{"id":1481,"date":"2024-01-15T17:42:30","date_gmt":"2024-01-15T22:42:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/?p=1481"},"modified":"2024-01-15T17:42:35","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T22:42:35","slug":"mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/","title":{"rendered":"Mike Walsh’s “Japanese Cactus” [published May 22, 1881]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Rattail Cactus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      A friend of mine told me the other night that I had made a mistake. I told him there was nothing new in that, as I, like every other man, was liable to make mistakes. \u201cBut I mean you have made a mistake in your reminiscences.\u201d Then I fired up, for if there is anythin\u2019 that I am careful about it is to get all the \u201cpoints\u201d of my reminiscences \u201csolid.\u201d But my friend insisted for all that, that it wasn’t Frank Buell who had got up that joke of whitewashin\u2019 the City Hall, but Mike Walsh. Yet I feel confident it was Frank Boole, though Mike Walsh was a confirmed \u201cpractical joker,\u201d just as much given to that complaint as John McBride Davidson was in later years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mike always kept himself posted about anythin\u2019 that was goin\u2019 on around New York, and at one time he took part in the mania for flowers\u2013the botanical fever\u2013that all of a sudden pervaded the city. It was proposed to have a big botanical garden, and all sorts of rare and curious plants were to be planted therein. Mike pretended to take great interest in this idea, and said he intended to do all in his power to further such a poetical and praiseworthy project. So he wrote up the garden idea in one of the papers he was connected with, and he talked it up, and at last he contributed to it practically, not merely in money, but in what was more just then than money\u2013i.e. a real botanical curiosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Mike Walsh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      About this time florists and flower-fanciers were talkin\u2019 a good deal about the cactus, and all sorts of yarns were told about the wonderful properties of this flower. Mike always listened when the cactus was talked about, and finally one day he presented to those havin\u2019 the garden in control a most astonishingly rare specimen of the cactus\u2013a Japanese variety, sent to Mike as a present from an old friend who had been years in Japan. It was an amazin\u2019 sort of a flower, amazin\u2019ly small for one thing. It was contained in a large box, its root being pretty extensive, considerably larger than the plant itself, which struck out only a few inches from the box, and was about the size and thickness of\u2013well, a rat’s tail would come nearest to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      It was really an ugly-lookin\u2019 object, but certainly a very odd flower, and what was oddest about it was that it would bloom into a beautiful red flower at the tip or extremity. It required a good deal of care to keep alive; it would have to be watered carefully; it would have to be watched and tended just like a baby; it would have to be preserved from the cold, and as well from the heat (heat, in fact, was worse for it than the cold); there was no end of the trouble it would be likely to give, but it would repay it all, for in a few weeks it would expand into a lovely red, surpassin\u2019 the beauty of the rose, and, above all, it was the only specimen of the plant to be found throughout the United States of America. After all, that was the main point which rendered it the most valuable plant in the whole botanical collection. The thanks of the authorities were voted to Mr. Mike Walsh, who accepted them as his due, and a special gardener was appointed to watch the flowerin\u2019 of this plant. This gardener was an Irishman, and very conscientious; he had been appointed special gardener at the suggestion of Mike, and was, like most of his countrymen, very grateful, ready to do anything for Mike or the flower. The plant had been dubbed by the people generally \u201cthe rat-tailed cactus,\u201d from its peculiar look, though a scientific gentleman who had examined it, and had written a newspaper article on it, had given it a long Latin or Greek name of seven syllables, and had proved that the plant had been in full bloom in Japan at least three thousand years before the date of the book of Genesis, showin\u2019, of course, as the scientific gentleman said, how silly the story told by Moses about the creation of the world really was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Well, the special gardener watched the plant day and night, and Mike shared his labors and his cares. You see, this Japanese cactus was very regular in its habits, and had to be watered once every three hours throughout the whole twenty-four. It had to be watered in a certain way, too. Not sprinkled merely; not saturated or soaked; the water couldn’t be dashed on roughly. No; all this would have been fatal. The water had to be dropped on the plant just around its root and just around its tip\u2013a very few drops at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A great many people got interested watchin\u2019 the waterin\u2019 of this plant, and several times some pretty ladies tried their hands at it, which put the Irishman in charge in quite a delicate difficulty. He didn’t want to be disobligin\u2019 to the ladies\u2013what Irishman can refuse a woman anythin?–but, on the other hand, he felt perfectly certain nobody could do justice to this flower but himself. So out of pity to the poor fellow a notice was posted up right over the plant, requesting all \u201cladies and gentlemen ” to refrain from touchin\u2019 or waterin\u2019 or in any way interferin\u2019 with the bloomin\u2019 of this most extraordinary plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This notice had perhaps somethin\u2019 to do with keeping the public from botherin\u2019 the plant, but there was somethin\u2019 else connected with the plant which kept people from botherin\u2019 it, and this was the extraordinary smell of this most extraordinary plant. This Japanese cactus had a most peculiar odor. Its effluvia was intense; in other words, it smelt like the devil, and the nearer the time came for its bloomin\u2019, the more it stunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Everybody noticed this odor\u2013everybody but Mike Walsh himself. He didn’t pay the slightest attention to it. When somebody asked him about the horrible smell he was greatly astonished, and sniffin\u2019 about, said he didn’t smell anythin\u2019. But then, as he said afterwards, he stuck somethin\u2019 in his nose whenever he came near the plant, to \u201cdeaden the smell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Well, findin\u2019 Mr. Michael Walsh didn’t smell anythin\u2019, the grateful Irish gardener, takin\u2019 his cue from his patron, didn’t smell anythin\u2019 either; in fact, he thought it his duty to go further than his patron, and he even told somebody (the Lord forgive him for lyin\u2019) that he liked the smell. He really liked it so much that every time he approached the plant to water it he held his hand to his nose\u2013whenever Mike Walsh wasn’t around. But then, as he told the spectators, he had a cold in his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The manager of the garden sent for the scientific gentleman who had stated that this style of Japanese Cactus was three thousand years older than the world, and asked him if this odor was a necessary part of the plant. On this point the scientific gentleman couldn’t say for certain, but he was certain that if it was, it was indeed a most disagreeable necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      At last the managers of the garden voted the Japanese cactus a nuisance, and determined to suppress it without the assistance of the Mayor or the State Legislature. True, Mike Walsh assured \u2018em that in a few days more it would begin to bloom, and the lovely red flower would be the talk of the town. But the managers declared they wouldn’t stand any more of this odor, not to see fifty red flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Besides, the managers by this time began to suspect Mike Walsh of some \u201cgag\u201d or \u201cjob,\u201d and they were getting very shy about the promised red flower business. So one day they quietly sent the Irishman away for an hour or two; and takin\u2019 advantage of a time when nobody was around but \u2018emselves, they took hold of the box, and holdin\u2019 their noses as well as the box, they pulled out this most extraordinary plant by its roots\u2013or rather its body. For the plant wasn’t a live plant, but a dead animal. It was a huge rat, which Mike Walsh had found in his areaway one day, and had boxed up and passed off for a Japanese cactus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Spite of the bother that they had been to, and the stench and they were in, the managers of the garden, for the life of \u2018em couldn’t help laughin\u2019 at the sell, and Mike Walsh himself happenin\u2019 in just then, all hands had a jolly good time. Mike standin\u2019 the wine and promisin\u2019 not to give away the sell to the papers, as the managers did not want to render \u2018emselves and their schemes ridiculous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      But the joke, like the plant, was too good, or too bad, to keep, and it soon transpired, and put an end to the bright hopes of the botanical garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The sickest man of the whole caboodle was the scientific man who had given this most extraordinary \u201cplant\u201d a most extraordinary name and had talked a lot of uncommonly learned rubbish about a common dead rat. He left town for some time just after the joke got round, and he never gave names to any more flowers without first making sure of the flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Another practical joke of Mike Walsh’s occurred at Tom Ryan’s saloon, corner of Broadway and Park place, when Mike Walsh and Tom Ryan were both in their prime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Mike had just been takin\u2019 a drink at Ryan’s place, and had found there lots of old sports, who had been just then lamentin\u2019 that nothin\u2019 particularly lively had turned up lately, and that things around the Park and City Hall were gettin\u2019 kind of dull. It hadn’t struck Mike so before, but somehow this mornin\u2019 it occurred to Mike as he came out of the bar-room that things did need livenin\u2019 up a bit, and he kept lookin\u2019 round for some chance to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      All at once a man, a big, burly fellow, stepped up to Mike on Broadway and asked if he couldn’t give him, not money, but some way to earn it; not alms, but work. In short, he asked Mike for \u201ca job.\u201d Mike at once \u201cput up a job\u201d on the poor fellow, and said to him, \u201cYou see that saloon of mine there?\u201d pointin\u2019 to Ryan’s place. \u201cYes, I see it, your honor,\u201d answered the man. \u201cWell,\u201d continued Mike, \u201cwe had a rousin\u2019 time there last night\u201d (it was now about noon), \u201cand we haven’t quite got over it yet. The place wants fixin\u2019 up and tidyin\u2019 and settin\u2019 to rights generally. Will you undertake to do it?\u201d \u201cOf course I will, your honor,\u201d said the man, who would have undertaken just then anythin\u2019 or anybod\u2019. \u201cAll right,\u201d says Mike; \u201csail in. Go in right now and go behind the bar and wash all the glasses, and tidy things up. I have got a little barkeeper who is a cross-grained sort of a chap. But don’t mind him. I want him to get some rest anyway. The fellow is working himself to death. He hasn’t slept a wink for these three nights, so no wonder he’s cross; but don’t mind him. He don’t like to see anybody doin\u2019 what he thinks his work, he is so conscientious, and he won’t like at first my notion of sendin\u2019 you to help him; but I don’t want to let him drop down dead from overwork, even if he’s willin\u2019 to. So sail in, and don’t mind anythin\u2019 he says or does. You understand?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cI do, your honor,\u201d said the man. \u201cI won’t pay any more attention to him then if he never existed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cAll right, then. Go in and begin your fine work at once,\u201d said Mike, \u201cand I will be back in about an hour to see how you are gettin\u2019 on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So Mike started off, and the man he had just engaged started off too. Mike to tell some of the boys around the City Hall of the fun to be expected at Ryan’s saloon and the man to \u201ctidy things up\u201d and to \u201cdon’t mind the little barkeeper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Now, this \u201clittle barkeeper\u201d of Tom Ryan’s was quite a character in his way. He was a natty little chap, always looked as if he came out of a bandbox, and hated common people and dirt worse than a politician hates \u201crotation in office\u201d if he happens to be in office himself. He was particularly neat and particular about the looks of his \u201cbar,\u201d and couldn’t bear to have anybody handlin\u2019 any of his things. Above all, he was very full of his own self-importance, loved to be consulted about everythin\u2019, and never forgave anybody that put a slight on him or interfered with him. Of course Mike Walsh knew all these little peculiarities of his like a book, and so he could imagine how disgusted the little barkeeper would be to see a dirty, common street tramp goin\u2019 coolly behind his own bar, circusin\u2019 among his fixin\u2019s and ignorin\u2019 him altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cI guess things will be lively enough in that saloon shortly, to please the boys,\u201d said Mike, and he was correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Things were so lively that before Mike and his friends (everybody he met and could tell the joke to) could get to Tom Ryan’s place, the circus was in full blast, and there was a big man who was bein\u2019 used to \u201cwipe the floor with\u201d by a mad little barkeeper, who had a terrific bunch of fives and knew what to do with \u2018em.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 According to instructions, the stranger had walked into Ryan’s saloon, and without a word had walked behind the bar. The little barkeeper looked at him in speechless wonder. Then the stranger began to fumble round with the glasses and things, and then \u201cthe little barkeeper\u201d went for the stranger. The barkeeper was strong, though small, and a magnificent boxer. The stranger was nowhere, and although \u201che didn’t mind\u201d the barkeeper, the little barkeeper minded him. The barkeeper bounced the stranger, mauled the stranger, and gave the stranger a black eye, and knocked him down, and trampled on him, and slung him around the floor, till Mike, who with his \u201cgang\u201d had just entered, was obliged to beg for the poor tramp\u2019s life. For the little barkeeper\u2019s blood was up, and he was now ready for a whole day’s work, but Mike coaxed him to let up on the poor tramp, whose wounds he healed with a five dollar bill, and it was several days before Mike let the little barkeeper know \u201cwhat on earth was the matter with that snoozer I licked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Editor’s notes: At the risk of “firing up” Harry’s ghost (and those of his ghost writers), his columns are riddled with mistakes and fictions. The column above is based on an anecdote about Mike Walsh that first appeared in the New York Leader<\/em> in 1860, a year after Walsh’s death. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is, surprisingly, a family of plants known as Rattail Cactuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The setting of the garden is not New York (which was considering a botanical garden in the plans for Central Park, in the 1850s, that was not realized until decades later), but instead was Washington, DC.:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The Capitol Botanic Garden<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      A friend of mine told me the other night<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[57,32,60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-anecdotes","category-politicians","category-practical-jokes"],"yoast_head":"\nMike Walsh's "Japanese Cactus" [published May 22, 1881] - Harry Hill's Gotham<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mike Walsh's "Japanese Cactus" [published May 22, 1881] - Harry Hill's Gotham\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"      A friend of mine told me the other night\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Harry Hill's Gotham\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-01-15T22:42:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-01-15T22:42:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Rattail_cactus.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"jpkntz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"jpkntz\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"jpkntz\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cd2f0dde5b4b02ea6b8aee0280832f64\"},\"headline\":\"Mike Walsh’s “Japanese Cactus” [published May 22, 1881]\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-15T22:42:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-15T22:42:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2751,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cd2f0dde5b4b02ea6b8aee0280832f64\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/Rattail_cactus.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Anecdotes\",\"Politicians\",\"Practical Jokes\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\\\/\",\"name\":\"Mike Walsh's \\\"Japanese Cactus\\\" [published May 22, 1881] - Harry Hill's Gotham\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/Rattail_cactus.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-15T22:42:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-15T22:42:35+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/Rattail_cactus.jpg?fit=644%2C1024&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/Rattail_cactus.jpg?fit=644%2C1024&ssl=1\",\"width\":644,\"height\":1024},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Mike Walsh’s “Japanese Cactus” [published May 22, 1881]\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/\",\"name\":\"Harry Hill's Gotham\",\"description\":\"Sketches of 19th Century New York City\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cd2f0dde5b4b02ea6b8aee0280832f64\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cd2f0dde5b4b02ea6b8aee0280832f64\",\"name\":\"jpkntz\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/index.php3_.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/index.php3_.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/index.php3_.jpg\",\"width\":542,\"height\":760,\"caption\":\"jpkntz\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/index.php3_.jpg\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerrykuntz.org\\\/harryhill\\\/author\\\/jpkntz\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Mike Walsh's \"Japanese Cactus\" [published May 22, 1881] - Harry Hill's Gotham","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Mike Walsh's \"Japanese Cactus\" [published May 22, 1881] - Harry Hill's Gotham","og_description":"      A friend of mine told me the other night","og_url":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/","og_site_name":"Harry Hill's Gotham","article_published_time":"2024-01-15T22:42:30+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-01-15T22:42:35+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Rattail_cactus.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"jpkntz","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"jpkntz","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/"},"author":{"name":"jpkntz","@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/#\/schema\/person\/cd2f0dde5b4b02ea6b8aee0280832f64"},"headline":"Mike Walsh’s “Japanese Cactus” [published May 22, 1881]","datePublished":"2024-01-15T22:42:30+00:00","dateModified":"2024-01-15T22:42:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/"},"wordCount":2751,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/#\/schema\/person\/cd2f0dde5b4b02ea6b8aee0280832f64"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Rattail_cactus.jpg","articleSection":["Anecdotes","Politicians","Practical Jokes"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/","url":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/","name":"Mike Walsh's \"Japanese Cactus\" [published May 22, 1881] - Harry Hill's Gotham","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Rattail_cactus.jpg","datePublished":"2024-01-15T22:42:30+00:00","dateModified":"2024-01-15T22:42:35+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Rattail_cactus.jpg?fit=644%2C1024&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Rattail_cactus.jpg?fit=644%2C1024&ssl=1","width":644,"height":1024},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/mike-walshs-japanese-cactus-published-may-22-1881\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Mike Walsh’s “Japanese Cactus” [published May 22, 1881]"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/#website","url":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/","name":"Harry Hill's Gotham","description":"Sketches of 19th Century New York City","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/#\/schema\/person\/cd2f0dde5b4b02ea6b8aee0280832f64"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/#\/schema\/person\/cd2f0dde5b4b02ea6b8aee0280832f64","name":"jpkntz","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/index.php3_.jpg","url":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/index.php3_.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/index.php3_.jpg","width":542,"height":760,"caption":"jpkntz"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/index.php3_.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/author\/jpkntz\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1481"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1486,"href":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1481\/revisions\/1486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerrykuntz.org\/harryhill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}