A Dog's Queer Trick.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 244, 16 October 1886, Page 5

A Dog's Queer Trick.

The familiar face a»i of .Walt Whitman has been missing during the past week by those who travel at night on the ferryboats of the Camden and Philadelphia Ferry Company. It was the poet's custom to take trips on one of the boats shortly after twilight and enjoy himself for an hour or so, by greeting his many friends. " Ye 3, we miss the good, grey poet," said one of the pilots last night, "but, strange to say, his place has been occupied by a dog." The first night Walt was missed by us ;a strange dog came through the ferrygates down to the boats, trotted up to the dealt hands, and, in turn, greeted them by wagging.his tail. The stranger then walked to the front of the boat and took up hia position, like the poet, until the boat reached the opposite shore. He then stepped asido, evidently not wishing to be an obstruction to any person, just Walt Whitman's id a, watched the passengers until they were all off, and as. the boat was about to make the return trip trotted to the other, end and there took up his position until tho Camden side was reached. After a few trips the dog seemed satisfied, and again greeting the ferry hands would walk off the boat and up Federal, street. He has repeated this conduct every night for a week." ~"„ , '- ■'■'-'

As the ferry-boat Columbia was about to leave Camden on the 9.15 trip last night, sure enough, a medium-sized yellow dog, of no recognised breed, trotted down the slip, and after being greeted by Andy Frazer, took up his position on the front of the boat. A few moments after a large number of people trooped on board and crowded around the dog, evidently to his disgust, for he immediately Bcampered off the boat and slowly trotted up the float.