Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-01
CRUELTY To ANIMALS
Work Of Prevention Carried on
by the Humane Society.
ON eleventh STREET HILL
Conditions Much Better Than They
Were Formerly.
COOPERATION OF THE POLICE
Need Of Headquarters In tho Center
Of the city-How Citizens
May Help.

Following an arrest of q driver OF heav-
fly loaded brick wagon for brutally LASH
Ing his team while ascending the incline
on nth street between and F. streets
northwest the other afternoon an officer
OF the Humane Society said to q Star re-
porter:
I'VE make more arrests for cruelty to
animals in beating horses and overlooking
wagons upon this hill than upon any other
single square frontage in the city. In max
ing the climb up the incline from Pennsyl-
vania avenue the hill Is less abrupt on this
street than in the adjacent side thorough
fares. and 1t Is therefore selected by the
drivers OF heavily loaded vehicles to reach
r and q streets
I'VE are especially anxious to detect and
apprehend drivers who lash their horses
until the sides Of the poor animals are
striped with huge welts. and am glad to
say that our activity in arresting these
heartless men and securing their subse-
quent convictions In the Police Court has
had q most wholesome effect upon this I'M
desirable class Of animal beaters. Observ-
Ing citizens Of the capital will note that
these instances are not now seen upon our
streets with the frequency of former years.
when 1t once was a common sight to wit
ness men numerically and unnecessarily
flashing horses.
THE humanely inclined will recall how
drivers of hacks, cabs and vehicles In gen.
eral could be seen standing I'D in their
seats and flashing their horses as we'll as
pulling their heads savagely by saving tc
the right and the left on the reins, as
though the wretched horses were without
feeling and composed Of wood instead of
flesh and blood, the human brutes holding
the lines not being enabled to exert enough
force to the blows and wrenching while
sitting down.
Barbarous Practice Of Flogging.
But we have largely stopped this spe-
cific instance Of barbarous treatment of
horses upon the public streets. and we will
continue to use our best endeavors to
Danish such sights from the thoroughfares
Of this CITY,. We cannot abolish the whip
from the hands Of drivers. which 10 like
wise relic of barbarism, but we are hope
full OF suppressing the barbarian who uses
Is as an instrument of INJECTING unneces-
sary suffering upon dumb animals.
THE fiogging of horses, when the latter
were strainins to the utmost of their
was viewed with complacency by the public
in municipalities too long, being justified
by the thoughtless upon the ground Of the
rights OF ownership In the animals as well
as through custom and habit. When horse
Is pulling his best It is the rankest cruelty
to fog him, yet this Is precisely what
drivers are constantly doing, seeming to
consider it their duty to beat him all the
drivers of lightly loaded wagons do the
same brutal act, though in the latter In
stance 1t Is an evidence of the brutal char
acteristics of some men. An arrest and
fine are the most effective lessons in the
education Of these men, as verbal pro-
test Is in most all cases followed by insult
ing and opprobrious remarks and epithets.
This is one reason why we make SO
many arrests upon the block in question
and especially in the winter months when
the going Is heavy from snow or slippery
from the icy pavements. When the incline
Is reached the horses naturally stop. In
stead of tightening the load the drivers
illogically resort to the whip. and the street
scene of a profane man, steaming. strain
ing and beaten horses and a stalled wagon
is presented to the eyes of the sympa-
thetic and indignant citizens.
Enlarged Scope of Activities.
'It Is to do away with such distressing
street scenes in this city that the Humane
Society is bending it's energies, and in this
we have the support of our citizens; nor
are those of humanitarian impulses I'M
mindful of the efforts of The Star to fur
Their this laudable work, as 1t has always
been among the foremost In lending its in
fuential aid in suppressing this form of
cruelty.
while our activities are unfortunately
limited In the furtherance Of this COM
mendable work, owing to the fact that our
financial support comes from the same
source as our moral support-from the citi-
zens at large of Washington-as we are
not In receipt of an appropriation. yet the
record Of the society in proportion to its
expenditures and facilities. may truthfully
be said to be more than satisfactory and
to compare favorably with the results at
tanned In other cities where funds are very
literally provided by endowment and other
WISE
"Yet we could do so much more II our
facilities were even slightly increased to
admit Of extended scope of action Some