The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-28
Pegler's Pegs

A writing man feels certain self consciousness approaching the subject Journalist or novelist. We read a short fiction story of his which we thought was the worlds worst. not even barring the earlier works of Babe Ruth to which we plead guilty. But we wouldn't care to say so because Tilden might lay it all to professional jealousy.
 A man who has made most of his mil lion and who has been able to sit back and take a calm slant at celebrities in their true proportion after a long ca reer along them, remarked recently that you have to consider celebrities at their own various games in order to appre- ciate them most. He thought Walter Hagen a magnificent golfer but a tire some conversationalist. He said he didn't give hang what sort of actor Jack Dempsey might be. He only knew and appreciated him as a great prize fighter. He had not been much taken with One-Eyed Connolly in brief meeting at one of the fight camps but as a gate-crasher he thought One Eyed belonged among the truly greats of his generation.
 A typewriter virtuoso is likely to e think that as an author, William T. Ttlden is the worlds greatesttennis player. It's logical. If tennis pro- f1ciency automatically confers the knack
 
 a good freight-hopper like Connolly; a good fighter like Dempsey, or a good artist like Coles Phillips. But these athletes are always picking on two helpless arts, the mimic art and the art or letters. Dempsey writes and acts; so does Ruth. Tilden writes and is said to be contemplating the movies as a career, all because he can play tennis. Some day an actor is going to break into baseball. And it wouldn't be sur prising either, to see George Bernard Shaw step out on the court and give Tnden beating at his own game.
 Well. friends" begins a letter from Los Angeles, q thought I would drop you q few lines to tell you how I am ~.r&dfng the rods 400 miles from here to pan Erancisco in dress suit to crash Into a swell movie racket. I have neven been in one of these suits before ana see it is going to take Houdini 70 crash into the shirt alone which is Ike the straight-jacket I saw on a dee- tey Tn the Jail in a nick town up in Canada last summer when was on my way from Shelby after the fight"
 Anyof9e who has even been favored with thpse occasional Merry Christ mas; wish you were here" cards from pne-Eyeh hConnelly, will have recognized ms styieY after reading this far.
 After the Dempsey -Firpo thing I was on nay way again and I been here Tor quitel awhile now" the letter pro- ceeds.N, 'SI've crashed everything but the pearlY gates and I'm going to make a a grand running smash at them when 3, time Scomes because the kind of a
 avn, am always hustling and
 ny best as Jack Dempsey told
 oh one day at Saratoga. But
 k by these gates at the movie
 e got bunions on my skull
 ting into those gates but I'll
 ct. Say, if they give Valen-
 at jack for being so pretty, I
 get as much to be the ugliest
 thu world and he gets in the
 .4g tih-types but you'se seen him, ends, and you've seen me, and what you think? Can't I out-ugly Bull ontana?
 These movie press-agents tell me if ride the rods in society harness from here to Frisco for their big party on the 18th of January. I'll get lot of publicity and I'm sure to get a job as a comedian. Well, as Dempsey says, I'm always trying so I'm going to do 1t, and I don't mean perhaps.
 Well, I guess I am taking up too much of your time so I guess I will so out and touch up a friend for some eating money.
 Yours sincerely,
 "ONE-EYED CONNELIY"