The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-09-03
THE STREAT0R sCRAPPER.
Billy Meyer Given an Enthusiastic Sendoff
from Friends In Chicago.

Billy Meyer Given an Enthusiastic Sendoff
from Friends in Chicago.
Especial to THE HERALD-Examiner Dispatch. |
CHICAGO, Sept 2.-Billy Meyer passed
through Chicago yesterday on his way to
New Orleans. The little cyclone from
Streator looked like farm band when he
jumped of the Santa Fe train at IL O'Clock.
Few people knew that he was coming at
that hour and the usual crowd at the depot
did not recognize the sunburned boy with
the brown SLOUGH hat and rusty suit
of clothes. Leaving his trainers down
town Billy buttoned his coat over the red
and black sweater and logged out on Wa
bash avenue to Twenty-sixth street
where ALI Kennedy lives. This two-mile
spin was just to timber him up and take
railroad cramps out of his legs. He had
intended TO work little when he got there,
but was feeling somewhat tired as the re-
suit of his ride from StreRtor. SO he curled
himself mp on lounge aud took nap.
While he was doing this ALT Kennedy, his
hacker: Frank Hoxie, the trainer; John
nyn Eckherdt and Eddie d" and Sam
Myer were down town answering all sorts
of questions put By anxious sports.
The Kennedy and Myer bar, on Clark
VI
men and betting men,
FIGHT TALK FILLED THE AIR,
and a great many bottles Of champagne
were opened to the success of the Illinois
boy.
Myers friends were as modest as they
have been all the time. They said Billy
had trained well, was in good weight, car
ried sound stomach and would make the
fight of his life. Perhaps ne would win,
perhaps not.
Shortly after / o'clock the fighter ar
rived and was smuggled into back room,
where only q chosen few were admitted to
talk to him. A little later Niger and Ken
ned7 broke away from the crowd and went
20 ( g train, where they superintendent the
con, letion of the arrangements for the
trip TO the Crescent city. The punching bag
was placed in position and buckets, sponges
and orher paraphernniis were broughtin and
by that time big crowd had collected out
side, and when the young pugilist, with his
brothers, Kennedy, Hoxie and Eckhsrdt,
started for the special car there was q
rush ans jam, and twenty men paved over
each other 10 shake hands with him. and
good luck TO you, Billy" When he es
capped to the stateroom of his private car,
the. eEyla,'' Myer had chance 10 sit down
and talk. He has greatly changed since he
left Chicago. When he left for Sireator
he was chunky and pale, and had rolls of
fat about his jaws. Today he is brown
and gaunt and wiry. His hands were soft
TO the grasp, but when he clenched his
fsts The tanned knuckles stood out like
knobs Of steel. When he boarded the train
he weighed 1878 pounds and was feeling
first rate. This time he viii take no
chances with the treacnerous sstomach
which lost him the fight with Andy Bowen.
His brothers puts whole carload Of
ssmorHER's cooKrNep
on che special car. Bottled beef tea. fresh
eggs, stale bread, broiled chicken and
weak tea, Nil prepared by Mrs. Myer.
There will be no change of diet on the
trip.
ssOnce in while my stomach goes back
on me little" said the fighter, ''but 1t has
been all right for three or four days, and ]
expect no trouble With Il. No, don't
20 New Orleans, for expect to work the
bag this afternoon, and then be rubbed
down They have no tub aboard.
bucket and sponge will do me- Even IL
should 60 pound or SO above l3S 1t will be
no trou Die 10 come down &c that weight by
the time go into the ring Tuesday even
ine.r
when asked if be anticipated az long and
hard fight SIS he had with McAuliffs at
North Jndson. Ind, Myer laughed and
said
mo, this will not be a sixty-round draw.
you may depend upon that; at least. don't
think il wiil'' and he looked at Aft Ken
nedy, who sat in the next seat wearing q
confident smile under his new yachting
cap If Myer were not habitually modest
the conservative way In which he and his
friends talk might suggest something
faulty in his condition, but as one Of the
sporting men in the special car said Myer
is always nervous and apprehensive until
be gets in the ring. Then he takes chew
Of gum and starts in az cool as a cucumber.
He talked just this way before he fought
Harry Gilmore, but the fight lasted only
Is enty eight seconds.
Myer admitted that half OF the people
and ali OF the money from Streator would
he at New Orleans to back him up. He
was irife worried over the report
that the Olympic club members, having
backed McAulifIe to some extent, might
overlook some Of the tricks and fouls for
which McAuliffe is noted
II don't like the idea Of fighting man
I the home OF his hackers, y said ne, nbut