Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-19
HUNTING THE DOG.
An Early Morning Chase Through the
Streets Of the City.

lions of this sport very much resemble those
attending tiger hunting In India as described
by some travellers The tiger hunter rides on
an elephant and watches for q chance to get q
shot at the tiger which the natives rouse from
his lair. II he makes bad shot the tiger eats
the natives, and the sport is interrupted till
more natives can be procured. The amateur
dog hunter follows the chase safely ensconced
in the poundmasters wagon. When the dog is
brought to bay, the poundmaster's attendants
beast Still there is q wild exhilaration I'm rat
Ting down the street, full tilt, after q yelpinR
dog that has start Of half square and the
that If the animal turns and shows fight, you
have trained attendants ready to 60 forth and
A DOG EXPEDITION.
A STAR reporter was invited to occupy Q Va
cant seat in Poundmaster Einstein's wagon the
other morning. The expedition set out q short
time after daybreak. There were two wagons.
One was occupied BY the
directs the military operations in case the
natives of the districts through which the ex-
nifty, and THE STAR reporter, who went as his
torian Of the expedition. The other wagon con-
tanned three colored men, expert dog chasers-
ply. This wagon was boxed, and had a grated
door in the rear through which the captured
9ogs were thrown. One Of the dog chasers
wagon, while the other two rode in front,
Underneath the wagon two large nets used in
that they could be Immediately detached and
brought Into action. The poundmaster's wagon
boldly led the way, the other wagon following
lay over Capitol Hill and through the regions
lying south of the Capitol towards the river.
At the outset the silence of early morning
reigned, broken occasionally by the clang of the
milkman's bell. The magnetism of morn per.
vaded everything; the tramp on the park set
tee was stretching himself and enjoying the
tide of life r3ain0 with tho IN oy,or do
evidences that the world was awaking to q new
day whose history was yet unwritten, sug-
low "cluck," suddenly uttered by the pound
master as q call to his horse.
A DOG IN SIGHT.
Down the vista of the street, almost on the
sky line, appeared the figure Of a dog. The
vigilant eyes Of the poundmaster deserted the
in the sunlight. BY signal which would not
have been noticed by q casual observer the
poundmaster communicated Intelligence of his
and nobly to the "cluck." The animal seemed
to be eager tor the CHASE and plunged forward
rafting behind at equal speed. The speck Of a
dog rapidly grew In angular dimension as the
middle Of the road q large black sinister-look-
ing, rat-tailed dog. It seemed at first not to
realize that its natural enemies were approach
Ing. AS the poundmasters wagon rushed for
ward, however, the dog turned its head and
showed its teeth. The Situation seemed to be
growing critical, but the poundmaster kept
cool. When nearly upon the dog he adroitly
turned his horse to one side and drove past the
savage beast Then he halted.
HOW THE BEAST WAS CAPTURED.
Two of the men on the rear wagon had leaped
from the vehicle while it was In rapid motion
and seized the nets. They were already de-
ploying towards the dog, in such manner as
to cut off its retreat The dog, suddenly SEEM
ing TO realize that this demonstration was made
on MS account, hesitated moment, as If de-
batting whether to attack the party, then turned
parking at the side Of the street. All! luckless
dog! One of the nimble hunters was there to
rushed wildly down the sidewalk. A net went
spinning after him through the air, hurled with
such nice Judgment that 1t descended over the
up and held the net down. The third man,
at the spot. His part was 70 seize the dog
while still imprisoned in the net, in such q way
that it could not use its teeth. Then the net
was taken away and the captive dog was borne
as the dog was dropped In, the door was shut
with click, the men mounted to their places,
and tho expedition moved forward again.
vICIssITUDES OF THE HUNT.
1t would be useless to describe in detail all
the thrilling experiences of the morning, as
words are impotent TO convey the exhilar atint
spirit of the chase. In some cases two or three
dogs would be discovered together, and then
creased: The poundmaster's practiced eye
could discover at the distance Of a square or
more whether dog wore tag or not. OF
and nets Of the dog hunters. Such dogs seemed
TO understand and rejoice in their immunity,
r TGr taey rushed out OF yards and bsrked msr
were not successful in making captures In every
case where they attempted it. Sometimes
one Of the hunters had poised his net in the air.
Then the animal would disappear quickly In
some hole in the wall. When the hunter had
and moved on the dog would poke his head out
from his retreat and LOOK as though he would
wink one eye If he knew how. In one case q
den burst Of speed. The frame Of the net struck
him on the small Of the back, evoking pro-
with some strange instead Of STn.
ming away from the wagon he circled around it.
and was again In danger OF the net when q
therefore exempt from capture, meanly took
advantage OF the privileges accorded him by
the government to run out after the lank dog
seemed to have their home.
HANDLING THE NET.
The dog-hunters have their "off-days" when.
as the ponndmaster told TIE STAR reporter
as the expedition logged along, they do not
seem able to handle the nets with their usual
skin: Luck appears to be against them, and
Ou Vic SlVC VI Luc UOSbs Lie uuQCSfS net is at
tached to long and heavy pole. 1t requires
not only good Judgment. but considerable us
Gle TO throw IT. effectively. The poundmaster
said he could tell when he got q new man. after
very few trials, whether the man would ever
distinguish himself a. q dog catcher A man
bern to the business handles the net, from the
start, with peculiar dexterity. 1t is almost use
less for young man TO adopt dOg-catching as a
means OF livelihood unless he display this anti
tude and feels some enthusiasm.
DOGS BECOMING LESS PLENTIFUL
Dogs are not as plentiful as they were, the
poundmaster said. In old days, when dogs
were hunted only during the summer months
and impounded II they did not wear muzzles.
the pound wagon would be filed before it had
gone many squares. Then the dogs had abso-
lutte liberty during the greater part Of the year.
new generation OF dogs would appear every
summer. Besides the survivors of the previous
summers raid would have forgotten the pound
wagon and lost their Shyness. Now the hunt Is
Kept up all the year around except during q
lew weeks at the beginning Of the fiscal year. A
oog once captured, or even chased by the pound
men, retains a vivid recollection of his expert.
ence He beats q hasty retreat upon the ap-
Pearance Of the wagons on his street. Then too
Inc number OF dogs has been much diminished
Ihe ponndmaster said that there were 10000
GOgs which ought to pay 9 tax to the District.
THIS number includes, OF course, only dogs O:
some value, or whose owners prize them. There
Is large number OF dogs without owners, or
whose owners would sacrifice them rather than
pay 8 tax for them Ratweon nj ond covor