Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-18
EMPTIED THE POUND

he isn't ashamed of having served the
municipal government OF Omaha In the
capacity Of poundmaster. or dog-catcher as
he calls Il, he Is willing that lot OF
Omaha folks who don't know of that phase
OF his career shouldn't hear about 1t al this
stage Of the game. So his name isn't
going to be mentioned here.
The ex-dog-catcher of Omaha had a story
| to tell about J. X. e.'Fritz'') Emmett. the
late actor, singer and dancer. who was at
the zenith OF his yodiing fame when folks
who are now pertiy were considerably
more slim-waisted.
Thousands Of people all over the coun-
try remember the huge st. Bernard dog
that Fritz Emmet used to carry around
with him on all his theatrical travels" said
| Fritz was what you might call a bug
on dogs, and on that dog in particular.
well he might have been. for the st. Ber-
nard was actually one OF the most valuable
animals OF his breed In the world.
Well Fritz drtfted along to Omaha
with his show at wrong time for his
dog-for this was way back In the eighties.
| was 'Omaha's dog-catcher at the time. A
week or SO before 'Frits' got along, for
two-night engagement, a dog Belonging to
an actress visiting Omaha had severely
bitten the daughter Of the owner of the
hotel at which the actress stopped. A big
| fuss was made about it, and the city coun-
ell OF Omaha adopted a resolution providing
| that all dogs in transit through Omaha had
| to have an Omaha license. on penalty of
being nabbed by the Omaha dog-catcher.
| It didn't make any difference whether the
dog was going to be in Omaha for week
or for only twenty minutes, the dog had to
have an Omaha license, or stand for a
pinch The council folks got after me
with sharp stick and told me that I'd
have to enforce that resolution or they'd
know the reason why. l needed my little
dog-catcher's job at that time, and SO /
told EN- I'd enforce the resolution all right.
First chance I had to enforce it was
when Fritz Emmett Zephyred into Oma ha
| with his company and his dog Emmett was
| on one of the well-known mammoth mon
| oltthic periodicals when he struck Omaha,
| and he kept 'er going good and plenty
after he got there-stayed with it so strong,
| in fact, that his Omaha engagement had to
| be Cancelled. Everywhere that Emmet went
that ST. Bernard OF his was sure to go.
The dog was sort of guard for the
| amiable singer and actor when Fritz was
| on his big sprees. and never left his side,
trotting along with him, no matter how
| Zig-zaggy Enlmet's navigation happened to
| be. Isn't anything Of a gutter about
! sure-enough dog when he cottons to a fell
| low, and that's a fact.
Well. on the afternoon of Ens,et's ar
| rival he WAS so busily engaged in hitting
| the high places that for a moment he for
| got about his dog. He walked out of a
| cafe and stepped into ca!oosh for a drive,
ignoring his dog, which he generally car
ried along with him even on his rides. The
| dog watched this performance with a
mournful countenance. He plainly
hurt. l hated to hurt him some more, but
| l happened to be on the spot at the time,
| and one of the city councilman was stand
| ing with me. The city councilman ordered
me to nab the dog and take him to the
| pound, Emmet not having taken out an
! Omaha license for him, the actor, of course,
| beng ignorant of Omaha's city council
| recent resolution. My wagon wasn't far
away. | whistled for the driver, and, with
my assistant, we scooDed in the huge dog,
| just. as he was about to pick up his big
| feet and gallop after the carriage into
which his master had stepped, the vehicle
/ Just then turning a corner down the street.
| He rOurrful dog. that St
| Bernard, when we chucked him into one of
| the cages, along with lot OF other dogs,
| at the pound. He didn't make any bother
/ about the situation, nor show the least
| inclination to be vicious bite anybody.
| He was just sad, that's all, and more than
half broken hearted. Just lay away back
in the rear OF the cage, with his head be-
tween his paws, and thought and thought
| and thought it over and like tove busted
4 with pure lonesomeness and sadness l sent
| word to Emmets hotel that 1 had his dog,
| pound that afternoon. But Fritz didn't re-
| turn to his hotel till late that night, and
! when he did get there he wasn't in shape
| to understand the difference between a dog
and pound of sliced iSnglass
| But he showed up at the pound the next
| u1Qrning about 10 O'Clock. Already he had
| sort t heightened out his leftover, and he
| was pretty much on the wooze side when
| he made his appearance, although spick and
| span and sroomed and shaved up, and pink
! from his shiny top hat to his shoeeaps.
| recognized him as soon he appeared
| nobody in the United States at that day
| would have failed to recognize Fritz Off
| the stage. IL only by his marvellous teeth.
i conducted him to the cage in which
| his dog still lay, repining, with his head be-
| tween his paws. The St. Bernard had got
1 Whit of his master and when he recog-
| nized him he fairly rose and beat himself
| against the front bars of the cage in an In
| effectual effort to smother Fritz with dog
| caresses and assurances of loyalty His
| WINES and winners of lVStprirai delight
| at the sight of Fritz were something NOV
Ing to listen to. The dog fairly idolized the
| man.
| AT the same time the twenty-three other
| captured dogs in the several cages snooped
| up to the front bars and, with their heads
pressed through and their tails a-wagging,
pleaded to be taken out of bondage, too.
| They were all mangrels awaiting death that
| day-it was Christmas eve, and they were
| to have been disposed of that afternoon
| SOS the poundmaster and his assistants
| could have the entire Christmas to them
| selves, without any canine charges to worry
| about.
The poor NUTS just begged and begged
! Fritz to take EN- out, and could see that
| they got him going, all right. He took his
| own dog out-and the ST. Bernard almost
| knocked the actor down In his rapture over
| being united-and paid me the 81 COM
ing, two for pound charges and two for
| an Omaha dog tag, supply OF which L
| kept on hand at the pound Then, with his
own fine dog at his side. Fritz strolIed
back and stood In front of the cages where
| the twenty-three NUTS were still lined up
in front of the bars. begging him to do
| something for em-any old thing SOS TO
get EN- out of there.
| Poor lit fellersh said Fritz and he
| held out his gloved hand and rubbed their
| homely noses Dog-gone shame, thash
| what ish. Chrfstmush eve too Shay fell
| lersh want t come out?'
| Almost as IL they understood him. they
broke into pleading whines and barks
| All RI, said Fritz then. IN get
| y out-all o. you. I'm fr dogsh, first m
| lash. Any OF kin o. dogsh. How mush t
get EN- all OUT? turning to me.
! II told him-twenty-thre dogs at 81 per
| to get 'em out-$2 each for pound charges
and 81 for each tag; in all, $92.
| All RI said Fritz pulling out a big
bank roll OF yellow bills and skinning a
century note off the outside.
| There was no chance for me to buck or
renege. The law provided that the dogs had
| to be surrendered to anybody claim ng
| them. upon payment of pound charges and
| dog tax fees. made him out receipt and
| then got out twenty-three tags
How y go!n' fashn tagsh on dogsh?'
| Fritz asked me then, and hadn't thought
| of that myself up to that moment They
| got no collarsh.
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