The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-10-30
A DOC CATCHER CAUGHT.

IT Is hardly to be doubted that the
most heartily despised set of per-
sons on the face of the earth are the dog
..catchers.
The oldest man now living cannot re-
member the day when he heard a kind
ly word uttered in behalf of the snarers
of vagabond CANNES. 1t is an article
of faith in some localities and among
certain people that Ishmael owed his
unpopularity and utter isolation to the
presumed fact that he was unwIse
enough to hire out as a garnerer of sur
plus dogs.
Just now the Chicago dog catchers
are experiencing their regular fall car
nival of assault and battery, and the
people whose pets they lure or drag
away are offering up their ancient and
time-honored testimony, which is to the
effect that most wire wielders are
thieves who go on private property to
steal good and valuable dogs, while ut
terly ignoring the measley ours which
are alleged to throng the streets with
out hindrance.
1t is the same story which is told of
dog catchers in all worlds and at all
times. And, unfortunately, in many
cases, it turns out to be the truth, for
the men on the big wagon have a shrewd
idea of the great profit arising out of
the harvesting of high-class dogs and
holding them for ransom. There was a
man of that kind once in Council
Bluffs, Ia, but he was discouraged out
of the business. His name was Whim-
pie, and he has reduced the dog traf-
fic to a science. He paid very little at
tention to the untagged Migrants of the
canine species, but give him a good
chance at some good mans ST. Bernard
or foxhound and he would climb cleo
trio light towers and get his wire moose
over the head of the quarry. He was
clever about it, too, and although the
owners of good dogs hired detectives
to watch him, with a hope of getting
a criminal case against him, he always
succeeded in eluding the sharp eyes of
the sleuths, and would, indeed, by care
full maneuvering, even while closely
pursued, slip around into a back yard,
loose a fine hunting spaniel from his
kennel and entice it out into the alley,
where, with the support and backing
of the law, he would clap his moo over
the beasts head. Valuable dogs had
the fondest passion for losing their
tags about Is minutes before Whim-
pies arrival in the neighborhood. The
explanation of the phenomenon was
never clearly given, but at any rate
Whimple succeeded in finding more
good dogs without their passports than
any other dog catcher who ever livedi in
that city. And, once caught, it cost
quite a neat bit of money to ransom
such q victim.
Bill Boyer, a printer and a statesman,
was a dog fancier who for six weary
years suffered at Whimple's hands. He
whipped the man thrice, but as the dog
catcher was always able to make a fair
showing hat he had been inside the
lines of the law the fines imposed upon
Boyer amounted to more than the
Whimple for the release of his impound-
ed pets. Boyer at last worked the thing
down to a system. One year he would
whip Whimple and pay a fine of $3.50
and the next he would give the dog
catcher the amount of his claim for the
catching of his dogs-usually about
$50. The former course cost more, but
BOYER calculated that he got at least
$40 worth of satisfaction out of break
ing Whimple's visage. The printing
man would regularly pay the city for
his dog licenses, but as regularly the
tags would disappear in some mystic
rious manner, and Whimple would get
action.
Boyer at last decided to take ex-
treme measures in the matter of Whim-
pie and his dogs. One of the finest
pointers sickened and died one day,
and instead of giving it the usual re-
spectful and sorrowful burial Boyer
sent the body over the river to a tax
idermist and had it stuffed in a most
artful way.
Make it lying down." he said to Col
bert, the taxidermist; Lying down,
with its head standing up in the air."
And so it was fashioned.
"Now, then" said Bill, Il want you
to fairly line that dogs hair with little,
fine wires. Make it so that therell be
a metallic surface to meet anything
that comes in contact with the coat"
Which was also arranged.