The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-06-13
q Anecdotes of Mike Walsh.

9 AucCuOttS vi Wlikt w dlOu. II
On Mike Walsh arriving at Washing,
ton to take his seat in Congress, says the
N. Y. Leader, he registered his name at
the hotel, when the bookkeepera blandly
inquired for his baggage. II stand in the
midst of it. SIR" said Mike. He was no
believer in much baggage. Even aicar-
pet bag for the most distant journey he
considered as derogatory to true philos~
opher, who ought not to cucumber himself
with more than he could do up in hand
kerchief When told Of General Sir
Charles Napier's saying that SO piece Of
soap, a toothbrush and spare shirt was
all an officer should start with on q cam
paign," he said. -, :, s..ia, a,.;
"P'shaw! when I went down with the
army Of occupation in the great Rhode
Island revolution we were lighter equip
tped than that--we left ont the change Of
linen, the toothbrushes and the soap.nnr
At the foot OF. the Capitol gardens in
PennsylvaDia Avenue (on the right hand
side when you are fronting that building)
is an inclosed space-national property
containing one or more tenements, rand
some conservatives and hot-houses,;- -
Here for some years, and until his death,
enjoying Uncle Sans patronage, sojourn-
ed Frenchman, learned in botany and
many. other scieaces. Some companions,
while passing the premises, were Wanting
his acquitements to Mike, who, from q
spirit of contradiction called them in
lquestion. ~
He doubted whether these eminent
botanists knew the difference between oats
and wheat,, and believed, he said, That Q
Bowery boy could persuadss themothat
corn was clover. 81 Finally Mike under
took, Hbotanically,p ito deceive the French
man with Whatever be could pick up where
|they stood, in the lane skirting his premi-
tses. From a wreck of 9nowerIpotsand
Rubbish, he selected one sound pot and .
ldsad rat lying, next the heap Placing
i the rat in the aowerrpot he covered it NJ
with mould, leaving ovt the tail, which HI
| fixed perpendicularly by tying It careful,
Fl Ito small green stick, which. happened t,
4 be "conveuientn amongst the garden rub
, bish.o He next called on the professor
, and told him that a friend, Lieut..
i ,(who having touched at one of the island
r Of the then terra 'sincognita Japan, ha,
, excited some interes) had presented hin
4 with very curious kind of cactus. q Thi
be wished the professor to examine. 81 n
: zone, Mike said, had been able to make
out, and he might have it for ten year
and not find Eve people who would; SO b
: hardly felt justified in keeping it out Of
public collection, and yet be did not lik
to part with a keepsake from . sfriend.
Q The Professor eagerly repaired to ,ez
q anime the. vegetable curiosity. After
r close inspection he determined what
i was, or at least fchristened it. byAa fin
: Greek me-two #ordsp las Mike, sait
averaging sixteen letters. & The professo
+. exhausted himself, in persuading = Mix
: that the interests of science required tbs
he should sacrifice to them the sentiment
r Of friendship. by surrendering this ral
r production of the vegetable Kfngdom
g the keeping of the botanfst. The felut
tant Mike eventually consented, on th
willing and solemn assurance of the PrS
!, fessor that it would be tended with I'll
, utmost care; and so il was 9 Placed in
= hot.house, it was cautiously lbut CAREFUL
besprinkled with water, at a. temperatui
of seventy degrees byr, the themopete
d It was noticed and described in the nj
n tional Intelligencer. The notice W,
}. coped into other papers. The plant VI
n exhibited with pride to several eminel
individuals; at length, with the heat al
moisture, the tip of the tail began to q
coriate. The Professor was delighted
. it was budding. 1t was examined wi
great'interest by one of his chief patron
IT! 'she great Daniel" to whom the botani
i. promised one of the first slips fer Mars
L field.
os''It was; too good jokeito keepp SO
Is Mike, especially in a hot-honse, so lol
before they smelt sras's 'sdi 10 y,4sso,o
es The. wrath and shame Of. the Profess
an we're excessive. and SO was the indign
of tio6 Of the great Daniel not ut the a
be thor Of the joke, but at the nnfoftuns
de botanfst; whom he stigmatized as a.'d-
e. frog>eatipg Frenchman, through whom
be- had been taken Id, and who ought to ha
known better" ssasTsith saisaf
ed II sss----------- n = ~ '-------7x77
ok MoRE SLAVES CApTuRED.--The. Enit
w States steamers stationed off the coast