Page:The fastest bicycle rider in the world - 1928 - Taylor.djvu/97



On July 2, 1899, I participated in one of the greatest match races of my career when I defeated my old rival Tom Butler in straight heats on the Charles River Park track, Boston, for a purse of $1,000. Coming three weeks after his defeat of me on the Westboro, Massachusetts track for a purse that aggregated $500, this victory was especially pleasing to me. I felt that the fact that I was obliged to ride a wheel with a big gear brought about my downfall at Westboro,

as it was impossible for me to jump as fast as Butler on the four-lap dirt track there. An accident to my 92-inch sprint wheel caused me to shift to the big gear at the last moment.

My match race with Tom Butler at the Boston track was the feature of the L. A. W. meet on that occasion. It was arranged that we would ride one-mile heats, the winner of two of them to have the purse of $1,000. I won the first two heats but had to ride the second one over again as the spectators were not educated to the French method of riding the unpaced mile heat, and insisted that the second heat be re-run. I readily consented to do this and the newspaper men