[nagdu] More On the Senator And His Guide Dog (pre-Buddy)

Buddy Brannan buddy at brannan.name
Sat Nov 26 03:00:20 UTC 2011


Ah. Someone found me a copy of the book I was missing, so for completeness' sake, here's the passage from it regarding the Minnesota Senator. Not much to add from Peter Putnam's account, but certainly a different slant on the matter:

     Mr. J. L. Sinykin, of St. Paul, whose hobby is fine shepherd
dogs, began to hear stories about the success of the eye dog from
his business associates on the other side.  Always a lover of
shepherd dogs, and in deep sympathy with those unfortunate souls
whose lives must be lived in shadows and total darkness, he
responded to an inner sense of duty toward these fellow creatures
and a desire to do something that would make it possible for the
blind of America to have the advantage of such dogs.  After
considerable difficulty he succeeded in getting two of these dogs
out of Germany and into the United States.
     He placed Lux, the first dog to reach here, with his friend,
Senator Thomas D. Schall of Minneapolis, and instructed him in
how to use Lux.  The Senator was eager to gain the freedom and
the degree of privacy from human guardianship he had been
promised, and quickly learned to be guided over familiar ground,
attending to business and chatting with friends in shops along
the way.  He soon learned to extend his territory in his home
town and to make new friends and enjoy some of the things long
since denied him.  Permits were obtained by the Senator to have
Lux with him in his stateroom on board pullmans and airship lines
when traveling to and from Minneapolis and Washington, D. C. Lux
remained by the Senator's side in his office, and guided him
about the Senate building and streets of Washington and was his
inseparable companion for more than six years.  The passing of
Lux is a pathetic example of the devotion of these dogs to their
masters.  Senator Schall was obliged to leave the faithful Lux
with friends for several days while he attended the funeral of
his friend, Senator Walsh, during which time Lux refused to eat
and grieved and pined for his master and died of a broken heart,
a few hours before the Senator returned.

--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY







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