heap. Placing the rat in the
flower pot he covered it up with III, uld, leav-
ing out the tail, which he fixed perpendicular
ly by tying it carefully to a small green stick
which happened to be convenient" amongst
she garden rubbish. He next called on the
Professor, and told him that a friend, Lieut..
-, (whose ship having touched at one of
the islands of the then terra incognita Japan,
had excited some INTEREST," had presented him
with a very curious kind Of cactus. This lie
wished the Professor to examine No one,
Mike said, had been able to make it out, and
he might have it for ten years and not find
five people who would; so he hardly felt justi-
fed in keeping it out # a public collection.
and yet he did not like to part with a keep
sake from a "friend."
Tho profoocor aororlu raro;rod 70 avom;na
the vegetable curiosity. Alter a close iaspec
ton he determined what it was, or at least
christened it by a fine Greek name-two words,
as Mike said, averaging sixteen letters. The
Professor exhausted himself in persuaGilg
Mike that the interests of science required
that he should sacrifice to them the sentiments
IF friendship, by surrendering this rare pro-
duction of the vegetable kingdom to the keep
ing of the botanist. The reluctant Mike event
ually consented, on the willing and solemn as
surances of the Professor, that it would be
tended with the utmest care;-and SO it was
Placed in a hot-heuse, it was cautiously but
carefully besprinkled with water at a tempera-
ture of seventy degrees by the thermometer.
Tt was noticed and described in the National
hteUigencer. The notice was copied into 9th
err papers. The plant was exhibited with pride
to several eminent individuals; at length with
the heat and moisture, the ii. of the tail be-
gan to excoriste. The Professor was delight
edit was budding. 1t was examined with
great interest by one of TIE chief patrons, 'the
great Daniel" to whom the B5tanist promised
one of the first slips for Marshfeld. at was
too good a joke to keep" said Mike, especial
ly in a hot house. SO before long they smelt a
rat" The wrath and shame of tie Professor
we're excessive, and so was the Indignation of
the great Daniel, not at the authorof the joke,
but at the unfortunate Bo'anist, whom he stig-
matized as a I'D frog eating Frenchman.
ought to have known | e ter"