26

"I had some of those and for them it must have been more than a game." see

These lines have often run through my mind, and they still do: “Only those
are fit to live who are not afraid to die." This modest, clean, genteel, and
resourceful boy, beloved by every teammate and athletic adversary with whom he
Game in contact, was held in the highest esteem by all, He was buoyant, dominant,
yet modest and selfeeffacing. How many times have I heard some of the boys after
a hot game regale some official for either fei lure to call a foul or by calling a
foul that certain players did not think just. Im the piteh of the excitement a
foreeful, kind voice would speak up and say, “I didn't think he was so bad", and
immediately the tempest of words ceased, Quiet reigned because there was great
respect for the opinion of this quiet man who spoke. It was "T*Hambone" Hunter,
as the boys affectionately called him, Om trips it was Teep who always took the
lone wolf for a roommate, Boys paired off = friendship and affection for each
other dominating the selections Any one of the men would have picked T. Ps as
a roommate, but T. Py always took the least admirable of the gang as his room
mates

One hardeheaded, two-fisted recalcitrant member of the teem on a trip .
seemed to be having difficulty. The boys liked him but little. Im fact, they
shunned him because this said consistent objector was always putting “his feet
in his mouth", He was always doing the wrong thing at the right time. He would
complain of the food, He was quarrelsome with opponents, and even derided some
of his sowcalled good friends. This hurly=burly buckaroe believed that the fist
was mightier than the intellect. By choice he had been able to fight his way
through many battles until this rough and tumble chap believed that he had solved
life's problems by resorting to fisticuffs rather than friendships made in the
higher way of life. |

I recall so well the conversation I had with T. P, regarding this chap. He
said, "Doc, this fellow isn't such a bad fellow. You know, I wouldn't want anye
thing said about it because he wouldn't like it, but I had him reading the Bible
(Gideon Bible in hotels) each night on trips." And T. Ps. continued, "Of course
he read the most exciting parts, but that wouldn't hurt him any."

tT. Pe Hunter was a great influence for good, whether on or off the athletic
field. He was always living vicariously and constructively. Wilton “Wwit" Allen
and I were speaking regarding the untimely loss of T. P. Mit, always a realist,
said spontaneously, "T. P. was too Godelike to live long in this world." And
then he recounted an interesting episode that made o deep impression upon him.

Mit said, "When Kansas played Great Lakes in '41 in the Municipal Auditorium
in Kansas City, our team of Evans, Black, Miller and so forth was not going any
too well, Creighton had defeated Great Lakes by an overwhelming score at Omaha
and we got them on the rebound. They were teking us in stride, and, Dad, you
substituted T. P. for one of your Kansas regulars, No sooner had T. Ps reported
‘than he drove in under the basket with his long, gargantuan stride with the ball
in his possession, Andreas, the great Indiana J. star a few years back, and who
also played baseball in the American Association before he entered Great Lekes,
drove in under fT. P. and to all the observers it looked like a pretty vicious
foule T. P. got one of the mastiest spills that I have seen any player get. He
got up, shook hands with his adversary, and with a smile patted him on the back.
But T. P. scored the bucket and went on to get three or four after that, to be