, 1889-01-17
THE BLUE MARE.
Washington Territory's Cham
pion Runner Of Long Ago.
"reminiscences Of the Turf Re-
lated by a Pioneer.
Yhs Last BiE Race Time X sspsvs who
Forgot their watches---A Broken
RIB and les Results.


and setting his plug bat on the back OF bis
head said to reporter: "WelI, young
fellow, I see you got our. conversation
about Milton A: Sharp; the Nevada stage
robbpr, in last Sundays Examiner. You
must have heard that story before or you
could not have remembered it,"
The colonel adjusted the red woOlsn
shirt which he wears inside his vest
opened so az to show bis expansive i'm.
maculate front, and looked down admir-
iDgly ut the big gold nugget bres st-pin
which Hnished his outfit as pioneer and
Q fireman.
'Have / ever seen m uch sport outside OF
Nevadap' said the colonel, echong the
reporters question. swell, ! SHOULD say
have. During the Fraser.river excite.
ment WIS all through the Northern
country, and | tell YOU the boys used to
whoop IL up lively up there. Washington
territory is 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 Stella.
COON, claimed equal enterprise. Tacoma
has only recently come to the front as the
rival Of them all.
From 1855 to 1870 Olympia enjoyed q
big boom In horse racing, during which
time The Blue Mare was the favorite in
all the pools.
''TrottinR races were almost unknown
common opinion when he said: IL don't
20 red on them
TRAcK.PoUNDERs
that 20 banging round the course as II
they would tear the ground up and then
don't make the mile inside OF two minutes
after all.
"Tbe Blue Mare was really good AMI.
NAL, though not thoroughbred. His en-
durance was something remarkable
l have seen him win three races In u day
Nobody knew how the Blue Mare got
that name, for the animal indicated was a
bay geldipg that belonged to the Shelton
may be explained. but this was riddle to
which no one ever offered q satisfactory
solution.
"l once knew a highly esteemed shep-
berdess dog whose name was Robert Burns.
She was the property of Dan q. Wheeler.
a wealthy stock grower OF Reno, Nevada,
and only recently passed to her reward.
She was the favorite daughter or Mr..
Wheeler's old dog Bango, which had the
reputation of being the best sheep dog that
ever crossed the Siskiyou mountains.
''The way in which Robert Burns got
her name is readily told. She had the
misfortune TO be born without u tail, and
as a natural consequence was called Bob.
As she grew in age, wisdom and dignity
il was recognized as 4 manifest injustice
that 20 good dog should have 40 short u
name, and, therefore. it was heightened to
! Robert.
"An enthusiastic Scotchman in Mr..
Wheeler's employ. in honor both OF the
dog and his favorite poet, completed the
name by adding Burns, thus making 1t
Robert Burns.
'.Tne Blue Mare got his name simply
from freak of fancy on the par. Of his
principal owner, Levi Shelton. for he
wasn't blue and he wasn't a mare.
THE BLUE MARE.
"The B ne Mare had won so many races
that be was practically excluded from the
ordinary trials of speed, and IL was only
when some pew candidates for racing hon.
ors came to the front that the old favOrite
was given an opportunity to show his
at WAS generally conceded that the
horse that could beat The Blue Mare
would be able to win the western half of
Washington territory. Several horses had
been brought from Victoria to contend
against the home champion, but one by
Que they had gone back to their island
home crestfallen.
..Similar fates had befallen the racers
from Oregon. Even California had sent
her blooded representatives, and they, too,
met with defeat.
"Char.. y Granger was proprietor Of the
stage line between Olympia and Monti.
cello, He had been instrumental in
bringing number Of fast horses against
The Blue Mare. and all of them had lost.
"Ope day Granger stood In front OF the
postoffice and Us the stage came down
Main street he said to Postmaster Munson :
There's @ broken down old stage horse
that can beat The Blue Mare all holler.'
.'Munsons breast swelled with local
pride AZ he sale. III 60 you years sal
ary that he cant Olympia was fourth.
rate Office and me salary was not very 6ig.
'Grapger's banter was soon carried to
the Sheltons. The Sheltons are large
family, and they arc sports and bloods to
the backbone. Levi Shelton 10 one of two
brothers, but which one he IL nobody Can
ever tell, ~ they are twins and look exact.
~ alike. He is fighter from the ground
no. and once. while running Westbrook's .
billiard hall in Steilacoom, be had an en-:
counter with half company OF United
States soldiers. stationed ut that time at
Fort Steilacoon, four miles away.
"With his own good right arm and
billiard.cue he laid out twent y.one of them
during what he called Q quiet little row,
And his friends said it wouldn't have
made auy difference to him If they had
brought along the rest Of the company AMI
the drummer.
"Tne preliminaries for the race were
soon completed and $1,000 side put ur
in the safe Of the county treasurer. =,
at was the boast of the Sheltons thai
The Blue Mare was always in condition
that he didn't require any training.
s.Just as soon Ne the race was arranged
Stranger took his steed out Of the team
shristened him
THE STAGE HORSE
..d taoop IN mt him through course O