The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-19
THE CITY'S CANINE CURSE.

The Great Dog Centres OF Gotham-Hew
tho Thousands OF Ours Live-The
Chcapness OF an East Side Proprietor.
ship-Suggcstions and Com plants
About vagrant Dogs-Open the Pounds.
Ever since the city treasury became too poor to
pay the reward Tor wandering ours the town has
been cursed by the number OF vagrant dogs that
prowl the streets at will. In the good old time, when
the gamin OF the town used to make enough money
at dog catching during the week to do the "sumptu.
Ousn on Sunday, the streets were comparatively
free and one could walk abroad without apprehen.
sion or danger of having his neither garments mutt.
lated OF, worse still, his tender cali dsilgured.
But, like great many other things the feeling
OF security which was experienced passed
away with the golden days of the old regime,
ana, as "aeggars can't be choOsers,n GOthamltes
must be satisfied with what Is given to them. The
old law OF paying rewards for dogs certainly had its
abuses but they were far unbalanced by the
benefits OF the system. few individuals who had
pet dogs lost them, ana there was q howl about
the municipal government not only permitting
but aoettng an unholy traffic in innocent dogs.
The noise OF these gentlemen who had lost dogs
became so great as to ILL all Gotham, and, finally
to appease their wrath and stop the noise, the IN.
eXorable "pounders' made compromise on the
matter by reducing the prize money from halfa-
dollar to twenty-five cents.
THE TWENTY-FIVE CENT ARRANGEMENT
had the desired effect, for the boys didn't believe
in running around town for dogs al that rate Of
times. Not they. "kilty cents or no dog' was
the motto The City Fathers would not 'knock
under,n and, alter a wDle. the business became
brisk again and remained so until poverty closed
the coiers OF the city. Just about this time Bergh,
the twenty-five cent game and poverty they man
aged to shut up the pounds, and they have re-
maned closed for two years, with the prospect Of
The results OF Mr.. Bergh's kindness and
Mr.. Green's niggardy stint are to be seen on the
streets at all times. The nuisance has become so
Board OF Health and complained; but having been
there informed that to abolish the nuisance was
tie Police Commissioners and returned with as t-
tie success. Failing Ofsympathy In every direction,
they have, in the desperation OF their trouble,
turned to the HERALD and written basketful after
basketiul OF letters, complaining bitterly OF the
deep wrong they are Obliged to endure. The in
are various aud, in some cases, coGica One gen.
tleman complains that ne cannot sleep with the
OF twenty-one mongrel ours The has counted
them) that congregate on the mower bed In his
front garden and howl nadrgals at the moon
his chicken coop and make the chickens sing. Ho
has shot two ana planted them at the root OF his
dead dead one and the fowers Won't grow and the
chickens won't increase. So he is thinking Of
opening private pound. Another gentleman
bottom several times and that his life Is endangered
nom the myriad" dogs in his neghborhood Who
in playful sayageness Jump OF his heels and no Ike
him eel quite uncomfortable. he says It is folly 10
try to shoot them, for they are like gray hairs One
he has eXterminate1 all the dogs in the neighbour
hood and the next night Is worse than ever lie
is willing to have his assessment increased TO help
pay the premium on dogs. Others are anected III
divers ways; their children are bitten, and the
clothes they leave on the grass to bleach are made
calicos OF by the dogs feet.
GREAT DOG CENTRES.
There are certain parts OF the city In which dogs
are to be found in numbers that would surpasS be-
le One Of these localities on the west side or
town, running from Filty-n1nth to 11Otn street.
is settlement of shanties and many OF the dogs
are used to draw ash carts and rag-picking
wagons. They are not led by their owners and go
around getting whatever they can in the nelghbor-
ing ash Boxes Several children OF the neighbOr-
hood have been bitten by these ours, some OF them
dangerously and still the nuisance exists. In the
eastern part of YOrkvllle there Ia another colony
Of ours, whose depredations are we'll known TO
that section. They are not so fierce or dangerous
as the wild bloodnounds OF Huntington and
jamaica, l.. l., bat they are more tantaltzing, for
no systematic war can be made upon them and
they breed and increase to an extent that Is truly
one hundred and twenty-eghth street is another
hotbed for mongreis One man has seven dogs and
pups innumerable, He raises the dogs for spite,
he says and is willing to Kill them all II his neigh.
bors will keep their goats out OF his yard end let
his vegetables grow. From Grand street to Four.
paradise. Here dogs are to be found In greater
numbers than they were in Jerusalem In the time
OF Josephus. They are seli-supporting dogs, and,
"a 1t don't cost anything 10 keep them, everybody
delights in propretOrship.
Even the business portion OF the town is not free
from dogs, as will be seen from the following
letter.
SEVEN DOGS TO BLOCK.
To THE EDITOR THE HERALD
wish to call the attention of the proper authorities
the fact that IL Is actually dangerous to walk through
the streets the east side Of the city owing to the
Der dogs in that IS from Frankfort street
People passing through those streets frequently
tackled by them and several times have escaped
being bit ell by the timely arrival OF the the dogs
When read OF SO many instances OF death by hydro
project citizens from the danger that them
at almost step. In the quarter above MENTIONED
the average number Is seven dogs 10 block The
Of these useless should be obliged either keen
them in their own rooms or else muzzc them whenever
they arc allowed to go IN the street Eegectng 70 con.
form such law they should be subject TO heavy
fine. Thus would we get rid o. the dog nuisance. H.
The statistics OF mortality in this city and Brook
Ign go to show that within the last two years nearly
fifteen deaths have occurred from hyGrophobla The
heartrendng story OF the little girl who was torn
to pieces by dog In Brooklyn last year is still
fresh In the public mind is also that OF the little
boy In Fifty ninth street, who was bitten on the
throat by dog that he tried to chase from an ash
barrel. Unless these horrors are to be repeated
something should be done TO Kill the surplus of
dogs that now prowl about our streets unnuZZled
and uncared Tor, and the Board OF Health would
make as big stir and do as good work In abolish
ing this nuisance as they did in cleaning the mar
kcts.