The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-23
REMEMBER BILLY
 INFER, THE OLD
 SEPARATOR CYCLONE ?''

Billy Myer, the s.Streator Cyclone" There's a name that will recall fond recol1ections of the vanished parts to many an old time fight fan-nen- cries of days when ssdead game sports abounded in the land, and the limit was the sky. Billy Myer, whose name is forever associated with that of Jack McAuIiffe because Of his two memorable battles with the light weight king, was born in Streator, III, fifty-five years ago today, Feb. 23, 186O- In his ring days he was known as the "streator cyclone,'' and it was a title he well deserved.
 Myer was a carpenter in his fla ther's shop in Streator in his young CT days, and he was about tw enty- threes when he fought his first ring battle. His first battle with a top notcher was in 1887, when he fought Harry Gilmore in Wisconsin and knocked him out in the fifth round Gilmore was good man and only g. few months before he had fought Jack McAu1iffe for the title at Law renee, Mass. The McAuIiffe-G Gilm ore bout was with skin tight gloves, and the champion was badly battered and almost blinded when in the twenty eighth round he landed a blow that broke Gilmore's nose and forced him to quit.
 Myers defeat of Gilmore gave him 8 national reputation, but Gilmore s packers were not satisfied, and de- manded a return match. Ali Ken nedy. a Streator magnate offered to put up $5,000 for Billy, and this was covered by Joe. Woods and Jim Black of Minneapolis. The village of North Judson was the scene of the second bout between Myer and Gilmore. Both men were liberaI1y backed and more than $25, ,000 was wagered on the re- suit It was private affair, but several old time sporting celebrities, among them George Siler, Otto F1oto, tsParson" Davies, 'tOne-Eye'' Con- nolly, and a few others. Myer knock ed Gilmore out in the first round.
 After that Myer went to Minnea- polls and whipped Danny Needham, and he was then considered ripe to fight Jack McAuliffe for the light weight title. Irish Jack accepted the challenge. The battle was staged al North Judson, and sports from all the country, as we'll as big bunch of Illinois fans, gathered for the event. The citizens and coal miners of that section of Illinois had raised 8 fund said to run into the hundreds of thousands to wager on the aCy- clone A number of the famous sports of that period were on hand ready to bet their rolls on McAu- life. Jimmy Co1ville, Dick Roche Billy West, the famous minstrel and Phil Dwyer each bet $25,00o on the Irishman. Harry Ballard, of the Chi cago Inter-Oeean. was stakeh older and he handled about $14O.0oo. Mike Mcdonald was the referee. McAu- life broke his arm, but he gamely fought through sixty-four rounds 1T order to save the money of his back. CTS. and in the end it was called : draw.
 Several hundred miners, some o, ! fE1 a115 51,<-= shots, were at the ringside, and the, constantly threatened McAunffe, sbu Jack kept to the center of the rine and escaped injury from Myer'i threatening supporters.
 After that bout Myer knocked ou
 Jack Hopper at Alexandria, Va, bu in 1890 he was himself defeated b. Andy Bowen, the New Orleans rnu latto, who was afterward killed in 1 battle with Kid Lavigne. He mad,
 a better showing in second bou with Bowen, and then knocked ou Jimmy Carroll in forty three round