Bicyclist James G. Budd — Making his mark

Glens Falls bicyclist James G. Budd was making his mark on the racing circuit in the summer of 1894.

“James G. Budd is home in Glens Falls to spend the Fourth. At the meet of the Albany wheelmen on Wednesday he secured fourth place in the mile open and third place in the mile handicap class A, winning his preliminary heats in both events,” The Morning Star of Glens Falls reported on June 29. “He will ride an exhibition mile at the race (in Glens Falls) on the old fairgrounds next Monday evening.”

In other 1894 James G. Budd news collected from historic newspapers of the region:

• It was a lot harder to decide challenges in the decades before instant replay.

Budd was initially the declared winner of a one-mile open race at the Watertown Cyclist Club championships on July 4th, 1894, but the result was challenged.

“A protest was entered, however, and the referees gave the race to Harry Lamon, who claimed that Budd had fouled him to pass on the inside, when the rules require that he should pass on the outside,” The Morning Star of Glens Falls reported on July 7. “But Budd has four witnesses who claim that Lamon was unable to pass or even catch up with him.”

Budd’s associated filed a counter challenge.

The league Racing Board was to decide the matter in the coming days.

The coming days stretched into the coming months.

The board ruled that Budd won the race, The Morning Star reported on Nov. 15.

• James Budd, propelled by “flaming start,” broke the course record in the half-mile open race at Mechanicville on Aug. 17, 1894.

He also won the one-mile open race, but he failed to finish in the one-mile handicap.

“Budd, of Glens Falls, started on the scratch, and was second when he met with an accident and fell from his wheel,” The Morning Star reported the next day.

• James G. Budd won the first prize of a gold watch in the mile open event at the Saratoga Wheelman’s meet Aug. 28 at the Woodlawn Oval, The Morning Star reported the next day.

Budd won the first heat of the mile handicap event, but he dropped out of race after injuring his knee in the second heat.

• “At Greenwich Saturday, J. G. Budd won the quarter-mile open, one-mile open and the mile handicap races,” The Morning Star reported on Sept. 5. “He also broke the track record at the Brattleboro meet last Thursday morning.”
• J.G. Budd did some good wheeling at Binghamton on Thursday when he outrode Jenney and Monte Scott in the quarter-mile open race. He won in thirty-two seconds,” The Morning Star reported on Sept. 10.
• It was almost a record.

“At the (Glens Falls) race track yesterday afternoon, J.G. Budd rode a quarter of a mile on a bicycle, un-paced, in 27.45 seconds,” The Morning Star reported on Sept, 10. “This is but one-fifth of a second slower than the championship record of Frank Allen, of Springfield, Mass. Two weeks ago. Budd was timed by several horsemen at the track, and his operations were watched by Ernest Miller, Lewis Austin, Paul Rubens, George Eddy, John Tillotson and others.”

• Budd suffered a season-ending injury at the Washington County Fair in September.

“James G. Budd, one of the contestants in mile handicap race, was the victim of a severe mishap, which will in all probability prevent him from starting in any more races this season,” The Morning Star reported on Sept. 13. “Budd started out at scratch, and just before reaching the quarter pole closed in on the other wheelmen, who were in a bunch.”

One racer’s wheel collided with another, and the collision led to a five-bike pile up.

Budd sustained a fracture of the collar bone and severe bruises.

“J. G. Budd, who had his collar bone broken in a bicycle race at Washington County Fair last week, was on the streets yesterday,” The Morning Star reported on Sept. 18, 1894. The fractured bone is knitting rapidly, but Mr. Budd thinks he will be unable to compete in any races this fall.”

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