Evening star., 1939-03-12
Tragic Days
Marked Era
Of the Horse
Domestic Animals
Once Ran at Large
On Streets
By John Clagett Proctor.

always be a problem, especially if
it is big city like Washington,
when the problem becomes all the
greater to those responsible for the
safety of the public, for there will
always be perhons who will recklessly
endanger their lives and the lives
of others if not prevented in some
way from doing so. Hence laws, Or
dinances and regulations are neces-
sary, and because of the changed
modes of travelling, particularly dur
ing the last hundred years. and the
extra hazard confronting the people
today. it is imperative that more
stringent laws be put in force to
minimize, so far as possible, the
loss of life and limb.
Washington has always had its
traffic laws, even during its hog and
billy goat days, which may be said
to have somewhat preceded the
rse-and-buggy days, for there was
a time in the early days of this
city when hogs, goats and cattle
were almost as much of menace
to travel as dobbin later became,
and notwithstanding to popu-
lation-as dangerous as is the pres
ent automobile in the hands of a
reckless driver.
During the hog days, which were
contemporaneous with the goat
and-cow days, in the period any
where from the beginning of the
city up to the advent of the steam
railroad, in 1885, and even later,
the animals running at large were
as dangerous to life, limb land the
pursuit of happiness" as the reck-
less auto driver is today, and as
early as April 26. 1909, it was en-
acted by the First and Second
Chambers of the City Councils of
Washington that it should be un-
lawful for any person or persons
to suffer any hog or swine to go
at large on the city commons un-
less they had iron rings in their
shouts so as to prevent them from
roofing or otherwise destroying the
pasture"
Fatality Due to Pig.
Upon one occasion fatal accl-
dent occurred when a man, COM
ing from the post Office, then in the
old Blodget Hote. Building on E
street between Seventh and Eighth
streets, was run into by pig and
injured so badly that he died later.
Indeed, accidents of this kind,
though not quite so bad, occurred
so frequently at an early date that
by act of June 3, 1853, is was pro-
vided:
1T shall not be lawful for hogs
to 60 at large in the City of Wash
ington; and if any hog or hogs shall
be found going at large therein it
shall be lawful for any police Off
Ger or other person or persons, and
1t is hereby made the duty of every
police officer in this city to seize
and take up every hog going at
large as aforesaid and convey the
same to the Washington Asylum,
and the same shall become forfeit
to the corporation of the city and
be appropriated to the use OF said
asylum. Any person who shall
take up and convey to the afore-
said asylum any hog found going at
large in the city shall, on produc-
ing the receipt of the intendant
therefor to the register OF the city,
receive for any hog so delivered 81,
to be paid out of the general fund;
and the intendant shall report to
the Mayor quarterly the number
and description of the hogs so re-
ceived, and from whom, during the
preceding three months"
And section % of the act of
January IT, 1856, makes the follow
ing provisions relating to goats:
1T shall not be lawful for any
animal of the goat kind to run at
large in this city, and the owner
of every goat SO found running at
large shall pay not less than three
nor more than five dollars for every
time such goat may be found at
large; and it shall be the duty of
the police constables to kill any such
animals when found running at
large"
Railroad Peril.
The coming of the steam railroad
to this city in 1885 added another
peril to an already dangerous condi-
ton, and since that time it is quite
safe to say, Washington has lost
as many people in wrecks, grade
crossings and in other ways through
the operation here of the iron horse
as 1t has lost in all the Nation
wars in which it had part.
1t is also quite probable that dur
ing the period when the horse was
king there were as many lives lost
in Washington. according to popu-
lation and the number of horses
then in use, as there are automobile
fatalities today. Just how many
horses there were in this city back
in 1879 the writer is unable to say
but there must have been a great