Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-06-21
Anecdotes of Mike Walsh.

Anecdotes of Mike Walsh.
On Mike Walsh arriving at Washington
to take his seat in Congress, says the N. Y.
Leader, he registered his name at The hotel,
when the bookeeper blandy inquired for his
baggage. 81 stand IN the midst of II. sir"
said Mike. He was no believer in much
baggage. Even carpet bag for the most
distant journey he considered as derogatory
to true philosopher, who ought not to en-
cumber himself with more than he could do
up in a handkerchief. When told Of Gener-
al Sir Charles Nopier's saying that"a piece
of soap, a toothbrush and a spare shirt was
all on officer should start with on a cam
paign," he saic--
"P'shaw! when I went own with the
army Of occupation in the great Rhode Is.
land revolution we were lighter equipped
than that--we left out the change Of linen,
the toothbrushes and the soap"
At the foot Of the Capitol gardens in
Pen nsy lvania Avenue Con the right hand
side when you are fronting that building)
is an iuclosed space--national property
contai lining one or more tenements, and some
conservatives and lighthouses. Here for
some years, and until his death, enjoying
Uncle Sans patronage, soiourned a French
man, learned in botany and many other
sciences. Some companions, whilelpassing
the premises, ,wei vaun,ing his requirements
to Mike, who. from spirit Of contradiction
called them in question.
| He doubted whether these eminent bot.
snists knew the difference between oats and
wheat, and believed, he said, that Bowery
boy could persuade them that corn was clo
YER. Finally, Mike undertook, "botanicaTly,'
to deceive the Frenchman with whatever he
could pick up where they stood, in the lane
skirting his premises. From wreck O.
Aower-pots and rubbish, he selected one
sound pot and dead rat lying next the
heap. Placing the rat in the 1ower-pot ht
covered it with mould, leaving out the tail
which he fixed perpendicularv by tying i
carefully to O smsl! green stick. which hap
pened to be "convenient" amonst the gardeI
rubbish He next called on the professor
and told him that friend, Lieut.. -, (wh
having touched at one Of the islands Of tn
then terra incognita Japan, had excite
some interest) had presented him with YER
curious kind of cactus. This he wished tn
professor to examine. No one, Mike said
had been able to make it out, and he nigh
have it for ten years and not find five peo
pie who would; so he hardly felt justified i
keeping it out of public collection. an
yet he did not like to part with keepsak
from "friend."
The professor eagerly repaired to examin
the vegetable curiosity. After a close II
: speclion he determined what 1t was, or q
least christened il by fine Greek name
> two wotds. as Mike said, averaging sixtee
letters. The professor exhausted himself
persuading Mike that the interests Of scient
required that he should sacrifice to them th
u sentiments of friendship, by surrenderin
u this rare produston Of the vegetable knG
dom to the keeping of the botanist. TT
y reluctant Mike eventually consented, on II
u willing and solemn assurance of the Pr
fessor that it would be tended with the u
% most care; and so it was. Placed in no
~ house, it was cautiously but carefully b
sprinked with water, at a temperature
10 seventy degrees by the Thermometers
N was noticed and described in the Nation
% Intelligencer. The notice was copied in
re other papers. The plant was exhibited wi
o. pride to several eminent individuals;
~ length, with the heat and moisture. the
10 of the tail began. to excoriate. The Pr
40 fessor was deliphted-it was budding.
was examined with great interest by one
eu bis chief patrons, "the great Daniel"
Ne whom the botanist promised one Of the III
w slips for Marshied.
a. at was too good joke to keep" 81
- Mike, especially in hot-house, 50 long
fore they smell rat"
m The wrath and shame Of the Profess
en- were excessive, and so was the indignsti
rat OF the great Daniel, not at the author
to the joke, but at the unfortunate botani
ice whom he stigmalized as a I'D frog.eat
ss- Frenchman, through whom he had b
ian taken in, and who ought 10 have kno
IN better"