"GLENBERVIE TOM."

NZ Truth, Issue 83, 19 January 1907, Page 6

"GLENBERVIE TOM."

A SICKLY STENCH. City Corporation's Callousness. 1 __ j (Contributed by " Maorilander.")

Nearly all persons outside of a Mental Hospital whole-heartedly despise the big, thieving, prowling, nocturnal, wandering torn cat when alive, but when he is dead be is steeped m abomination.. Anything but cheerfully the writer, and many more hard-thinking, hard-working family men, have had. for the past week to hold their respective and collective nose for ten minutes thrice daily all m consequence of a defunct black torn cat, who has unreservedly and unroaiso'iiable taken up occupar tion of a yard .of the footpath m Glenbervie Road (which heads Syd-ney-street), and for fifty yards or more he joyfully scatters broadcast his pestiferous aroma. So powerful is the stench arising from

THIS HEATENISH CAT that it has caused a non-smoker of the locality, with heavy religious proclivities, - ,to toss , his little pet bag of camp-lior' over' a hedge and take to tobacco strong.

How did' Tom get there ? A question with such insignificant proportions should not occasion one to think laboriously. "Glenbervie Tom," as he is now popularly called owing to his lengthened residence on the thoroughfare, must have encountered death m a horrible way. Now, the writer being connected with the inquisitorial brethren loaded himseli with four bars of camphor (of the best quality) and after saturating his wearing apparel with a boarding house scent, inspected the animal from a distance of three yards. Its head bore ugly cashes, one eye was almost extracted from the socket, one ear snipped off, while four of its whiskers were dam&gied. Speedily this scribe arrived at the conclusion that "Glenbervie Tom" had been wilfully murdered by an insomnious bachelor who spent threepence (which he paid to an urchin) for the removal of its remains to Glenbervie Road.

Every resident of the Empire City who was not over-soaked with the amber-tinted liquid last wepic well knows that the sun's rays were pretty phosphororious. The continued hot sun burnt the grass and burnt the pretty faces of the city's queenly maidens.— and it also burnt and stirred "Glenbervie Tom" beyond measure. .

During my residence m Wellington I've heard some flowery remarks, also some glowing tributes, paid to the City Fathers' on account of the excellent way m which they keep an# maintain a pretty efficient staff. This pen-pusher has'nbw come to the conclusion that a lot of this kudos is undeserved, because there; is something radically 'wrong with those responsible for the cleansing of our thoroughfares that's quite apparent. Typhoid is a very slaughtering <lise'ase once it gets properly going and commences disseminating its deadly germs about a town. No less will -possibly happen— and happen very soon— if -'the Gitv Corporation doesn't cause •the lethargy to be. shaken off some of its employees so .much so that dead cats of the "&lenbervie Tom" tyne will no longer cause men t 0 drift from the silvery path of rectitude (as m this ease) nn:l causs numerous other happenings extraordinary.