HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
53 
pigmentary — that of youth to matuity, harmonized 
by a bond in common, the love for " living things" ? 
A show exclusively for children's pets, with 
an age limit of 16 years for the exhibitors; with 
entries officially benched, classified, catalogued, 
and judged with all the details of a Crystal Palace 
or a Madison Square has proved such a wonder- 
fully "good thing" that for several years such 
shows have been held in San Francisco and the 
adjoining cities around San Francisco Bay. More 
recently these shows have been held in several of 
the larger cities and leading school centres 
throughout the United States. 
San Francisco, as the birth-place of the move- 
ment, confirmed its claim during the recent 
Panama-Pacific International Exposition by a 
double event, a Children's Pets Exhibition and a 
Children's Pets Exhibition Congress. Both of 
these celebrations were absolutely the first of their 
kind ever presented at a world-wide eqposition. 
As such they attracted much attention and re- 
ceived eqtensive recognition. 
The pets show was benched in one of the 
largest buildings upon the grounds. The entry 
of some 1,400 pets constituted a veritable Noah's 
Ark, novel, varied, and original : from Cardinals 
to caterpillars; horned toads to bear cubs; walla- 
bs to waltzing mice; Orandas to water dogs; and 
so on ad infinitum — things that swim and things 
that fly and things that crawl. The "tame" ex- 
hibits included dogs, cats, rabbits, pigeons, sheep, 
goats, ponies, chicken, water fowl, cage birds, 
growing plants; nature studied, woodlore, and 
"allied fixins'." These classes were filled to the 
limit. To the casual observer it truly was a mot- 
ley gathering of things, but the initiated realized 
that each entry was to' its youthful owner his pet, 
about which for many preceding days had he not 
seen visions ! To him it was a real movie which 
passed as a fitful panorama ever and anon before 
his expectant ambition : the big show at the big 
fair. The super-awesome judge; the coop num- 
ber; the ribbons; the medals; the pass cards with 
His Name printed on them : then, the other kids 
a-watchin' — surely it was the time of his life. 
We must concede that by opening day the 
enthusiasm of the young folks had become conta- 
gious from the President in the Service Building 
to the keeper of the gate; from his Honour, the 
Mayor, to the Chief of Police. Merchants, teach- 
ers, citizens, visitors, had "got the fever." The 
newspapers and associated press gave their head 
lines and space galore; special trains ran into the 
city; extra ferry boats, freighted with parents, 
patrons, and kids, changed the schedules and ran 
direct to the exhibition grounds. Then the big 
gates swang open and the great siren sounded its 
welcome, it was "hands up" all round : the Child- 
ren's Pets had won the day and owned the entire 
outfit. 
From the moment of the opening to the sound- 
ing of the final bell at 10'. 30 p.m. on the second 
day the show hall was crowded wit'h an astonished 
and appreciative throng, whose spontaneous 
opinions found ready voice in quaint utterance; 
e.g., "It was a real revelation"; "Could not have 
thought it possible"; "Aint this great"; "We'll 
have this in our town." Such ready estimates 
were indeed glad tidings to the hard-worked Exe- 
cutive Committee. However, the full measure of 
the success of the show was probably reached a 
few days later when the Exposition Department 
officially recorded : "No feature of the great Ex- 
position proved more attractive or brought more 
people through the gates. . . . The Exhibition 
was very much worth while, no less from an Ex- 
position view-point than from the lessons of 
humanity which it taught." 
The Congress was equally successful, — a two 
hours session in the great Administration Build- 
ing — the first of its kind ever held, and, by a happy 
coincidence, the final congress of the wonderful 
series of 933 held during the Exposition year. The 
program was varied. There were addresses by 
experts on nature study, pets, and wild life while 
papers from " grown up" former exhibitors recalled 
memories of pets days and bore witness that "the 
love, ambitions, and lessons of those dear, dear 
days" were still living factors, bearing fruit in the 
larger and more urgent claims of maturer years. 
The Panama-Pacific International Exposition 
presented to the Committee a large bronze medal- 
lion, suitably engraved and bearing the children's 
slogan : " A child without a pet is like a flower 
without the sunshine." As a result of the con- 
gress a permanent organization was formed, the 
Children's Pets Exhibitions Association of Ameri- 
ca, with directors in New Fork, Chicago,. Boston 
and San Francisco. 
Only those who have followed the pets move- 
ment can appreciate its scope and its significance. 
Potent, dominant, clamorous are it's claims. Its 
fields are broad and desirable, for are not its 
attributes ethical, humanitarian, educational, 
economic? 
As we write news comes from Sydney in res- 
ponse to our promptings. "A big committee is 
working on the Children's Pets Exhibition. 
Lady Helen Munro Ferguson, wife of the Governor 
General, says it would be a splendid way of adding 
to the war funds." A few more seasons and the 
movement will be world wide. We see a won- 
drous field for its activities in the dear old home- 
land, when the men of might and the men of 
right have won back for it the good old days 
when the boys and girls could play upon the streets 
and in the fields and the commons, none daring 
to make them afraid. And these days shall come. 
