Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-05-12
The Rat-TaiI Cactus.

The New York Leader, in giving sketch
of the late Mike Walsh, relates of him.
when q member of Congress, the follow
ing:
At the foot OF the Capital gardens in
Pennsylvania Avenue ION the right hand
side as you are fronting that bnlding) is an
inclosed space-natioual property --c1ntain'
ing one or more tenements and some conser- |
yatories and hot.houSas Here for some
wears past and until his DEATH enjoying
Uncle Sans patronage, sOjOurned French
man, learned in botany, and many other sci
enees. Some companions, while passing
these premises, were vaunting his acquire
ments TO Mike, who, from a spirit OF con
tradiction, called them in question. lie
doubted whether these eminent botaniSts
knew the difference between oats wheat,
believed, he said, that a Bowery Boy could
persuade them that corn was clover. FL
naly, Nike undertook, "boianically, to de-
ceiye the Frenchman with whatever he
could pick up where they stood, in the lane
skirtng his premises. From wreck OF
flower pots and rubbish, he selected one
sound pot, and dead rat lying next to
the heap. Placing the rat in the flower pot
he covered it up with mold, leaving out the
tail, which he fixed permanently by tying
it carefully to small green stick which
happened to be "convenient" amongst the
garden rubbish. He next called on the
Professor, and told him that friend, Lieut..
-. (whose ship having touched ut one OF
the islands OF the then terra lncOgnltG Japan,
had excited some interest) 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
il out, and be might have 1t for ten years
and not find five people who would SO be
hardly felt justified in keeping it out OF a
public collection, aud yet be did not like to
part with keepsake from friend"
The Professor eagerly repaired to exam
inc the vegetable curiosity. After close
inspection, he determined what it was, or at
least christened it by 6ne Greek name
two words, Nike said, averaging sixteen let
ters The Professor exhausted himself Ia
persuadng Mike that the interests of science
required that he should sacrifice to them the
sentiments of friendship, by surrenderlng
this rare production of the vegetable king
dom to the botanists. The reluctant Mike
eventually consented, on the willing and
solemn assurances of the Professor that il
would be teDded with the utmost care ; and
so it Woald. Placed 10 a hot-house, it was
carefully besprinkled with water at TEN
perature of seventy degreess by the theT
mometer. 1t was noticed aud described IL
/. the National IntelligeHcer. The notice wa
copied into other papers. The plant wa
exhibited with pride to several eminen
individuals. At length with the heat ant
moisture, the tip of the tail began to ex:Ori
ate. The Professor was delighted-it wa
noticed with great interest by one of th
chief patrons, i'the great Daniel" to whom
the botanists promised one OF the first slip
for Marsh6eld. E
at was to good joke to keep" sal
Mike, especially 10 house, 80 before loo
they smeIt rat" The wrath and sham
, Of the Professor were excessive, and so wa
the Indigestion of the great Daniel, not
the author of the joke. but at The uniort'
nate bOtaHist, whom be stlgmatlzed as
frOgeating Frenchman. through whom
had been taken iu, and who onght to ha'
known better"