Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-16

where the pretty little woman's two small
girls were supposed to be slumbering. The
mother moved a little forward in her chair.
Presently the murmurs became. loud and
frefghted with note of rebellion.
The poor darlfngs; they must be uncom-
Portable. must see them" said the mother.
sympa thetically.
She tipped lightly and gracefully to the
door. Every one paused to watch her and
listen.
In the quiet of the piazza a mosquito buzz
was audible. Suddenly wall broke upon
the audience and these appealing words
were heard:
Not with the hairbrush, mamma; not
with the hairbrush.
To see squirrel sitting on his hind legs.
combng his whiskers in the middle Of the
car track seems about the limit Of wild life
impudence. But that is a possible sight al
most any time around the Capitol grounds.
The squirrels up there are not only numer-
GUS. but they pay little attention to the bus
tie OF modern life 1t is difficult to say just
how many squirrels there are In the Capitol
grounds. They like the leafy cover of the
big old trees and congregate to drink on the
edges of the paths whenever the hose Is
turned on for watering the grass. But they
do not conffne themselves to the Capitol
reservation by any means. They stroll out
around the netghborhood. and the other day
when Star man was going along B street
one of the shade-tails was seen calmly walk
Ing out across the car track
Mr.. Squirrel did not seem to be In any
hurry. He sat down In the middle of the
car track and scratched under his armpit
with his starboard hind leg. There was a
car coming along and he did condescend to
move out of its way, but that was all. Over
on the far cub stone he stopped long enough
to winnow out his whskers and then shin
ned gaily up shade tree and hoped over
to the high fence around the new Congress
sional office building.
Wild and timid? Well probably not II
the squirrels keep on at that rate they will
soon want to sit on the car track and make
the motormen pull out and go around them.
Nearly all the government reservations seem
to contain more or less wild life. But there
are few places where the squirrels are so
tame as al the Capitol.
K =
Il would like to know the principle on
which they distribute dog taxes around
Washington" said a long suffering citizen
to Star man the other afternoon
II have pup that is not much good but
his mistress thinks he is worth two dollars
a year in taxes. She is welcome to her opin-
ion II 1t will keep peace In the family, even
If l do have to pay the freight.
The other day policeman dropped
around to the house, reminded me that l
had overlooked getting a tag for my dog,
and gave me till Saturday to make good.
That was all right as far 1t went, and
produced two real dollars and got the tag.
There is a lot that abuts on mine from
the other street. and there they have dog,
Of which fact the whole neighborhood Is
kept painfully aware. He Is tied up in the
back yard most of the time and the tag he
wears is of the vintage OF about 1895. You
know you can tell the year of the tag from
the shape. That mongrel banks day and
night don't know when he sleeps, for he
is barking when I go to bed and barking
when l get up, and he worries the whole
neighborhood almost to death But pay any
tax on him? Well. 1 guess not. and the
police don't seem to get after his owner,
either.
Il don't know whether his master has any
particular drag with the police or not. but
the owner don't seem to produce the tag,
and his dog is not disturbed, though 1t man
ages to disturb every one else within hear
ing distance 1t Is bad enough to have to
pay out good money for the privilege OF
keeping dog but when 1t comes to paying
and then being kept awake nights by some
other fellows dog that has not been paid
for then think there is something wrong
In the way the taxes are apportloned IN
Washington"