St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-24
SHELTON'S OLD MARE
The Champion Washington
Territory Runner OF
Long Ago.
The Rib That Was Broken
in the Blue Racers
Youth.
A Race on Which Even Farms
Were Wagered on the
FavopiteS.
Judges Who Forgot to Look
at Their Watches in the
Excitement.
San Francisco Examiner.

San Francisco Examiner.
Col. K. B Brown leaned back against
a pillar in the Palace hotel rotunda last
night. and, settling his plug hat on the
back of his head, said: ''Well, young
fellow, | see you got our conversation
about Milton A. Sharp, the Nevada
stage robber. in last Sundays Exam
liner. You must have heard that story
before, ur you could not have remem-
bered it,
The colonel adjusted the red wooden
shirt which he wears inside his vest,
opened so as to show his expansive I'M
maculate front. and looked down ad-
miringly at the big gold nugget breast
pin which finished his outfit as a pio-
neer and fireman.
Have l ever seen much sport outside
of Nevada?'' said the colonel, echoing
the reporters question. "Well, |
should say | have. During the Fraser
river excitement was all through the
Northern country, and | tell you the
boys used to whoop it up lively up
there. Washington territory is a land
of bloods. and always has been.
"Olympia, the capital, has long been
noted for its interest in sporting affairs.
In other matters, Seattle, and even
Steilacoom, claimed equal enterprise.
Tacoma has only recently come to the
front as the rival of them all.
From 1865 to 1870, Olympia enjoyed
a big boom in horse racing, during
which time The Blue Mare was the
. favorite in all the pools.
''TrOtting races were almost unknown
in those days. Cy Mulkey expressed
the common opinion when he said: i
don't go red on them track-pounders
that go banging round the course as if
they would tear the ground up and then
don't make the mile inside of two mill
utes after ALL
THE Blue Mare was really good
animal, though nota thoroughbred. His
endurance was something remarkable,
/ have seen him win three races in a
day..
got the name, for the animal indicated
Shelton family. Some oddities of
nomenclature may be explained. but
this was riddle to which no one ever
offered a satisfactory solution.
81 once knew highly esteemed shep-
herdess dog whose name was Robert
Burns. She was the property of Dan
&. Wheeler, wealthy StOck-grOWer OF
Reno, Nevada, and only recently passed
to her reward. She was the favorte
daughter of Mr.. Wheeler's old dog
Bango, who had the reputation of being
the best sheep dog that ever crossed the
Sisliyou mountains.
THE way in which Robert Burns got
her name is readily told. She had the
misfortune to be born without a tail.
and as natural consequence was called
Bob. AS she grew in age, wisdom and
dignity it was recognized as amanifeSi
injustice that 50 good dog should have
so short name. and therefore it was
heightened to Robert.
IAN enthusiastic Scotcbman. in Mr.
Wheeler's employ, in honor both of the
dog and his favorite poet, completed the
name by adding Burns. thus making il
Robert Burns.
The Blue Mare got his name simply
from freak Of fancy Oh the part OF
his principal owner. Levi Shelton, fol
he wasn't blue, and he wasn't mare.
''The Blue Mare had won.So MANY
races that he was practically excluded
from the ordinary trials of speed, and
it was only when some new candidate
for racing honors came to the front thai
the old favOrite was given chance tc
show his qualities.
at was generally conceded that the
horse that could beat the Blue Mare
would be able to win the western hall
Washington Territory. Several horses
had been brought from Victoria TO con
tend against the home champion, but
one by one they had gone back to theil
island homes crestfallen.
"Similar fateS had befallen the racers
from Oregon. Even California had
sent her blooded representatives, anC
they, too, had met with defeat
"Charlie Granger was proprietor Of
the stage line between Olympia ant
Monticello. He had been instrumental
In bringing number Of fast horses
against the Blue mare, and all of then
had lost.
Zone day Granger stood in front Of
the pOStOffice. and as the stage came
down Main street he said to Postmaster
Stage-horse that can beat the Blue mare
all holler.'
"Munson's breast sweled with loca
pride as he said: l'll go you year,
salary that he can't Olympia was
fourth-class Office, and the salary was
not very big.
"Granger's banter was soon carried
to the Skeletons. The Skeletons are
large family, and they are sports ant
blOods to the backbone. Levi Shelter
is one of two brothers, but which one HI
is nobody can ever tell, as they are
twins, and look exactly alike. He is
fighter from the ground up, and once
while running Westerbrook's billiar,
hall, in Steilacoom, he had an encounte
with half company of United States
or hot IT,,
Steilacoom. four miles away.
with his own good right arm and
billiard cue, he laid out twenty-one O
them, during what he called littl,
row, and his friends said it wouldn't
have made any difference to him if the,
had brought along the rest of the com
pany and the drummer.
1.-The preliminaueS for the race wer,
soon completed and $1,000 side put III
in the safe of the county treasurer.
at was the boast of the Skeletons tina
The Blue Mare was always in condition
that he didn't require any training.
Just as soon as the race was arranged
Granger took his steed out of the team
christened him The Stage Horse and be
gan to put him through a course O
sprouts. ] tell you there was big diff
feronce in his looks in the next week
His fetlockS were trimmed off and HI
was rubbed down and fed eggs unit
you could see your face in him like
looking glass.
Il believe the SheItons caught up TIL,
Blue Mare Off the grass and fed hin
some shelled oats once a day just tx
give him wind, but I'm not sure abou
that.
Anyhow, the time for the race cam,
on, and the whole country went to Sc,
it. People went from Steilacoom, Sc
attic, Port Townsend and Whatcom
and even Victoria sent big delegation
The only laennle in Iacnma then 1uar.