Evening star., 1941-10-18

he was beCom- Henry McLemore,
ing one of the best known eve
physicians in the South, q As slug
from an accidentally discharged
pistol tore through his head, COM
pletely destroying his sight. Nov,
as Director of Sight Conservation
. Service for the Tennessee State
Health Department, an ironic tWla..
which he readily admits. he travcl
the State in the interest of better
eyesight.
I met him here at the annua
Turtle Derby staged by the Chatta-
noOga Lions Club to raise funds t0r
sight conservation among the under
privileged. Dr.. Colon asked me TO
come to his hotel room and mCCD
his dearest friend, Adolf, and he
one responsible for lifting from h.
heart the two great crosses the
blind must bear-pity and helpless
ness.
7 went to the room and Adolf
. answered my knock az The door 4
magnificent German shepherd cog.
wearing the harness Of the Seeing
. Eye School Of MorristoWn, y. J, he
4 led me across the room to his master.
waited until I was seated and then
curled quietly at the doctors fee.
Good boy, Adolf, good boy" the
doctor said, and never IL any mans
voice have I heard as much afec-
ton and respect as the doctor put
into those Good boys"
Dr.. Colon told me about Adolf
and the Seeing Eye School.
For three years after my acc.-
dent, the young man said, pulling
/ on a cigarette. and leaning comfort
ably back in his chair, For three
years there was no light in this
world for me, and don't mean the
kind Of light YOU see. 7 mean the
light Of hope. There just wasn't aLg..
Then last July went 10 NorrlstoWn
and met Adolf. Didn't meet him
right away. For a week or more the
. teachers at the school watched mo.
studied me, TO learn what kind Of
dog would be best suited TO M
personality
From the floor Adolf ears cooked
listened as if he understood every
word.
Then one day they put me in a
big room alone and gave me a big
/ piece of meat. Then Adolf came In.
there were just the two OF us.
could hear him padding about the
room. shifting. Finally he came to
me and, as he took the meat from
my hand, 7 slipped a leash on him
and Adolf was mine Weren't YOU
big fellow? From that moment he
has never left my side. We stayeo
weeks together at MOrr.stOVn. be-
coming friends and learning how to
work with one another. Then Ue
came back TO Nashville and with
Adolf TO lead me, became an tnde-
pendent man"
Later I walked the streets O.
Chattanooga with Adolf and Dr.
/ COLON and watched their amazing
partnership. The two of them moved
along the busy sidewalks and acros~
the busting streets at a pace tha.
left me breathless.
Adolf walks at about six mile,
an hour" the doctor explained
Most Of the dogs walk at four mile
an hour but at MorristoWn the
teachers found out that when walk
I like to get there with little or no
dawdling on the way Adolf is the
same way. So they gave me him.
and the two of us waste little time"
Adolf strode on the doctors left,
close to him. He led him around
clusters of people, deftly maneuvered
him around any and all obstacles.
Nearing a curb Adolf would come to
a halt, the signal for the doctor to
feel forward with his foot and de-
termine the step he must take. When
they approached an alleyway Adolf
would pause and look up the alley
to determine if it were safe.
They were at their best crossing
streets where the traffic made II
difficult even for the seeing. By
/ sound the doctor knew when the
lights had changed to green.
! Forward, Adolf" he would call.
and gripping the dogs harness, start
across the street. If the street were
clear, Adolf would respond and move
/ forward If not. he would exercise
what his master called cautious dis
obedience" and refuse to bulge
More than once. when a care
less driver has tried to beat the light
after it had turned" the doctor said.
Adolf has pushed me back to safett
by raising up and placing his paws
on my chest"
Adolf recognizes three command
of rebuke from his master. One
the mildest, is mo, no" The neXt
is a fairly sharp Quit it" The
third, the one he seldom hears. but
which makes him whimper and
cringe in shame is, of all things
"Phooey." Let the doctor say that =
to Adolf and his day is ruined be-
cause he knows he has displea SEQ -
the man who trusts and depends
on him.
But you haven't heard that one
more than three or four times since
we've been together, have you, boy?"
left them at a busy corner.
I left them without one bit of
feeling that I should go along and
offer to help the doctor.
.