The Washington times., April 13, 1902, Editorials The Drama and Society, Image 17

About The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
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Section Two
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serve them Without an Instants hesita
tion the black-and-tan turned tall and
scooted across the street as If all the
powers of darkness were at his heels
Its no use Fald General Einstein
in tones of disgust to the representative
of The Sunday Times Ive either got to
disguise John Wells or fire him
Why asked The Times reporter
Well replied the general its got
0 that every unlicensed dog in town
knows him a block uway I guess Ill have
to whitewash John added the General
nedltatively after a thoughtful pause
Ill git him yet cried Wells as he
leaped upon the wagon and touched his
spirited horse with the lath
Go after him John shouted Gen
eral Einstein in an encouraging voice
The Pursuit
We were off In hot pursuit of the black-and-tan
scurrying through the Capitol
grounds as if he knew full well that his
life dcrended on speed alone Those wiry
little legs traveled faster than ever be
fore When we reached the brow of the
bill a streak of black could just be seen
disappearing around the corner of New
Jersey Avenue
The failure to bag the dog caused Gen
eral Einstein to philosophize
The trouble is said he we have
been chasing the stray dogs so long that
they recognize the dog catchers as far as
they can see them That black-and-tan
that Just got awny from us has seen the
net before and he knows John Well3
there so intimately that every time the
cur sees him he will run Just as you
would run from the devil
First Catch of the Day
It was not until e reached the south
eastern portion of the city that the men
made the first catch of he day It was an
easy take and the mongrel was dumped
into the wagon before he could utter a
protest
John and Joe were now mi the aleijt for
the failure to net the black-and-tan and
the resulting look of reproof from Mr
Einstein were still goading their -pride
As we rattled through an alley there
came within the focus of the lynx eye of
Joe the watchful one a weather worn
tpeciuien of a dog who had not laws
permission to exi1t being without collar
or tag
A Dog and a Child
The animal wjn playing with a Utile
child on the steps of a modest house
and alrejdy Buck Parker had reined
In his horse the net men were advanc
ing on their prey while the man from Ths
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WASHINGTON SUNDAY APBH 18 190
Times felt his heart strings strained with
pity for the infant and her doggy The
blue coated officer looked on with the
cold and Inexorable eye of the law But
what of General Einstein Did he per
mit the sacrifice to be made To his
credit be It said that he displayed a dis
cretion that was admirable and he show
ed too that ho was a man of heart
Already the men were within reach of
the dog and the nets were about to fall
A look of childish terror appeared on tho
little tots face and her gurglings of hap
piness were hushed It was then that the
heart in Samuel Einstein asserted itself
It was then that human sympathy tri
umphed over grim duty
General Einsteins Great Heart
Hold he cried rising to his full
height In the buggy and waving his arm
imperiously Dont throw the nets men
I wont have It said that Samuel Einstein
destroyed the happiness of an innocent
child
The men paused and sttod abashed
Then in spite of his gruff features some
thing glistened in Buck Parkers eye
It was a tableau for the brush of a real
ist
Ill get that dog borne day next week
when the kids asleep whispered Gen
eral Einstein In an aside to The Times
man All of which goes to show two ad
mirable traits in Samuel Einsteins char
acterkindness of heart and inflexible de
votion to duty
John Wells Dexterity
After this incident there was little of
much Importance that intruded Itself up
on the always Interesting method of dog
catching Dogs were picked up here and
there in going through the outlying sec
tions of the north and southeast The
lynx eye continued its full duty and John
Wills shoved great dexterity with the
net The biggest catch of the day was a
dog of apparently many breeds and of
the size of a pony The services of Buck
Parker were required to carry the giant
to the wagon in which surrounded by the
liny curs that had been captured he look
ed like Gulliver among the Lilliputians
On infrequent occasions when the mei
failed to bag their prey they were good
naturedly jeered by the bystanders but
they never showed the slightest resent
ment experience having taught them that
it is usually easier to get Into a row than
out of It
Pound Facilities Inadequate
One of the prerogatives of the Pound
master is to pick up stray cattle and
horses but his facilities arc so inadequate
that those animals arc usually left un
molested unless they are flagrantly trans
gressing the statutes As we Journeyed
through the outskirts of the city Gen
eral Einstein obsoved a horse grazing
on a vacant lot For a moment it seemed
s if he were about to turn and go after
ihe beast but Utwail only for a moment
and he pushed rejolutely forward glanc
ing back now and then with regret In his
eyes and bewailing the fact that he was
unablu to take up the lawbreaklng horse
Would Be an Awful Row
If I put that horse In the wagon with
the dogs he said there would be an
awful row and probably everything would
be smashed to pieces Too bad too bad
ho muttered ruefully with another fare
well glance at the grazing horse
Just then we turned into Seventh Street
from T and tho men on the wagon saw
a pugdog In front -of a small shop A
woman who was standing outside had
been playing with the pug In a twinkling
John Wells was reaching for the pet with
his big net The woman noticed the pro
ceeding just as John was about to cast
She jumped for the dog when John threw
the net but thouet landed first and the
woman fell on it with the dog under
neath Buck Parker got his hands on
the protesting pug which was forthwith
thrown In with the others The woman
carried oil and wept as If she had lost
her child and the comfortings of
tho policeman served not to check her
sorrow
Thats pretty hard said General
Einstein In a voice of sympathy
Aristocratic Dogs
As we journeyed through the fashion
able residence section all sorts of aris
tocratic dogs wero out taking an airing
and they sniffed disgustedly as the load
of vagrants passed them It was In this
part of the town that Bur
rell displayed the full power of his won
derful orb Every dog seemed to bo
wearing a tag but not every dog on that
account escaped Joe Burrell was on tho
wagon and when Joe Burrell espied a
style of tag that went out of fashion with
the end of last season the wearer was
forthwith clapped Into the wagon by dex
terous John Wells or burly Buck Par
ker
Last Raid of the Day
The last raid of the day was made iy
an alley of the so called Foggy Bottom
district Our approach was heralded with
shouts of Here comes the dog catchers
Immediately negroes rushed fiom hovels
and huts and proceeded to chase their
dogs to cover When the wagon reached
the middle of thealley it was surrounded
by a hundred negroes who cursed tho
catchers or jeered them in mocking tones
In the meantime Joe and John were out
with the nets While Buck Parker was
trylni tn drive into the trap an animal
one of whose ancestors might have been
descended from a bulldog it was going
to be a ttiwlc to bag the mongrel because
he had evidently played the game Lcfore
and was an artful dedser
General Einstein surveyed the field
imt
from the eminence of the buggy and
skilled strategist that he Is disposed bis
forces to the best advantage His orderly
the policeman was sent to check the ad
vance of the negroes and Buck Parker
was commanded to drive the dog Into the
roadway where John Wells awaited him
with a net A little lane leading from
tho alley was the only opening through
which the bulldog might escape This
outlet was held by Lynx eyed Burrell
Gradually the animal vas being driven
to the roadway while General Einstein
watched the development of his strategy
with keen appreciation John missed the
dog In the roadway and the desperate
animal tore for the lane only to leap
Into the outstretched net in the hands of
Joe Burrell
A Pretty Catch
Gocd exclaimed General Einstein
Immediately divesting himself of his mili
tary aspect That was as pretty a catch
as I ever saw and well go back to the
pound now boys he continued caress
ingly for he is fond and justly proud of
bis men
That ended the hunt for that day but an
opportunity had been afforded for verify
ing General Einsteins estimate of the
number of unlicensed dogs in the District
He places It at 10 per cent of the total
number and from the observations of the
day it seems very reasonable As Gen
eral Einstein says it has taken him
twenty nine years to reduce his enemies
to this admirable condition
Important to Citys Health
The Impounding of stray animals
is an important clement in conserv
ing the health and wclfnrc of a
largo city but the accommodations
at the pound are meager That
not at all from the stray animal evil Is
due to the long continued faithfulness of
Samuel Einstein and his assistants Joe
Burrell John Wells Shirley Williams and
Cornelius Parker
Samuel Einsteins Good Record
Mr Einsteins record of faithful service
dates from 1S73 lie Is still a young man
and eager to promote the welfare of
Washington but he says that he must
have a better pound If the city Is to con
tinue free from stray animals His
largest annual capture was in the year
1S00 100O when with three wagons he
Impounded 0260 dogs One wagon docs
the work now and Mr Einstein is appre
hensive lest the dog population will steal
a march on him and increase before he is
furnished with a larger pound and more
weapons for successfully combating them
At the pound the animals are well
Editorials Tfie Drama
and Society
j GfiBPATfflmGGEnEMnmTrA
A Day in the Dog Catchers Wagon With the Well
Known Poundmaster and His Trained Corps of
Assistants Scenes in the Streets When Canine
Hunters Make a Raid Capture and Destruc
tion of Stray Animals an Important Factor in
Conserving the Health of a Large City
Nine thousand dogs are In good cltl
Eonshlp In the District of Columbia
Thus spoke General Samuel Einstein
master of the pound when questioned
by a representative of The Sunday Times
as to the number of licensed canines in
Washington
And that continued this famous offi
cial of the Dcard of iKnlth after he had
allowed sufficient time for his auditor to
be properly impressed by his first re
mark doesnt halt tell the story Only
10 per cent of the dogs living within the
District of Columbia are without tags
nnd therefore beyond the protection and
privilege of the law It has taken me
twenty nine years to bring about this
state of perfection but I can say truth
fully that the city today Is as free from
stray animals as Is possible for any large
city to be
A Trip on the Wagon
The writer having expressed a desire
to make a trip with the dog catchers on a
hunt for canine outlaws Mr Einstein very
graciously extended an Invitation stipu
lating however that It should be a day
when the schools were In session for to
use his own words It Is almost impos
sible to catch dogs when the boys are on
the streets The kids you know are al
ways with the dog and help him to get
away from us
General Einsteins Men
An appointment for a dog hunt was ac
cordingly made and on the morning de
cided upon The Sunday Times representa
tive met the huntsmen at the Sixth pre
cinct station The entire force and equip
ment consisted of a caged wagon manned
by the three most famous negro dog
catchers In the United Stales by name
and in order of rank John Wells twenty
five years a dog catcher Joe Burrell with
sixteen years to his credit and Duck
Parker who has followed the dogs for
half a generation
Lynx Eyed BurrelL
The latter drives the wagou with
Lynx eyed Durrell beside him ever on
the lookout for four footed 1 lwbrcakcra
John Wells has a perch on the rear of
the wagon where he may quickly and
conveniently reach the big dognet when a
victim appears
Bilnging up the rear in a buggy Is
General Einstein himself with a blue
ccated orderly detailed from the Metro
politan Police Squeezed In between the
two Is the only non combatant In the at
tacking party the representative of The
Sunday Times
Circuit of the Town
Twenty blocks were traversed before an
unlicensed dog was seen and a circuit of
the town from Rock Creek to Anacostia
covering a distance of over twenty miles
was rewarded by the capture of only four
teen vagrants
It was however a chase abounding In
exciting adventure At the corner of Fir it
and B Etroets northeast the first un
licensed animal was seen by Lynx eyed
Burrcll He Immediately passed the tip
to John Wells who reached for the net
Burrell grabbed another and together
these doughty huntsmen sneaked up on a
ridiculously small black-and-tan that was
passing the time of day with a tagged
terrier
So absorbed was the black-and-tan in
the exchange of courtesies that he did not
notice the approach of the men with tho
nets
The Attack
Watch him close Buck exclaimed
General Einstein In a stentorian stage
whisper that drowned the clang of a
passing electric car
I got my eye on him replied Buck
The men were at least fifty yards from
the dog when the latter chanced to ob
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treated They are nicely housed and well
fed with freshly cooked meat mixed with
bran and unless reclaimed or otherwise
disposed of they are permitted the happi
ness of an easy death in the gas tank
What more could a tramp dog desire
It happens not infrequently that a
really valuable animal Is picked up by
Mr Einsteins men and Impounded Dog
fanciers are frequently visitors to the
pound and often a prize pup Is to be had
for a very moderate fee Society women
are occasional callers on the genial
master of the Pound to whose judgment
they defer in selecting a dog for adop
tion The best hound in the Chevy Chase
pack was bought at the pound by Mr
of the picturesque incidents
ONE the morning In the fashion
able northwestern part of tho
city Is Madame Wu the wife of
the Chinese Minister taking the air
Often fhe Is rushed about in her automo
bile but as frequently she employs a
rolling chair propelled by a coolie ser
vant from the legation
When it pleases her to make use of
man power in her morning ride the pic
ture Is for all the world like a painting
on a bit of lacquer
At about 11 oclock every morning when
the sun shines and the air is mild Mad
ame Wu appears In the doorway of the
piioda likc residence of the Minister
from China She leans heavily on the arm
of her Chinese maid because the feet of
this doll like aristocrat from the Orient
arc so small that to walk on them is a
very difficult and fatiguing task When
it is the rolling chair in which Madame
Wu is to be carried about tho maid ten
derly lifts her mistress Into It whereupon
the man behind the chair bestirs hlrasel
and Immediately the party is on its way
It is an interesting picture to see them
as they proceed out New Hampshire
Avenue that being the direction In which
Madame usually prefers to go The maid
accompanies her mistress on these out
ings but she goes afoot Thanks to her
lowly station she enjoys the luxury of
common sense feet so that she Is not
compelled to combine with her pedestri
anl3m a certein skill in balancing
Madame Wu and her maid are like little
children in their enjoyment of the frolic
while the motive power Is as machlnc
llke as an automation and his face la as
expressionless as that of a dummy in a
shop window He walks brihkly and tho
John It McLean who prizes his find very
highly Money into the hundreds could
not buy the animal now but a year ago
anyone might have had him for he was
only a homeless waif on the city streets
An Easy Death
Those dogs that are absolutely worth
less are given a whin of charcoal gas and
in fifteen seconds they cease to live
Having been asked if It did not sometimes
cause him sorrow to act as official exe
cutioner of the dogs Mr Einstein made
a characteristic reply
Socially said he I am fond of dogs
but In my official capacity I am their
sworn enemy that is if they dont abido
by the law
MADAME WU TAKING THE AIR
efforts of the diminutive maid to hold
the pace make rare spcrt for the lady
In the chair
The gait of the little Oriental lasslo
has been admirably counterfeited by tho
chorus maidens In tha current musical
play San Toy Her hair is black as
cbeny and as lustrous as Ivory Sho
wears it swathed over her ears in tho
style of Cleo de Merode but the fashion
is as old as the Chinese Empire from
which source the Parislenne doubtless
derived this mode of halrdresslng Tho
mahl wears no head covering nor adorn
ment in her hair in which respect she
differs from her mstres3 who on these
morning excursions usually affects a coif
fure of carnations
Madame Wus robes are always of tho
costliest China silk and even on an In
formal morning Jaunt she Is as gorge
ously arrayed as If she were on htr way
to the Presidents reception With tha
maid however It is different Though
she looks as fresh and pretty as a flower
of the morning she is plainly clad In a
black baesry jacket which migit be mado
of cambric while her loose trousers ot
the same material are as devoid of shape
as a workmans overalls
As it has already been suggested tbo
distinction of class between mistress and
maid is most noticeably apparent in tho
differnece In the size of the feet Mad
ames seeming almost like an infants
when compared with the very practical
pedal extremities of her maid
Theso morning outing3 usually take up
an hour ot Madame Wus day She loves
to be moved swiftly In the roller chair
and the exertions of the coolie to accel
l crate its speed to a degree satisfactory
t to bis mistress causes the fellow to ba
1 very well fagged hy tho time that a ro
i turn Is mado to the legation
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