Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-23
HIS mental POWER
BALANCESPHYS|CAL
Gene Is Sophisticated, but
Loves Nature and Is
Kindly and Honest.
By EDWARD ]. NEIL.
Associated Press Sports Writer

Gene Tunney - physicall
4 perfect and mentally alive Z
every bit of the world roun'
about him. season with dash o
aloofneSS. toss in whole handful c
self-confldence and belief in such
thing as a man of destiny"
Add a keen desire TO be looked upol
as q man Of intellect, clear ant
ANALYTICAL brain. wise in the ways o
the world. oftin1eS through experience
none too pleasant. mere than littl
rIenendahIe and understanding phil
osonhv. and a deep and abiding lov'
of nature. tingling open air, running
streams. green fields and wooded trails
Mix in all thoroughly with klndli'
ness and honesty of purpose often mis-
intsrprete6: freeze ii a bit with those
same neutrality-suspicious.: slice the mix
tllre croSS- erain-and any one sector
will contain most everything that vii
crop out during a normal day IN tnt
life of Gene Tunney. most extraordinary
heavyweight champion the fight racket
ever has known.
Once Pounded Typewriter.
It wasn't so many years ago that
Tunney pounded a typewriter tcr a
livelihood in the Office of an express
company That was before the World
war took him away from Greenwich
Village and across the seas TO France
In the Marine Corps.
Even closer 10 the present was the
time when the big, blue-eyeq fellow,
back from the war and eager to gam
q new foothold in the game he really
loves. dropped in occasionally on the
bows in the old Madison Square Garden,
looking for main event shot or even
a good Semi-final to start him again
"in the money.
Fight writers knew him as prince Oh
good fellows. a great guy but tney
we're not enough interested IN MN 70
probe and ind that under the oriStiy
pompadour. behind the smiling niue
eyes, was q mind already deeply inter,
ested in the works OF Shakespeare any
tbs poets. painters, philosophers ana
musicians.
Gene wasn't considered much OF a
fighter then. Bad hands caused him
Ia fight bad fights and there seemed
little probability that he ever would
reach sst;c heights. He knew In ms
hesrt that he had the markings OF
champion. that nothing could step MN
IL the chance once came. Gene Kile"
that no one else seemed 10 oother
about it.
Todav Tunney still IS a puzzle TO most
of the writer's of that day. Before tney
really knew him. Gene disappeared INTO
the Canadian woods To mend the trac-
lures in his hands by the husky laoor OF
a logging camp. There MS Dooy grew,
his confidence increased ana WEllae otheI
fighters marked time in the cities. Gene
1ssd the foundation out of doors for the
nhvsinue that lifted him 10 the tnrotie
Of ali pugilism
Brt IRE interest. it seems. always was
IN the other fellow. the chap who woulo
bring color" TO ulankinds most ancient
gr,ort-the hand-to-h hand battle OF giant
rravr, and stamina II was no Wondef,
fhei1. that the Gene Tunney VINO laced
fne invincibIe jack Dempsey that RAM
es~en~has night in PE1iladelphia. was
almost an unknown as far as his nlereai
eos,iuraut was concerned when ne burst
IN ,inon a surprised boxing worlo a.
king Of the heavywetghts.
But / hadn't changed 2 oil, oens
saws. I've always loved literature anu
the classics. never before mao VIZ
time and opportunity 70 seek L1eM ~.
as freely as / nov am abe 20. LIE t n.a
grown fuller for me, given me more OPP
,3o-t,,nities TO learn. but basically there
has been no change.
Has Time Nov and NeaItn.
Nov T,Inney has all the time ne
,re,9e ~ 20 Whatever he wants, ana
So ,veaIth 10 allow self-expression IN
env direction. He fights but once
--asr for 40 or 40 minutes. and his pay
Z. rloxe 10 a million dollars. Tnere Is
~ reed for pretense. The only snani
In MS whole day comes Wneh wei
meaning citizens invade MS privacy ~
sake the hand Of the neaFyWeigHe
champion. regardless OF WHAT slLa.
cnampion stands for otherwise. Gene
xrs1lles then. but nc doeSn mean ~ rs,
ssSrnae night" ne said. Il suppose III
mn the way of all champions. III PICK
Tnyself 10 in defeat and wander alone
n NV dressing room. / often wonder
-gno'T be there then 20 shake my nand,
VINO Of the men ! thought were friendS
vilI crowd the dressing room OF the
victor. I know. too, that many iello#
don't appreciate nov VIII DC tleEe
that night with tears IN MS eyes;
Others won't know me. Sometimes /!
think / haven't made single ir'enu
since won the title.
II was early afternoon at his training
camp at Spectator and time Tor oaliy
r0sdwork, jaunt Of dozen miles tiiat
led into the hills. around HIDDEN iaKes
End over narrow messy trails so WIG
ffst broken trees. wreckage OF oo1eIls
O. years Of mountain storms, lay fot-
ting IN his path
Takes 10 the Hills.
Head bare. clad in tight blue
sweater. gray trousers and old SHOES
Gene took 10 the Hills. He walked ea&iiy,
pressing spring grips In his hands 70
F4reugthen finger muscles. Dencln3
from side to side occasionally 70 hex
the waist. nov and then Skipping 10
ceVeiop fo3twork.
All this he did automatically. for ne
talked all the while and never missed
from around him a single bird note
the sight Ct new blossom, the scurFy-
irg Of nature that called for matt,
discussion or explanation. -,
As he climbed 70 the top Of q ma
swav In the distance doomed one Of the
taresi peaks Of the Adlr0ndAcks,
slar04ded IN a purple mist, with chunky
white clouds drifting in a halo about
IS summit The champion paused,
took deep breath and after a mo-
rneuts silence softly quoted several
lines from Coiegidge's ode 10 Mont
The sun was drifting down behind
lie hills IS ne cut back " the main
y I'd and headed into camp for husky
4 nner Of brock trout and steak, his sec
30 meal of the day
At 1890 pm. though still keen and
fresh, Gene sought his rest. On
table beside his bed vas small p1o-
1aogysph and two dozen records 81 tnf
finest symphony selections. the piIreai
&oiees. tie most exquisite melodies
science has been abie V place IN the
black discs.
The champion sits by the machine
for hours playing tbe records over anc
e9er THE collection goes eVery"ner'
that ile makes his home for few days
o. longer
0ene gaWned. climbed into bed ane
stretched his great length under Tia
covers. tucking them around his cAif
10 ward Of the chill night air 81 tn
n0unfa n6.
PLAY my favofites." he said IS h