The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-19
WAR AGAINST THE CANNES.
THE REMORSELESS DOG CATCHER BE
GINNING ms SUMMER WORK.
Going the Rounds with 1tim-A Host OF vs.
grnnt Animals Gathered in-Three Bites In
u sInale NIght-Better Results PromIsed.

The war against the dogs has begun in
earnest. Late on Monday night or early OIL Tues
day morning most OF the licensed capturcrs
were hard mt work in their respective districts.
To promote efficiency in the dog catching SER
vice. the city is snpportioned into fifteen districts.
each OF which is assigned 10 one particular OIL
GER. who is empowered to seize or capture nll
vagrant ours within It's borders. He Is not
permitted to hunt outside OF its bound
aries, however, and il convicted OF poach-
ing on his colleagues grounds is liable
10 have his own license revoked. APP
pointmcn,s arc granted by the Mayor on the
recommendation of the local Alderman or poll
ticuns. and the competition for places Is great.
Onicers are required to wear shields while on
duty. and TO display their warrants whom re-
quested. The hunting period is usually from
dark until 3 and even 4 o'clock in the morning.
although the wet weather of tho past forty
eight hours has materially shortened the hours
OF labor so far A large number Of logs were
captured on Monday and Tuesday and the
work. particularly on the east side. has been Of
the liyeicst and most exciting description.
On Monday night reporter for TIE SrN
made the tour of the Tenth and Tniriognth
Wards with Mr.. Thomas Birmingham whose
performances last year earned him the deserved
title oi King OF the Dog Catchers."
Tho great dog catchcr was in tho ac, Of stow
ing away a suggestive looking pistol in his hip
pocket as the reporter salutod him.
You don't have to use that sort Of thing. DO
you p asked the reporter.
Il never did - said Mr. Birmingham. frankly
but then it's handy To- have about you. and
there's no telling. you know. when you might
have to fall bnck on il. This is what we depend
! on mninly.' he added. picking up n small. ob-
| long package. and unrvllinS a stick Oi lunar
| " Do you use II oitcn?'
." | was bit twcnty-ciehi times last season" Z"
! said the catcher coO!ly. and SUPPOSE / shall
eet as much more this year. W. earn our
! money in this business. when you come right
In front of tho door stood one horse express
! wagon, WITH green body nnd hlacA wooden
! before and an ingenious, box like soat added.
PgnG3 aay TaSn fF" TaT p%lknS T{P@ Ts{Pa's i2r az
| dirty. generally NANCY, and USUALLY provided
| with sharp set Of teeth and an adequate notion
"Thcro he eoesw yelled an cxultant smnll
! boy ns Mr.. Birmingham made dash ~ small
| white coyoOdle at the corner OF Pike am
fled cur was flung hca Hong into the body u the
wagon. Then the other catcher snatched up a
lively young Sp,iz. covered with long white fur.
purpose He was taken struggling 10 the
wagon. and flung into tho open box sea, 10 keep
| were served ia the. same manner until half u
dozen howicl in chorus within the narrow
Tho prey was generally takcn either by steal
Ing NJ from hrhmd and catching 1t suddenly
! hy the loose flesh back of the neck, or 10y coming
| boldly upon II from the front. suddenly grasp
/ ng one or both paws. and by n slight tW 4 ~
the wrist reducing the animal 20 immediate
! euhie7tion. Tho latter Ii Mr. Birminghnni's =
ia,olite method. and in his hands rarely fails.
| The khack CONSISTS in The pocu lar way If
! twisting the dogs I4w-not sum lcnily to inlurc
! i'm. but ilsi enough 70 reduce him 10 state of
! ahiect submission. No matter how powerful
the dog. when he is once seized in this manner
| and held firmly he cannot hi'".
/ " II much the same as whom q hiG. powerful
/ man siu"ef's your hahd and twists H.. cN-
planet the catcher. " You may be mnd enough
long ~ he hold on TO you"
Occas oualy Tie catrhers varied their tactics
! 10y grabbing "A careless eur hy the tips OF the
| ears ana iiiuging him gayly into th" moving
! cuftNAn. WIN larger and stronger a OEs, how
ever th'y depended chiefly on the squeezing
Mr.. Birmingham received his first bite in
/ DIV sion street between Orchard and Ludlow.
| lie hNd secured hr.ndled mongr"l belonging.
! % % ueighhor.u- traie-uan. aud was IN tho nct
81 81 LWlllpk ~ mo tns Ghr'i nlili tar oueni
! boys, when another AMI larger dog, Wairl ha l
! boon snni'Ael of q doorstep on the blo,
teetn upon Mr.. BrmuShan's right hand.
| tearing the flesh somewhat. and sinking
one Of bis fang- quarter oi an inch into tho
| flesh. Meantime the ofncr dogs luWl"d dr~urr-
ai i.y. and with prQirudcd heads AMI swapping
ipw- -troye 90 got lroe. BY dnt Of chnklng at
| the back ~ the neck and other vigorous appli-
| cAtipn4. the-big ki-yi' was induced to lat 20
! hi, hold. and what appeared 10 thrcnt m q
! formidable revolt wn- QucU"d. Aiter the ours
had hceu locked safely inside Mr.. Birmingham
| Juli "a uut ha caust!e and painted tie wound
ho,rally with IT,, It was an ugly-lo3king scar.
/ and L. any other Tut an experienced dog cat cher
nHst have suggested unpleasant visions Of hy-
The wagon trundlol on. m increasing crow !
fplowinsit. Opposite stable door in Grand
street near LOWS. ,GrcyhoMnd bitch and her
ID tanI Iffaf
! mss to capture the mother AZ the same time.
Mr., Brmn.ham received another savage bite
and{ {ourlh Huger,. The lltil" finger 0f hi, r-'.
huih gas M-, h'rtol, The sight 90 the -trus-
gle and the cheers and shouts of the spertutars
| caused Il general rush from Madison. Mungg",
! Cherry uul other streets. Hu.IuHuiiug the
crowd ,oiuily3nlO perso Ihe Jam, WIS
tiuic. and the eat hers were compelled 90 sepn-
rato and m."t further on their route.
catl.'It Ia his wounds. When tho operation
wH- concluded hl- hanis looked ~ though ~ y
! hal boon held i'm tho naue ol n "a, Ji aul
| turned i'm different suot-. Last season ho WIS
t,rrihiy h.iten On the lower part Of tie thigh by
q big rastilf. Ihg mH-i III p tooth sank deep
cau.tic madc The wound look cNrecdingly
| dang, raus. but Mr. Birmingham suffered noih-
| INK more than temporary moonY"nenoc. Hy
most dog hunters hydr'phoDin J.. iirmly re-
@ari'd Gs dis'ase OF the imnginalinn.
| Dtunc'y streets. Mr. Birmingham received a
| third wound. which he dressed iutho same non
chhleut way a. before.
"Don't YOU ever irctaboutt thcsebites? 2 asked
No; a hit ON" was tho reply. III was To
think about it and brood over IT Ia probably so
mad. Ike those fellows that you read about in
tho newspapers. I've known dog ca, hcrs who
didn't oven Use caustc and who got ulon@ all
< bakers wagon rolled through Norfolk
street Just rs the sunlight struck the tall walls
OF the adjoining Jail. a big, mottled hAlf-breed
coach dog lounged behind AZ a suspicious dis
tance. "Go ior him Tom, cried tho man on
The box whipping up his horse Mr.. Brmng-
ham grabbed him bY tho tops Of the ears which.
| however proved too slippery to hold. The big
cOach" had been out all night in the rain, and
| his moist condition rendered him exceedingly
! difficult to capture. After running chase Of
several blocks MIR. birmingham gnvc it up.
Thirty cents gone. mutterod the Jehu, In q
| tone OF mingled surprise and regret " II ain't
| often that you SEQ Tom lot EN- 90 that way"
The last dog captured was specimen Of tho
"yaller" species who stood summing himself in
| front Of a tobacconst's in Baynrd street He
| gave an undgnined .yclp and disappeared Into
| tile black holo which had engulfed his com.
| panions. "Twenty-six dogs: ak dollars and
| ninety cents" remarked Mr. Birmingham ms
he pockoted the money tor his nights catch at
the pound. Yesterday. ID have had sixty i it
had been fair weather. When it's wet folks
shuts M thcir dogs. and, Of course, you can't
| get Mt en-" ,. . !,