Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21
Samuel Einstein.


Samuel Einstein was appointed pound
master of the District of Columbia, and
he has filled the office all these years.
Today, after having experienced many
troubles in the performance OF his duty.
even to having been shot. he is hale and
hearty and still in active service. He
was twenty-five years of age when he was
selected under the old board of health to
| organize the District pound service,
service that was extremely unpopular
many years ago and one which today
does not tend to increase the popularity
| of those engaged in It. Having perform
ed the duties Of his office without fear or
| favor during the time he served under the
old board of health, Einstein received a.
| reappoint,nent in July. 1878. and served
| under Health Officers ToWnshend and
Hammett. predecessors of the present
| health officer.
| At the time the pound service was es-
| tablished and the so-called dog catchers"
| were sent out for duty, the city was
overrun with animals of all kinds. Horses,
mules. sheep, goats and dogs roamed the
streets without molestatfon. while
chickens. ducks and geese found plenty
to cat about the streets. The ban was
placed on all animals and geese, and when
| Poundmaster Einstein and his dozen as
| sistants started upon their crusade they
| found their task was a troublesome one.
Clubs. brickbats and stones greeted them
daily. the appearance of the pound
wagons never resulting in anything but
! trouble, more especially in the sections
known "Foggy Bottom? and Swami
| poodle.
! II was in the sections mentioned that
! the goats outnumbered such animals in
| all other sections combined. and no own
| er of a goat was ever known to sur
| render his or her animal without fight,
and assistance was never lacking.
Pursuing a Goat.
| The sight of one or more of the pound
| masters assistants pursuing goat over
| the green hills or through Tiber creek
| never failed to witness number of own
ers of goats and geese following. 1t was
| merely question Of luck to who
| should come out of the fray without
| disfigured head, as brickbats, tin cans
and other weapons that were to be found
on the commons were brought into play.
| Poundmaster Enstein is able to recall
| many fierce conflicts in what are now
the more thickly populated residential
sections Years ago owners OF cows ana
| horses were in the habit of permitting
| their stock to run at large at night after
| the installation Of the pound service, and
| it became necessary to establish night
pound service.
1t is recalled that goats also roamed
| work of eating bark from shade trees.
| The night service soon wrought great
| change in conditions about the streets,
| and it finally became necessary for own
| ers of cattle to have their stock attended
| when they were sent out to Craze.
Hazardous Work.
| ut was almost as much as a mans
life was worth to go to some sections and
pick up a goat or horse" said the pound
master to a Star reporter, and 1t has
been only during the past few years that
my assistants have experienced practical
lv no trouble. Even now some objection
| is made to the ilpounding of a pet dog,
but usually the men are diplomatic
enough to avoid conflicts
Years ago dogs were impounded only
three months in the year 1t was done
| during the time owners OF cannes were
required to have their dogs muzzled. the
! unmu zzled ones being the ones impound-
ed In 1878 a law was enacted requiring
| owners of dogs to provide tags for them
and the work of lmpoundlnS the I'M
licensed dogs has since been done during
| the entire year.
AS the city improved the trouble with
stray animals decreased. but there has
| been plenty of work for the poundmaster
| and his assistants to do in the matter Of
getting rid of the unlicensed dogs. The
work OF the force was extended to the
entire District, having only covered the
1
| are frequently seen on the county roads
as we'll as upon the city streets
Animals Impounded.
During ali the years Samuel Einstein
| has been in charge of the service the
animals impounded include lat horses,
2,sS6 cows, 221 mules, 112,0OO dogs, :;23
hogs 262 sheep, 1915 goats and 23O6
geese. Recently the collection of cats
| has been added to the duties of the
poundmaster and his assistants and $3.50
felines have been put to death by them
The present efficient pound service is
| the result OF the untiring efforts on the
| part of the poundmaster during the three
dozen years he has had charge of the
work, and he frequently recalls the many
abuses heaped upon him, the assaults
committed and the numerous narrow
escapes he experienced.
Probably the most serious of all the
combats in which the poundmaster figur-
ed was during trip to the section in the
vicinity OF Lincoln Park. Cows and
geese were astray in the park, giving it
no more consideration than they would
have given the commons between there
and the present site of the JAIL Suddenly
the pound wagon appeared. coming as a
cloud from clear sky, and Just as sud-
denly came owners of the animals and
poultry. Their sympathizers followed
and in short while fierce battle was
| being waged.
In the Thickest of the Fight.
"What became of the geese that were
ants after the dust had cleared away.