Show WAS ALWAYS f fREADY READY FOR BATTLE I I II I filly Billy Pa kes ke's first Important battle I was fought eleven years ears ago when he hemet hemet I met Carl Anderson of Hammond Ind lad In Ina Ina I a a ten round bout at Billys Billy's ho home e town I Spring Valley Ill The Thunderbolt had taken part in several scraps before before j then but his meeting with Anderson was j practically the first one to spread his I fame abroad since It was reported in the I Chicago and New York papers It was the first professional ring battle I j in which Billy had bad taken part in his native na- na i tive bailiwick Il and all the sports of the vicinity 1 turned d out f 1 In lIfO force to ig cheer e ht their J local hero They didn't get much of a arun arun run for their coin howe however t. t as Billy put over one In the theer very er first round that sent Anderson down for tho the count of ten I Under the terms of the battle lI B Billy was to get Ret 6 63 65 per cent of the gate if It he won and he took down the handsome sum of That was considered as a magnificent cent amount for just one lick and the people of Spring Valle Valley hailed Billy BUly as a t and talked about proceedings s against him under tinder the antitrust law He was almost considered a a. malefactor of great wealth I was 20 years ears old at that time and weighed pounds In his fighting righting j togs Billys Billy's father was a German and a j I coal miner and he had to dig for himself a at t an earl n age E His principal recreation as a lad when he could spare the time I was playing baseball and his former boyhood boyhood boy boy- hood chums still talk of his prowess as a third baseman basem n and with th the bat lIe He was a pugnacious brawny chap I and willing willingto to scrap an any umpire twice his size over any decision that he didn't consider eon con on- on sider skIer correct He worked In a grocery grocer I storn storA and drove a II delivery wagon in his youth He began his ring career in 1905 and his first professional bout was with a chap called the Mexican Wonder onder who wasn't so much of a wonder after Billy B I got through with him |