The Washington times., 1904-08-07

What Of the District dog pound?
Can the dog catchers cope with the
situation?
Samuel Einstein poundmaster for thir-
ty-one years. smiled at these questions.
1.-The pound is here as usual-where It
ought not TO be-" he added, in the mid
die of Twenty-third Street. Also the
dogs. all dogs without licenses for the
new year, beginning July 1. 1904, viii be
caught and carried 10 the pound"
While there have been a number Of
suspects. very few real cases Of hydro
phobia have come under the notice Of
the Poundmaster during the past four
months. One case alone stands out as
a genuine case Of the dread disease. A
hound dog with a speciality for 'poss sums
was netted and brought TO the pound.
Put into a pen by himself. his tongue
blackened. and lolling out of his mouth
his general behavior made the dog
catchers suspicious.
Although the owner of the dog soon
arrived on the scene and demanded his
release, declaring there was nothing the
matter with the, animal, they kept rim
A specialist from the Bureau OF AMI
NAL Industry. of the Department of
Agriculture was called in.
He declared it a well developed case
of hydrophobia. and the dog was killed
in spite of the protests of his master.
Method of the Test.
The usual method adopted by the Blu
reau OF Animal Industry I'm order to be
sure of the disease is as follows: A
brew Is made of the brains Of the sup
posedly diseased dog. A small portion Of
this liquid is injected into a guinea pig.
a number of which are especially main
talned for this purpose. Then the guinea
pig is carefully watched. and from its
actions ii IS learned whether or not the
dog was mad. This is a trife hard on
the guinea pig.
The District dog catching establish
ment and pound OF all stray animals
stands today where it has stood since
Congress authorized its construction IN
1872. Located, as it is. in close proximity
10 the old Naval Observatory. now the
Naval Medical College, and IN a section
of the city that has stagnated for years
IN the real estate market, the pound has
remainded unmolested, occupying the
center Of Twenty-third Street, a large
portion OF New York Avenue. and also
Of c Street. AS this is also the approach
TO the much-taIked-of and Iong-awaited
Memorial Bridge It Is clear that the
pound must De moved 10 OIner quarters
sooner or later.
Poundmaster Einstein, through the
Health Office, is making every effort TO
have the change put through as soon
as possible A request viii be made at
the next session OF Congress for the
necessary funds 70 Obtain new property
and TO erect a new structure.
An Old Structure.
To the casual visitor the pound pre-
sents the appearance Of having stood
there for years, with little or no change.
and this IS the case, with the exception
OF a few repairs. The long. low, white
washed buildings have been the hosiery
for thousands OF dogs. big and little. Of
high and low degree. And in the good
old days. not so long ago either. when
many of the streets Of Washington. now
paved with asphalt and lined with fine
houses, were frst-class pastures, cows,
horses, pigs, goats, and geese were car
ried there by the hundred.
July was a month OF grace in which
the dog owners Of Washington might
buy tags for their pets Now, however,
the war against stray dogs and persons
trying to evade the law IS on with a
vengeance. and daily raids are made by
the dog catchers. All parts OF the city
are searched with care, and every raid
Is productive Of thirty or forty dogs The
dog catchers' busy day has arrived.
Poundmaster Einstein, Z. n. Burgess
his assistant. and the four men under
them are busy nearly fifteen hours each
day. AS there Is no dog catchers' union
in existence at present. there is little
danger OF a strike Nevertheless. the
force is not large enough for the amount
OF work required OF It. Not only must
.
mails. but each day e number Of calls,
ranging from twenty 70 fifty IN number.
are sent into the pound. asking for the
removal of dogs and cats from homes
where they are no longer welcoms., Other
calls are for the removal Of sick ant
mails
In South Washington
Armed with nets and leashes the dog
wagon may be seen any morning setting
out on q raid. It Is ten chances 10 one
that the "doggers" are on 70 the south
west CT southeast sections OF the city.
There II IS that most OF the dogs are
captured.
The Hotel Canine" Is made as COM
Portable for its four-footed guests as
possible Mr.. Einstein IS remarkably
fond Of dogs, and has a keen eye for a
dog with breeding. Many a dog has
owed his life 10 the fact that his ances-
tors were aristocrats. For the we'll
bred dogs are kept beyond the forty
eight hours required By law with the
idea that the owner or some one desir-
ing % buy ouch a dog VIII turn up and
pay the necessary g 70 redeem II.
Hundreds OF such dogs are bought
every year at the pound, many OF them
by spectators. who make a regular
practice OF picking up the likely look
ing dogs which are not redeemed. The
negroes living in that neighborhood
keep track Of the dogs brought IN by the
raiders. They IN turn are informed By
the coachmen and other servants OF per
sons living IN town who want dogs and
what kind OF dogs.
This underground" system OF infor-
ION has been perfected 10 such an