Evening star., 1934-01-26

~ OIL. NORRIS S. FRANK, to-
tally blind. of Nashville. Tenn,
was in Chicago on business
~ some months ago, accompanied
only by his German shepherd
dog. Buddy Fortunate Fields.
He had gone to his room on one OF
the upper floors Of his hotel to dress
for the elevator to join friends waiting
in the lobby below. They progressed
down the corridor which had become
familiar. when Buddy suddenly stopped.
Forward" Col Frank commanded.
Buddy stiffened. but refused to move.
Col Frank repeated the command.
Buddy pulled against his harness and
deliberately sat down.
His blind master was mystified at
Buddy's stubbornness for she was a
highly trained animal. educated at
Vevey, Switzerland, where he had OBJ
tanned her after a month of training
in the Seeing Eye, school for dogs
that become the aides of blind men.
Col Frank pulled and tugged, then
wheedled and coaXed. but Buddy re-
fused to move. She refused even to M
disturbed, for not a sound did -
utter. u Etse
'' Saved From Death. ~
It was several minutes before Cols
Frank got his explanation for Buddy's
untoward action. He heard a gasp.
then a shout. A hotel attendant had
walked into the hall and found directly
in front of Col. Frank and Buddy the
elevator shaft with the door wide open.
Some careless elevator operator had
left the death trap unguarded. Buddy,
trained to obey. was also trained to
make decisions and in this case. with
out whimpering or whining, tolerated
her masters temper to protect him. :
Mrs. Harrison Eustis. president Of
The Seeing Eye. Inc, of Morristown.
N. j., repeated this story today as one
of the most spectacular cases to illus
trate the wisdom and perfect training
of the German shepherds educated by
that institution to make blind men in
dependent in spite of their handicap.
Mrs Eustis came to Washington at
the invitation of Mrs. Chester Bolton
to address the Congressional Club, COM
posed of the wives of the Members of
Congress, and tell them of the work.
Ten years ago Mrs. Eustis became in
terested in the German Shepherd and
began breeding and training them at
Vevey. Switzerland She plans to sail
at once for two months in Vevey her
last trip to fortunate Fields before
returning to America ard the Seeing
Eye permanently.
Temperament Is Factor.
Educating dogs to the point at which
they can literally become the eyes Of
the blind is pains-taking task, she
explained. AS a result of years of study,
Mrs Eustis has found the female most
adaptable to become the Seeing Eye,
but once an animal of the proper tenn
permanent is found the remaining prob
lem is comparatively simple.
There are three main problems. how
ever-first. selection and education Of
suitable instructors, for the trainers are
not blind men: second, selection and
education of suitable dogs. and, third.
selection and education of those Hind
persons best suited physically and tenn
peramentally to use dog guides.
In training the dog, after it becomes
IA months old, four months are re-
quired. For month, obedience is
drilled into the animal. An instructor
with the necessary mental equipment to
assimilate dog psychology is necessary
Mrs. Eustis said, and this is the most
difficult phase of the work
The second month the dog is trained
to the use Of the harness and to become
familiar with commands The proper
handling of the harness conveys other