A SCENE IN THE DUNEDIN ARCADE.

West Coast Times, Issue 3890, 26 September 1881, Page 2

A SCENE IN THE DUNEDIN ARCADE.

[Otago Times September 20.]

Captain Barry was the hero of ano her scene in the Arcade last evening, which eclipsed by far his experiences of last Saturday evening, aud such a scene has probably never before taken place in the history of auctioneering. It appears that certain of the shopkeepers in the Arcade object to his selling there, as it i* private property, although they would have no objection to his conducting the sale inside the st >re, instead of as at present in the fairway. Last night, shortly after the captain mounted the rostrum to proceed with his --ale, a noise as of thunder was heard overhead, and it soon oecime-ap-parent that a number of persons, who were locuted in the upper story of Mr Larner's fr<rit-uop, inte idid t'i interrupt the •iale by '• tin-canning." Nothing daunted,the 'aptam proceeded with the sale, though the clamor overhead on the oppo- • site side increased, and the ranks of the obstructionists were swelled by one or two oellmen and several more wi h kerosenetins. Presently a large crowd assembled, and it was almost impossible to pass through the Arcade ; while the noise made by beatm^ of cans, bell-ringing, shouting, and whistling was quite deafening — so much so that it must have been impossible for the auctioneer to hear himself speaking. After a while a young lad climbed up bebind the auctioneer, and held over his head a pan in which was burning a quantity of Greek fire, the blue flame of which i lumined the Captain's weather-beaten countenance with almost a ghostly lustre. Matters continued much lifter the same uproarious fashion till about a-quarter to eight, when one of the tads present (and as may be supposed they were pretty numerous) threw a missile, which passed in close proximity t> the Captain's head, and thoa went through one of the windows of the shop behind. This daring young specimen ot humanity was at once seized by a '■gent in blue," who marched him off to the lockup nniidst the groans and hisses of a crowd of larrikins whofol owed. This, however, did not have any effect on the ' tin-canists," who continued their task with redoubled energy. Mr Inglis, whose goods the auctioneer was attempting to dispose of, tried his hani at pacification, asking a gentleman who was standing in the doorway of Mr Lamer 1 s fruitshop to j»et those above to stop. His effort, however, was in vain, as all the reply he got was a suggestion that he should "come in and make them stop." The auctioneer was then treated to another illumination by the "Greek fire," which was kept burning for some time in a saucepan. All this time the Captain was bravely keeping up the sale, knocking down all kinds of small articles in succession with as much coolness and equanimity as he could muster. But tin cans and bells are hard to defy, and make the stoutest voiced quail ; and at last it became apparent that this sort of thing could not last. The gallant Captain therefore bad to succumb to circumstances, which he did shortly before halt-past 8, having defied the obstructionists like a veteran for nearly an hour and a-half.