The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-08-20
SWIM MIN
HOLE HIS
TRYST
BY Gene Tunney
Retaked Undefeated Worlds Heavy.
weight Champion
tccpyriRht. 1923. by King Features
Syndicate, Incl

UM0GtGAtG0
weight Champion
tccpyright. 1923, by King Features
Syndicate, Inc.)
EN- ROUTE TO IRELAND,
ABOARD THE S. S. MAURE-
TANIA, Aug. 90 am told it
is unusual for person to sit
down at the age of 30 to
write his autobiography.
AS q rule, this work is reserved
for the last score of ones allotted
three score years and ten. At that
time. there is a melIowness to ones
viewpoint as he gazes back over
the years of his life and sets his
mind and memory to work. 1t is
with some effort that he recalls his
infancy, boyhood, youth.
Incidents that were deeply i'm
pressed upon his memory nasn
across his mind School days are
lived again; family, friends. locall-
ties. all are reconstructed in his
minds eye to furnish him the facts
OF his life.
Later years lived in the workaday
7
They are still fresh in his memory.
At last he has his story completed
his iife's work is fittingly epilOgued.
He In through and sits back with
complacent self.sa tiSfaction to OBJ
serve the world pass by.
In my own case it is differ
ent. With less than half my
allotted time behind me ! am
requested to sum up the story
OF my life. 1t Is easy to do
this. There is mo- haze Of time
hiding the years. i am still
close to the bOyhO1d scenes OF
Greenwich Village days.
AT the ringside in my last fight
with Tom Heeney were two boy
hood pals-Jimmy Eagleton and
Arthur O'Connor-who always spent
d few weeks in my camp before
each OF the big fights. DIR. Robert
Shea. my personal physician. who
examined me preceding my three
championship BOUTS Is another
neighborhood boy.
But it is not only contact with old
friends that maintains memories OF
early days prior to the war. 1t is
the fact that these days were lived
but short time ago.
1t seems like yesterday that we
were racing up the street from the
Hudson River piers. clutching an
arn1fuI OF clothing with rotund
cops on our heels. The young chap
speaking from the tail-end of
wagon, eIoouently exhorting the
group OF villagers to vote for his
dad now is the Mayor of New York
City.
In front OF His H0nOr's present
residence in Greenwich Village
Is a modern playground replac-'
ing an old cemetery that served
the same purpose only few
years ago.
The pubic school where we spent
several wears. tae academy where
high school years were passed, the
Boys' Club with weekly dues of two
cents: the gymnasium that was the
rendezvous of all TIE lads in their
snare time and where / first put on
boxing gloves. the library that Of
fered books to take us to new scenes
and adventures never experienced
by city kids-these landmarks are
though the old residents have moved
I to make room for the Bohemian in
yasion OF tea shops, antique furni-
ture stores. cafes. restaurants, dance
halls and artists studios.
As in the lives OF the people of the
Village 40 is the physical appearance,
II was the World War that brought
chahges. Young men were uprooted
from their little sphere and carried
to distant camps and countries.
Few went back to the old scenes and
their former occupations.
And It was the war that took me
away from a shipping clerks desk
At SIS a week salary and launched
me on the career that took ten years
OF my life, ending last month with
my retirement from the ring as
undefeated heavyweight champion.
But that retirement was from
the boxing ring only 1 have
no intention Of ending my Iife'S
work at the age OF thirty. Other
desires, other fields I expect to
fulfill aud explore. What they
shall be depends upon many
things.
AAONONOat Il happy ~ buNC WIN
the full lsurels of the profession l
entered. / have no cause for com
plant against the game that gave
me fame and what might he called
a fortune. What | set out 10 do it
was my good fortune to accomplish.
! gave boxing all NJ energy and time
end faithful devotion. ! studied il
and planned my bouts and kept my
self fit SO Az to win the champion.
ship and hold it.
Now that all the thrills are ex-
hausted, now that nothing new is
presented, it appeals to me no
longer.
/ am looking forward not to lels
ure, which is devastating to one 3
life, but to fresh endeaVors. hop.
ing to succeed with them aided by
the wisdom and experience gained
In professional sport that has taken
it, place side by side with other
professions and occupations.
Chapter Of my Trme Life
story" will appear In this space on
WaAaaNAavl