The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-09-04
Judge Tolls Experience Raising
Catnip.

l0e IIOls OlluIlCc u Ollt vi OG1Vpg
has had an exciting experience ESr
two years he was attorney general OF
Colorado, and it was near the close OF
his administration-which blythe q
was characterized by singular probity
and ability-that a sol was born to
him. Oneday the nurse cameto 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 $5O-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 uptown east, and L was taught
the efficacy of catnip tea. | know OF
no other stimulantfo for an ailing babe
well buy atom OF catnip, said Judge
Toll. mo" replied thenurse, cit can't
be bought here in Colorado-you'l
have to send east for it," So Judge
Toll telegraphed that veryday to Bos-
ton for the wholesomeh herb. Inabout
a week four dozen healthy catnip
bushes arrived from Massachusetts,
and Judge Toll was the happiest
man in Arapahoe County. We'll
plant them in the front yard, "hesaid,
$50 when the baby gets sick we'll have
a nice lot OF fresh catnip on hand for
him" Accordingly the four dozenc cat
nip bushes were planted in rows in the
front yard of the Toll estate on We'll
ton street.
In a 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, I'll be gosh
darned i. this doesn't remind me Of
old New England. Our home place
down to Pelham, close on to Shutes-
bury Plum Trees, was everlastin' full
O. catnip. Say, Jedge, gi' me abookay
O. them, will YEP"
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 il the sluice-ways
OF sheol had been opened upon THAI
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 ailcolor, 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 cats Fastening hither. They
were comingdown from the mountains,
from Ieadville, Crested Butte, George
town, Central City, Manitou, Aspen,
Idaho, Boulder, Longmont-every-
where-the foothills were alive with
them, and they were headed toward
the N local point, that catnip bed.
Ontheeast another multitude of cats
swept IN from the arid plains of Kan
sas-from Deer Trail, from Monotony,
Water Tank, and hedesert solitudes
of the eastern confines of Colorado.
Some came over the Kansas Pacific,
Others over the Burlington, whilefrom
the north there was waited a din
which betokened that another army of
cats was on it's way from Cheyenne.
1t was an astounding speetacIe-nay,
it was prodigious. Yet Judge Tollun
Ederstood 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 essentialto the
symmetry of the feline nature. They
had heard what catnip was, but they
had never tasted nor whitfield any.
What a 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 those catnip bushes to their
mountain and prairie honest
His unerring shotgun was at hand,
but Judge Toll had not the heart to
interrupt their pleasure-the won
drous carnival ofcats was permittedto
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 alcat to be seen; but scattered
here and there on the despoiled turf,
an occasional eye, a truant bit of an
ear, q casual quarter section Of q tail,
OF q desultory tuft of hair, gave pa
thetic evidence to the tragedy which
had been enacted over the lost for.r raj