VAGABONDS!

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1672, 12 February 1913, Page 4

VAGABONDS!

A "CORNER" IN CANINES,

THE CITY'S DIVIDEND. [By "Aleiie Mere."] Vagabondage in dogs is not encouraged in modern cities; indeed, it is a crime with tho very penal' possibility of capital punishment. There are some dogs which aro vagrants by they dislike a settled homo and an orderly existence; others become, by some trick of Fortune, homeless wanderers, with the comfortless doorway as a kennel and.the scrap-tin for feeding dish. And it is such that provide tho duties for tho municipal dog-catcher. Home of the Captured. > Amidst a forest of drain-pipes, iungly masses of old iron and concrete slabs, awesomely dwarfed by the towering destructor chimneys, the corporation has its Bastille for: tho captured caninesquarters which, with the clean straw bedding, must appear strangely comfortable to tho dog of th'e streets, but doubtless the iron bars of tho area ofi detention aro loss ondurable to "him'V than ' the cuss words, and .futile .kick of the-scurrying ' moj:or-cyclist or the well-thrown missile of; some provision' merchant whose •premises come within the toll of his foraging. «iWi!f» Cl i? ■"''to'.tffs accept the .respon™»f y t oi carln S for : its .compulsory SSfei ° r ' seven da ? s ; as-perchance i possible owner may fern up and claim ar.emng oao tf ith the expiry of the eek 6 grace, the kennel accommodation likely to become overtaxed, and the lodgers becoming cleaner and sleeker than adve'?fed ' UUClaimed D ° e Sale " is

. Unwittingly the ' members of the barking chorus .await the arrival of the purchasers of their orders of- release-should tney,fail to.attract him thero is but one more act for them-the lethal chamber,

Selling the Quarry. . „ ; Saturday afternoon, last spelt much in the schemo of things for about iwentyfiyo animals, which caused the Oriental Bay. neighbourhood io-i. resound with yelping ;as tho coterie of dog-seekers and lovers of canine curiosities inspooted this transient section .of .the municipal menage. » > '-,• .'. .■ •-,.-.: Dogs of all colours and sizes were there -dogs which cowered under the scrutiny, and 4ogs,which shamelessly and- fiercely fought. -To these latter the city inspector wrathfully turned: "Shut up,' you brutes!". Mr. Doyle was desirous of stating the conditions of sale. He was again thwarted, time by a man, who said he was from Terawhiti, and who wanted to buy the whole collection out of hand. '■'■".'' :

•■; Oh, no, Terawhiti," said the inspector; "You can't paralyse proceedings like that—an equal chance for all." 'The conditions of sale are instructive! By the effluxi6n of the seven days during which the dogs had been in the city's possession all claims to (prior' ownership ceased. .Any purchasers, by-'Statute, enacted, 1 becamo lawful owners, with' this distinction—city-dwelling buyers • became at onco liable for registration fee, and their purchase money counted towards this; i.e., if a man paid 10s.ifor his pick, he secured the dog and satisfied the taxgatherer in the one transaction. Bcsidents outside the i city boundaries escaped this present liability, and opened {heir Bidding at tho shilling- mark. 'Few of the buyers,, though, claimed the city ns their address; Even Nelson had its representatives, however, and thero were many "Hutt's."

The Man from Terawhiti.. <,'. A space was roped in in front of the kenneis and proceedings commenced. It was at onco evident that tho bidding of the man. frojn terawhiti was going to dorain-. ate the sale; and for the expontlitufovof' four shillings he was soon in' possession of .three fox terriers and-a distant.rela* tion of a Gordon setter. ■.'./■' Tho defection of theso comrades caused . thoso'in the kennels to set.up a bewilder?, in'g chorus of howls, and the marketing was temporarily stopped while the officials quelled the disturbance. Then more terriers took their throw with Fate, the rate, of discharge, of the disagreement with the by-laws not exceeding a shilling, till, a 6able-coated collio sav^d. the dignity of his race by bringing 55., and he was followed by a cooker spaniel, assessed as worth Bs. Some Strange Species. •'■'.'..' ■ The denomination of the next occupant of the' ring puzzled- tho auctioneer, and it was dubbed a "wharf terrier," and its aupcessor, of an equally puzzling type of terrier, ancestry,-was offered as a "Cuba Street: collie."'A shilling each changed their'habitat to Terawhiti. A black sheep-dog, a real commoner, was then led in, and perhaps the inspector's appellation of a "lovely spaniel, remarkably fine dog, handsome animal," elicited the opening bid of Bs. from nn elderly gentleman. "Ten shillings," said "Terawhiti." And then-the-auctioneer, waving his pencil like a choir conductor's baton, quickly turned from tho one to the other, as the bids came readily, amid tho plaudits of those at th'e.tingside. 'A slight hesitation, and the first bidder raised the bid to 225„ which 'Terawhiti" capped with 255., and he became the owner of a less-useful tyko for his rabbit hunting than his early shilling purchases., But ho had prevailed in the bidding. ■ ■ • '•; A Little Chivalry. ', With the introduction of the newcomer, pandemonium reigned among ■■■"Ternwhiti's" increasing family, and while ho disentangled tho riotous mass of dogs and chains, less wealthy hunters in Dog-laud were able to have on innings cheaply. What mattered it if Irish • terriers were sold as Scottish, Or Dachshund- descendants as black and tans? Or if odd dogs were proclaimed as "well trained"? The prodigal spender returned to business as a lady was about to secure an Irish terrier for two shillings. Precipitately he made a raise to ss. The lady looked considerably grieved as the prospect of own--ci'ship dwindled. A bystander nudged "Terawhiti." In tones of dismay, and with a touch of tho brogue, ho oxclaimed, "Ale bidding against a lady? Niverl I thought 'twas the bhoy in the straw hat." With a Tenssuring nod "Terry" withheld his bid on tho Irish, and the lady took him. ■'~'.'

A pointer at 12s. was the ohief it«m till the inspector was impelled to superlatives by a really well-looking bull terrier. "Magnificent!'" he exclaimed, with the enthusiasm of a whole-hearted fancier. "Well worth Win first prize in any sliow. A-very fine dog." A keen contost saw a salo at £1.

From Lilllput, The attendant now emerged from the kennel, grasping a chain, at the end of which was a'quadruped little bigger than a marmoset. • - ' "What for the setter?" called the inspector. ' : "That's an. Australian terrier," remonstrated a man with a knowledgo of types.' .'■•'■•. ' "Oh, yes, we'll call it that, then," agreed Mr. Doyle. And then ho became reminiscent. Last year ho had sold .on exactly similar dog, and it had' sinco won five pold medals! Tho prospect of such an El Dorado found a buj;er at 12s. for the atom. As he clasped it in his arms nn excited individual approached liim. "You take it along to Chiug Wah So, in Cuba Street, and he'll givo you £& for if." "The Chinaman?" queried tho owner of the lilliputian. "No, it'll do me; I just wanted a dog." , "That closes the sale, ladies and gentlemen," advised the city's representative' "Thanks for your attendance, and a complete clearance; we hope to havo a now line of Roods in shortly." And' "Ternwhiti" was left counting his collection of terriers, spaniels, and cotlies to the number of eleven, for which ho paid into tho exchequer of tho city of Wellington the sum of £3 Hs.'