Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-05
CH|LDREN'SLOVE
OF pup HALTSSR|P
Refuse to Sail for italy Without
willie" and Red Tape Is
at Last Cut
DOGS FARE IS DONATED

New York. Aug. 5.---Willie barks and
has four feet and a tail but no 0ne Is
ever going to pin blue ribbon OF a
"edal on him ht dog show, because
Willie's pedigree doesn't extend any
farther back than the East Side ashcan
in which he was born. He Is lust dog,
brown In colJ!, foppy as to ear. cring-
irg 'nC vl,e az TO manner. and fire..
pu"atly ANNOYED by busy forms If life
whose activities necessitate Industrious
scratchinss. Furthermore. Willie
doesn't want any ribbon or medals. All
he wants Is pats and mauiings from
Gee rgie Antonelli. who is five years old,
and her sister, Francesca. who Is three.
Those and an occasional bone are his
thou. his book Of verses, his jug Of wine
ana his loaf
Willie sailed for Italy yesterday on
the steamship Argentine with Georsie
and Francesca, but It appeared for some
time as If he wouldn't make the trip.
He couldn't until the Italian Govern
ment took official cognizance Of him and
gave him a passport in the form of
health certificate.
1t happened that Joseph Antonelli
and his wife had decided to take their
five children back TO Italy for Il visit,
and George and Francesca decided that
Willie must go along because life even
in Italy without Willie would be u bar
rem thing and vain.
Willie Led Fore and AIT
So when the Antoneli family went to
the pier late in the afternoon Francesca
and George were leading Willie By
two strings. one tied to his neck and
the other TO his tail. Everybody was
excited and perfectly happy until some
men on the pier told Antonelli that the
dog could only 20 as freight, and then
only II properly Grated and paid for.
Further. they told him that the animal
could not be landed at Naples unless a
permit for his passage was obtained
from the Italian Government.
George and Francesca began to
snifie when they heard that, and their
snifies turned TO whimperings. the
whimperings 10 crying and the crying
to such a heartbroken bawling that
the business of loading was abandoned
while all the passengers and pier men
crowded about the Antonelli family.
Finally George and Francesca told
their father to go ahead to Italy II he
wanted to; they would not desert
Willie. And when no attention was
paid to them they disappeared and were
not found for half an hour, when q
policeman discovered them fast asleep.
with Willie on some coffee bags In a
deserted part of the dock. Willie lay
between them and George held tightly
to the dogs tail. while Francesca
clutched his muzzle. The policeman
awakened them and jumped. because
Willie thought he meant harm and tried
to bite him. But finally the two chill.
dren and dog were taken back to the
gangplank.
The uproar was resumed when some
one tried to take the dog from the hands
of George and Francesca. Finally
A. j. Backman. superintendent of the
line, summoned pier carpenters and had
the dog Grated. Then he tclephOned to
the shipping agents and the agents Of
fered to ship Willie to Naples for half
fare So. None OF the Antoncllis had
s. to spare, but finally II passenger
who said he didn't like to see Willie
look SO reproachful at everybody, fur
nished the money.
II seemed then that all that was
necessary was to load Willie and let
the boat proceed. but ships officer
said he couldn't accept the dog unless
It was accompanied by health permit
from the Italian Consul 1t was then
past sailing time. but Mr.. Backman
held the ship while he hunted up an
attache Of the Italian Consulate, who
was on the dock. and the attaChe went
on board the ship and found the Italian
royal commissioner and the royal com.
missioner gravely made out a health
permit so Willie could 90 to Italy.
Then the ship sailed, almost an hour
late and the last view the pier people
had of her Francesca and Georgia and
Willie were on deck. Francesca clutch
ing Willtes tail and Georgia clutching
his head while Willie struggled fierccly.
He appeared anxious to scratch,