The San Francisco call., 1896-03-01

mer or saw or file in hand, at his work
bench in the tankhouse back of his home
on Channel street.
His latest invention is an i'm proved gas
oline engine for his private launch, the
Hazel. Governor Budd is an enthusiastic
duck hunter, and when the press of other
duties permits he steals away to the tule
land in the Hazel, with one or two other
crack duck shots. But the Governor, be-
ing an enthusiast and prodigal of energy
in all undertakings, is also nervous at
times. He did not like the everlasting
thump, thump, thump, and psist, psist
psist of that gasoline engine-the one that
formerly propelled DR.. Cross's launch be-
fore it was burned. The thump and the
psist also disturbed the even humor of
the canyasbacks and teals and often made
them fly away to other marshes beyond
the reach of bullets from the Hazel
hunters. This caused extra trouble, the
launching ofskffs and long pulls through
the narrow, winding sloughs that pene-
trate beyond the high tules. 1t also
awakened the Governors inventive facul-
ties. Since the day he sailed toy boats in
the washtub James H. Budd has evinced
genius for mechanical work, and all
through his busy career he has never
entirely permitted his palms to become
unfamiliar with mechanical tools. At his
residence on Channel street he has very
complete workshop or laboratory on the
lower floor of the tankhouse. So when he
began thinking about the unpleasant
noises made by the Hazel's engine it was
a natural sequence for his ever-active
brain to set to work to seek a rene dy for
the defect. And when the voyage was
over the engine was taken out and carted
up to the tankhouse.
Since then all the hours and half hours
that Governor Budd has been able to steal
frcm the cares of state and the pressure of
office-seeking politicians have been spent
in removing the thump and the psist from
that gasoline engine.
He has not been unaided in his mechan-
icat work. Dennis Malone and Nick But
ler, fellow-members of the Stockton Ath-
letic Association, of which the Governors
brother is president, by the way, have
shared his labors. Both Butler and Malone
are crack duck shots, and know also a
whole lot about practical mechanical work.
Governor Budd has done most of the
theorizing and as much of the actual ham,
mer and file labor as time would permit,
while his two willing and capable assist,
ants have put in some heavy licks with the
tools, and have, in measure, acted as
balance wheel to Budd's higher flights of
inventive genius. In other words, they
told him this or that idea was feasible or
BILE. as the case might be.
And the end of it all has been that the
Objectionable noises have been removed
from the gasoline engine. And not this
alone, but its speed has been materially
increased. Both Malone and Butler de-
clare that the Improvements are out and
out inventions of Budd. and the Govern
or's friends--or rather the very few of them
shop in the tankhonse-are urging him to
have his improvements patented before
their technique is made public.
But the Governor declares he is much
too busy to go into that end of the enter.
prise. 1t is merely matter of mental re-
Taxation for him. and the pleasures de-
rived from stealing upon the ducks of tule
land unawares and sailing in a swift,
moving nolseless craft repay him amply
for the energy and gray matter exhausted
in the work.
At present the Hazel is on the ways in
Governor Budd's private boathouse on
McLeods Lake. opposite the Stockton
Athletic Associations boathouse. The
new engine is about ready to be placed in
her, and within few weeks this will be
crew will be off for cruise. Tests that