Evening star., 1926-09-27

since they had much to do with tn
what was there nodded there has !
strangeSt and finest character that
ing eminenCe.
Here. under the guidance OF Ia
an "ath etc OF Christ; oi Brother
others. were incuicated the princi1
that must be part OF Tunneys char
Faith. as much as a fire physical
Inheritance. had to do with the win
ming Of the title from Jack Dempsey.
II was this faith. hacked b" the in
spiration of the spiritual teachings
of these days of youth, cemented by
the sincere friendship of those who
have lived with and known Gene as
boy. youth and man. and expressed
in the prayers that We're said for him
all last week in the school where he
had his first education that sent Gene
-Tunney into the ring with d smile
last Thursday night
just Natural Boy.
Talking with the boys who played
with Gene on the sidewalks OF New
York in the Greenwich Village sec.
tion. where he was born on May %,
-1S9s. and,the boys who went TO school
with him. and many of those boys
are now very successful and intiu
Gene wasn't much different from any
others in the early stages of puerilitN
He liked to swim off the dock at
the foot of West Tenth street play
base ball on the farm" as the wide
.Cemented stretch approaching the
White Star line was anonymously
known, and also race and SCuff1e along
the line Of sta bleS which Greenwich
Villagers for some none too apparent
-l,,Il Ay,I
for no other reasons, so far as can he
discovered. except that maybe he
could run little faster and was
little stronger than the rest of the
gang, he was something of leader
Somewhere around his 18th or 18th
wear the harum- -scarum quality WAS
lest. sonnet hing came over the tall.
big bonnd hoy that marked him with
dignity that. white unobtrusve. vet
marked him ont above most of his
boy flicnds Whether il was the germ
Of dovoutuess inspired by the re
ligious teachings of his mother. or
tho influence Of some teacher of the
Christian Brothers. Gene. nickname
fastened on him when little more than
a todder and which has clung to him
oyer since became more than usually
earnest and thoughtful for hoy.
Deep Religious Strain.
lie took great interest in the various
school activities and was usually one
OF the committee Of ARA ngement in
..the entertainments and exercises.
There was urdoubtedly Il stage in
those early dayS when the question
. came to him as to whether he was
,destiued for priest thood. and a humble
..sincerity made him doubt such uualiti-
sca tions. One of his sisters is nun.
'and another sister. it is said, is about
10 give her life to the church. There
is a deep religious strain here from
,the maternal side. though tho father
4 Of Gene. who died about three years
'aso and who worked on the docks
not far from his home. enjoyed the
, high respect of his Greenwich VII
[. ..lace neighhors.
. Contrary to most of those who have
successfully aspired to pugilistic
prominence. and in view Of the ease
.with which scrap could he picked
in tho neighborhood. Gene had hut
little experience in street fighting.
They say there was something always
about the boy that impressed the fact
that he was not one to he imposed on
or trif'ed with He was more than
ordinarily we'll built. though his
slender. rangy frame gave little lndi-
cation Of filing out as powerfully ds
II has in tho last year or two.
II don't ever recall" said Bill Shea.
brother of the Dr. Shea who treated
Genes sore lip 50 successfully for
the Dempsey fight. and one of the
boys that lived on the same street.
that Gene As a hoy ever had to do
much lighting Even the boys from
some of the tough neighborhood gangs
made it a point to steer clear of pick
ing on Gene or his friends.
Not Trouble Seeker.
Gene never looked for trouble. but
he was certainly ready for II when
II came his way He was always
handy with his mitts. as Capt Foster
will testify. for Gene had tho gloves on
often enough with the boys around
the fire house. He was always ready
ror = bit of sparrius and a bit too good
in that line for us. He was certainly
The handiost kid with his mittS among
the members Of the Perry Athletic
Club, 10 which most of the boys of our
street belonged. And vet. | don't
think any Of us then pictured him as
becoming a professional boxer"
In fact. running. rather than boxing.
seems to have been his favoritc form
of athletics as high school lad. For
following his graduation from st.
NeroniCa's School. ami during his
attendance at De LA Sale Academy.
he went i'm quite Strenuously for
marathon running and he has quite
a few medals still in his possession
as souvenirs of the effect of tho craze
aroused hy the victory of little Johnny
Hayes in n neVer-tu- he forgotten
Olympic classic.
In short Gene Tunrey as a hoy
was lust such hoy as would enjoy
the friendship of his playmates. the
liking of the naiehhors who watched
his growing youth, the respect and
interest of his mentors and the hope
and pride of his parents. His boy
hood save promise of the good citizen
rather than any hint of the famous
athlete