Topeka Capital-Journal
September 1960

(Editor’s Note: The life and times of Dick Snider are further set out by a neighbor serving as guest writer while the columnist is in Europe with a tour sponsored by The Capital-Journal.)

By Max Kiene

When Dick asked if I would write his column for one time. While he was with the Capital-Journal Best of Europe Tour, I said, “Let me take your place on the tour and you stay home and write the column.” He replied that Mr. Stauffer had “ordered” him to go, and under those conditions he simply couldn’t accept my offer.

I told him I thought it was downright sporting of him to give me a chance to get even! (Knowing Snider, there must be a trick somewhere). He said he doubted if I would come up with anything worthy of the Pulitzer Prize. Besides, he will have the last word when he gets home.

My wife and I remarked to Barbara that it seemed a little peculiar that the guy with the largest family in the block would buy the smallest car. Barbara said, “Dick is more cunning than you realize; this way he won’t have to take the kids and me and Manfred the Wonder Dog along whenever he goes anywhere. There simply isn’t enough room in that oversized tinker toy for golf clubs, a wife, four kids and a dog.”

From my observation as next-door neighbor, it seems to me that Barbara is subject to more embarrassment than she deserves. For example, she tells of the time she and Dick checked into a hotel and just as the bellboy was leaving the room., Dick said to her, quote, what did you say your name was?” to quote a famous saying from a popular radio show of a few years ago, quote. Taint funny, McGee.”

For instance, a couple of years ago. During the basketball tournament at Kansas City, when Dick was sports editor, several of the neighborhood women were at the Snider’s house for morning coffee when one of the kids asked, quote, is daddy going to sleep here tonight?” The unasked question was, If Daddy isn’t sleeping here tonight, who is?

Recently, because Anne, Kurt and Steve kept talking about going, Amy was anxious to go to her. Aunt Peg’s wedding. Amy even had a new pair of shoes for the event and was excited about seeing her first wedding. Barbara was in the wedding party, and it was up to Dick to take the children. He said, quote. The boys and Anne, yes; but Amy, no.”

When this crisis in this Snider house arose, my wife offered to take Amy. Dick took the coward’s way out and okayed the idea, knowing Amy wouldn’t sit still that long. All went well until she saw her mother and sister in the ceremony, Then in a loud voice, “I want to talk to mommy and play with Anne.”

Barbara was further embarrassed because Dick just ignored the whole disturbance

Recently, Barbara prepared Dick’s favorite dinner and fried chicken and fresh peach pie., expecting him at about 5:30 or 6:00. He called her late in the afternoon to say he was going to play nine holes of golf, that he would be home in time for dinner. One thing must have led to another because he arrived about 9:30. The special dinner had long before been put away, so he decided to make a pizza, even though the atmosphere was rather chilly around there. He finally got the pizza made but had flour all over the kitchen, family room and dining room. Barbara had all that to clean up, too, and decided she just couldn’t win. In spite of all this, Dick is a pretty good guy, and we are glad he and Barbara are our neighbors.