Evening star., 1935-08-04
Gore. SchalI and Dunn
Amazingly in Touch
With Affairs.
Oklahoma Senator First
to Come to Capital.
Accidents Similar tO2.

OENENiEVE FORBES HERRICK.
Ihere are today three blind men in
congress; Two in the Senate, Thomas
Gore' Oklahoma. Democrat, and
inomas D. Schall, Minnesota, Re-
puolcan; one in the House, Matthew
Dunn, Democrat, from the thirty
fourth district, Pennsylvania.
Iney have been elected and re-
elected' proving, apparently, that it is
more important for public officer to
see eye-to-eye, politically, with his
constituents, than for him to see the
color OF the tie the voter is wearing,
To all three who are Obliged to do
their Jobs in physical darkness, the
nattle has become so commonplace
tnat they are honestly a little be-
wlldered when you first go to them
and ask:
Mr.. Congressman. how do you get
culties?" ~
To them it isn't a romance It's a
routine. They knew exactly how many
steps from the doors of their offices
10 the elevator; in case their secre-
taries happen to be too busy to guide
tnem down the corridor to the ele-
lvator. They know precisely the num-
Der OF steps from the door of the
cloak room to their seats on the floor;
IN case the pages are not at hand
when they come in. Above all, they
nave amazing memories.
Gore Elected in 1907.
OF the three, Tom Gore blazed the
trail in the dark. He first came to
the Senate in 1907, has been coming
continuously since then, save for
break from 1921 to 1890.
When he was a youngster of 8. a
STICK struck him in the right eye. He
lost the sight of the eye. Tough for
little fellow; but then, he had the
use of his other eye. Three years
later, lad Of II, he saved up some
pennies. bought a bow and arrow for
birthday present for his younger
brother. He started to show the little
boy how to work it. The arrow flew
out OF the bow; struck his left eye.
He went blind.
He studied law with difficulty and
distinction. He met and married
Nina Kay, who has been, very liter
ally, the light of his life.. She reads
to him, everlastingly. She walks
with him. She goes with him to
concerts. She's down at his office
much of the time.
Tom Gore is noted for his memory,
In a committee hearing he will pop
out with some question, based on
bit OF obscure testimony given IN a
former hearing. maybe months before.
He's a wizard for knowing facts and
figures.
He listens with a pencil and a pad
of paper. AS his colleagues take
note, he scribbles little HE. o3lyphics.
They don't mean anything. to the
observer. But, as he scribbies, he
fixes the testimony, almost eternal.y,
in his mind. Every now and then he
seems to feel that the piece Of paper
II filled with scratches. Then he'll
crumple it up, toss it aside, start on
fresh sheet of paper.
When he makes a speech in the
Senate he always holds a piece of
paper, folded, In his hand; seems to
glance down at it now and then.
Often. In the course of a speech, he
wants to refer, word for word, to
some statement or document. He
pauses, remarks quietly:
Il shall ask the reading clerk to
read what I have just sent to the
desk"
The clerk reads the passage. At
its conclusion Senator Gore takes
up the thread of the discussion, and
goes on.
He is IS and his hair is snow
white. He ami his cane are easily
recognizable. When he feels his way
not falteringly by any means, into a
committee room, fellow Senator is
instantly at his side to guide him,
almost imperceptibly, to his seat.
Usually, however. young man from
his Office accompanies him.
Sightless Eyes Penetrating.
Ironically, enough, one of the first
things you would notice about Tom
Schall, Minnesota's blind Senator, is
the penetration of his eyes. You'd
swear he was looking intently at you.
But he hasn't seen a thing for 26
years. Before that, for the first 80
years Of his life, he had perfect vision.
He climbed from the poverty of a
tiny cabin to the prestige of a promi-
nent lawyer up in Minnesota. One
day. in 1908, he bought cigar, stop
ped at the counter to light it. The
electric lighter, intended for a six-volt
battery, had that morning been care
lessly connected with the city power
plant-voltage 220.
There was an explosion. It took
Mr.. Schall IL months of agony to
realize that he was permanently blind.
When he realized it, he picked up the
pieces Of his life; set about making
new life. He continued with his
practice of law, went into politics,
served five terms In Washington, in
the House, and was elected to the
Senate in 1924, reelected in 1880.
For years, Senator Schall placed his
1alth and, indeed, his safety and very
life in the hands (if that isn't mixed
metaphor) of his famous German
shepherd dog. The dog, with pedi-
gree block long, had an official name
Arthur Won Lanshorz. But to his
master he was Lux (Which is Latin for
"llght'1. He justified his name.
Equipped with a special harness,
Lux would escort the Senator across
crowded streets in Washington. Would
convoy him safely up the stairs of the
Capitol Would make the proper
turns in the corridors. More than
that-f MIR. Schall gave the command
barber shop" Lux would lead his
master to the cubbyhole in the base
ment OF the Senate where the barber
Snop is located.
In March, 1888, Senator Schan was
appointed member of the Senate
committee to accompany the body Of
the late Senator Walsh out to Mon
tana. He thought it unwise to take
Lux. The dog never before had been
separated SO long from his master.
He refused to eat. He wouldn't touch
water. In five days he died. Mr..
Schall was convinced he had died Of
broken heart.
Tribute Paid In Senate.