Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-08-29
Judge Tolls Experience Raising
Catnip.

The Hon. Charles ii. Toll, OF Denver,
has had an exciting experience. For
two years he was attorney general OF
Colorado, and it was near the close OF
his administration-whic by the way,
was characterized by singular probity
and ability-that a son was born to
him. One day the nurse came to Judge
Toll, and said: "The baby has been
ailing for a week; We ought to do some
thing for him." Judge Toll thrust his
hand down into his pocket and pulled
out a S5O-bill. "Get him what he
needs, and if that isn't enough I'll give
you a check for my whole bank ac-
count" The nurse shook her head.
what he needs" said she, sis a sim
ply remedy, a mild tonic. Now was
brought up down east, and Twas taught
the efficacy of catnip tea. | know of
no other stimulant fOran ailinS babe"
well buy a ton OF catnip, said Judge
Toll. No, replied the nurse. lit can't
be bought here in ColoradO-you'll
have to send east for it." So Judge
Toll telegraphed that very day to Bos-
ton for the wholesome herb. I'm about
a week four dozen healthy catnip
bushes arrived from Massachusetts.
and Judge Toll was the happiest
man in Arapahoe County. "Well
plant them in the front yard, he said.
80 when the baby gets sick we'll have
a nice lot of fresh catnip OH hand for
him." Accordingly the four dozen cat
nip bushes were planted in rows in the
front yard of the Toll estate Oh Wei
ton street.
In day or two their fragrance began
to permeate the circumambient at
mosphere. Old Uncle Seth Cooley came
down from his place on Capital Hill
and leaned over the front fence and
gazed tenderly at the odoriferous herbs
and said: "Waal, now, III be gosh
darned if this doesn't remind me OF
ola New England. Our home place
down to Pelham, close on to Shutes
bury Plum Trees, was everlastin' full
O. catnip. Say, Jedge, gi' me bOokay
O. them, will ye?"
Naturally, Judge Toll was very proud
of his catnip garden, but one night he
was awakened from pleasant slumbers
by a frightful noise in the front yard.
1t seemed to him as ii the slunce-ways
OF sheol had been opened upon that
once fair spot. He slipped into his
trousers and peered out of the window.
Cats! Cats, Ten thousand of the
creatures purriug, bowling, yawling,
rolling, stretching and grooming over
those catnip bushes!
There were cats of all color, size, sex,
condition, breeding, habits and man.
ners; black, white, yellow. tabby, NAL
tese, brindle, tortoise-shell, striped,
speckled, crushed strawberry maroon,
gamboge cats-big, little fat, gaunt ,one
eyed, stump-tailed, toothless, hoarse,
lame cats-a confused, seething mass
OF these motley felines, all purring and
rolling among the catnip bushes. Nor
was this all.
BY the clear moonlight Judge Toll
could see thousands and thousands
of other eats fastening hither. They
overcoming down from the mountains,
from Leadville, Crested Butte, George
town, Central City. Manitou, Aspen,
where-the foothills were alive with
them, and they were headed toward
the one local point, that catnip bed.
On the east another multitude of eats
swept in from the arid plains of Kan
sas--frOm Deer Trail, from MOnotony,
Water Tank, and the desert solitudes
OF the eastern confines of Colorado.
Some came over the Kansas Pacific,
others oyer the Burlington, while from
the north there was waited a din
which betokened that another army of
cats was on its way from Cheyenne.
1t was an astounding spectacle-nay
it was prodiSious. Yet Judge Toll UNI
derstood it all-yes, in a moment the
whole truth flashed upon him. These
cats had lived all these years far from
the influences of civilization, and had
never been able to enjoy the advant-
ages of the herb that is essential to the
symmetry of the feline nature They
had heard what catnip was, but they
had never tasted nor whitfield any.
What revelation Judge Tolls front
yard must have been to them. With
what CELEBRITY they awaited themselves
of the boon when the breezes bore the
perfume of thosecatnip bushes to their
mountain and prairie homes,
His unerring shotgun was ut hand,
but Judge Toll had not the heart to
interrupt their pleasure-the Won
drous carnival of cats was permitted to
proceed undisturbed all that night
among the catnip bushes.
When Judge Toll went out into the
yard next morning not a vestige of
those fair herbs was visible, nor was
there a cat to be seen; but scattered
here and there on the despoiled turf,
an occasional eye, n truant bit of an
ear, casual quarter section of a tail,
or desultory tuft of hair, gave pa
thetic evidence to the tragedy which
had been enacted over the last few rel
les of that once smiling garden.-Chi-
cago News.