The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-30
THE RAT TAILED CACTUS.
A Strange Story In Which Mike walsh
and Daniel Webster Figure.


and Daniel Webster Figure
Nike Walsh of New York was an ante
beilum representative Of district in that
city, and from portrayals Of his character
by the daily press OF that time appears TO
have been a man Of Jest A bit of comedy
in which Daniel Webster became involved
goes to show the quality of Mr.. Walsh S
humor The Botanical garden, north of
the capitol, was then in existence, and
Representative Walsh while walking past
it one day with several companions CHANGED
to sneak of it. His friends were admirers
of the garden and of the skill and learning
of an old Frenchman in charge OF it. Mike,
from natural spirit Of contradiction, com
bated every. point brought out in its favor
by his friends and said that Bowery boy
could make the botanist believe that wheat
was oats
They had reached Mikes lodgings dur
ing the course of the conversation, and, to
clinch his argument, he said that he would
himself hOodwink the professor and would
gather the materials for the hoax on the
spot So from pile of rubbish near
fence he selected sound flower pct and
then searched for something to put in it.
This proved to be Z dead rat Mike placed
it ia the pot and carefully covered it over
with earth, leaving the tail above ground.
Then, taking a splinter from an old green
shutter, he stuck it in the pot and tied
a piece Of cord. The outfit was complete
and Mike journeyed back to the garden
with mis- queer plant, which he informed
the professor was a specimen of the rat
tailed cactus. -
A friend of his, a lieutenant in the navy,
had, he said, returned from the then little
known land of Japan and brought with
him this specimen of rare vegetable. The
professor was most eager to become pos
sessed of the specimen, but Mike was re-
luctant to part with it. To be sure, he
said, he might keep it for years and never
have a visitor who knew anything about
it. To this the professor replied that the
public garden was the place for it, then
every one could see it. Mike disliked to
part with a gift from a friend, but finally
yielded to the professor entreaties.
The bOtanist examined the growth crit
ically and then attached a slip of paper on
which was written name composed of
two words, which Mike said averaged 10
letters each. Then it was placed in a warm
corner where the temperature was sup
posed most to resemble that of an oriental
country, and was each day sprinkled with
water heated to % degrees. Much atten-
ton was attracted to the growth, and the
papers printed an article describing it.
Daniel Webster, who occasionally visited
the garden, had long conference with the
professor about the plant, and the bota-
AA7I prom SKI Jig so lesAAAit O1A0 ~ uAle 4Aso
slips to set out at Marshfeld, Mr.. Web
ster's home. The cactus was closely
watched day by day, and when its tip, as
a result of time and high temperature, be-
came slightly excoriated, the professor
delight knew no bounds. ct was about
to bear blossoms. -
The joke, however, Mike said, was too
good to keep, Especially in a dollhouse,
and so before long they began to smell
rat - The bOtaDist was overcome with
shagrin and shame, but this was as moth
ing compared with the wrath of Webster,
who chiefly blamed the professor for hav-
ing taken him in and whom he styled
with an oath, a frog eating Frenchman. r
Washington Star