The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-29
PEGLER'S PEGS
THE LATE CHARLIE WHITE

In 17 years of prize fighting Char lie White had eight opportunities to attach himself to one of three world championships and yet he wound up on the floor at last In Madison Square Garden, an ex-challenger but not an ex champion. Charlie White was the most unpunctual man of his day. He was late for breakfast, late for his trains. late with his left hooks, and. save that he was never late at the box office for his money. Charlie White was consistently belated for F years Even his birthdays were said to come three or four years late in his later years. as he edged along toward the late thirties and the age limit when it would be too late for him to box any more.
 Charlie White had two items of fighting equipment. One was hls left hook to the jaw. The other was his chin. The left hook was one of the meanest implements in his class in his or any other day. The Jaw was strong enough to withstand almost anything. Even if Charlie White should have corked himself with hls own left hook it is probable that Charlie Whites jaw would have with stood the bump.
 Freddie Welsh and Benny Leonard gave Charlie White a chance at the lightweight championship, and Leon- ard was left-hooked clear out of the ring, but returned to knock him cold. Welsh outpointed him. Abe Attell gave Charlie a chance at the feather weight championship and that gives a better notion of how long Charlie was ranged among the best prize fighters. Jack Britton risked the welterweight title against him anc retained the honor because he always kept little ahead of the left hook.
 The trouble with Charlie White was tardiness. He would survey an opening for his left hook and then would sget out requisition on his de- livery department for the transmits sion of one left hook. By the time the order had gone through Charlie Whites mental red tape, the opening had closed again, and the left hook would be returned to the stock room.
 Charlie White was late in almost everything. He was latest in accept ing defeat. After IT years in the ring-he first raised his hands the year that Walter Johnson went to the Washington ball club as a speed ball recruit-Charlie White. floored many times by Pat Moran, helpless. half conscious. was only beginning
  the club physician ordered that the fight and his career be brought to a finish.
 It is so many years since Columbia university amounted to anything at all in football that persons beyond the immediate influence of New York may wonder at all the mention of this team in the fall of 1923. The req son is that Columbia. once great, more recently awful. at football. is testing to see whether a great coach makes a great football team or vice versa.
 Columbia nas a tremendous student body, but college spirit has been about as lively as the affections Of an old maids hired escort in recent years. Columbia's schedule was made up of minor teams from schools hay ing nowhere near as many students. and even under those conditions. Co., lumbia managed to lose plenty of games. Some said the trouble was with the coaching. Others thought that the football spirit had quite ex- pired during the years when football was not at all at Columbia. Still | others thought the students weren't giving the team enough moral sup port Probably all these factors wefe to blame.