Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-24
OLD INDEPENDENCE.
An Interesting Story Of a Famou:
Augusta Horse.
The Hero Of Many Hot Battles on the
Track.

The Journal heard a story the other
day about the game old race winner,
Independence. Now, everybody who
has all ounce of admiration for good
horse remembers the gray stallion, per-
haps not particularly on account of
his breeding nor his performances on
the track, but because he was an Au-
gusta horse, ard then again because
he was sold for bigger sum of mon
ey than ever was paid before or since
for any horse that has gone out of the
city.
The horse was raised by Will Potter
a former well-known restaurateur
who bought him when q sucker of
Hiram Taylor of South Vassalboro.
Independence was sired by Gen.
Knox (2.31A). his dam being a mare
called Skip, by Gideon. Skip was also
the dam of Glenarm (2.23A). AS a
youngster he was about as clumsy and
green gated colt as ever wore a
bride, and his owner had to stand no
end of chatting on his account. But he
had the old Knox blood in his veins, and
III he grew older it began to assert it
self.
By the time that Independence was
three years cid he began to show what
he was. He had the close built frame
Of the Knox horses, was a dark iron
gray in color, and as handsome as q
picture. And when it came to speed,
there was nothing on the road which
could keep him in sight When Mr..
Potter put him on the race track, the
horse won the three first races in
which he started, in straight heats,
and when he was given half-at Bath
We think-juSt TO see What be could do
he made the turn without skip. in
1.07 IA phenomenal speed in those
days.
The track performances of the
young stallion set horse men talking
everywhere. even reaching New York,
and one day the Odell Bros, who kept
the Saratoga stables in that city, ar
rived in this city to look at the horse
with view to buying him. 1t was
then that Mr.. Potter came very nearly
selling the horse at a figure far be-
low what he WAS worth, but he heed
ed the timely advice of a friend, and
when the two men approached him on
the question of sale, he announced
the price of the horse to be $4,000.
When the men arrived in town of
course they wanted to see the horse,
and ride after him, so his owner hitch
ed him up and gave them a ride out
around the city. Finally one of them
turned to Mr.. Potter and said:
We'll Mr.. Potter, we find that this
horse is just what We want, and is
Just what you said he was,--riow how
about the price,
'The price is pretty high he replied,
" and could not think of letting him
go for less than 10000
Great Scott" exclaimed the other,
why, that is an awful price,"
Perhaps you think so, gentlemen"
replied Potter, with a smile. but you
must remember that this is an awful
horse
Now, Potter was shrewd enough to
see that they intended to have the
horse, anyway. and so he hung onto
his price until finally they offered him
$500 In cold cash, and the trade was
closed. 1t afterward TRANSFERRED that
the men had come to Augusta prepared
to pay over $4,000 for the horse il
they had TO, but to get him cheaper
If they could. which they did.
And then came in a little unwritten
- I.
chasers sent home to New York for
the money, and there occurred to Pot
ter the problem as TO what he should
do with them in the meantime. He
did not want the other horse men in
town to know of the trade until every
thing was settled, and he wanted to
keep them away from the two men, so
he took the latter out to the lake on n
fishing trip and kept them two or
three days. until the money came.
When the news of the sale got out,
to say that there was a sensation
would not begin to give an adequate
idea of the effect it produced. The
news went like wildiire. and there was
such q gathering of horse men at Pot
ters restaurant the next night as was
never known before. The restaurant
stood 1T that time upon the lot now
occupied by the Alden building. and
the place was crowded to the doors.
Every horse man of prominence was
there from far and wide. and all the
lesser luI1inaries Were there, too, to
fill in the vacant places, and the cele-
bration that INDUCED in will go down
to posterity without an equal.
It was supposed that. when the sale
was made. the Odell Bros. bought the
horse for themselves, but when he was
shipped to and arrived in New York
he was not taken to the Saratoga
stables, but to those of John D. Rookie
Teller. for whom, il subsequently trans
pred. the horse was purchased.
Independence was seven years old
when he was sold. Previous to going
to New York he did not have much
experience on the race track. but
later, in the Empire State. he showed
lots of EN- the way, and good ones
too. He had a record of ZIG to pole
wirhAa mate. and 2.21, single. and as
yours rolled on proved himself ALWAYS