The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-22
THE EVENING STORY
How comanche Won the Race.

AAON NOiAldAiCAIC ttOil A1AO LAGA(Ne
George Washington Swanstrom. of
the little town of Dayton, Iowa, was
the proud possessor of a horse which
he firmly believed could not be beaten
in race by anything less than Maud
s., or horse of equally gifted record.
G. w. owned a livery stable and his
father was the president of the village
bank
One spring day gentleman came
into town leading a simon pure Coz
manche pony by a string. He wanted
to work up a race.
G. w. believed in his horse. and said
so. The stranger as promptly pro-
fessed his full belief that his scrawny
little Comanche pony could beat any
thing in Dayton, and he had $40 to
back his words
G. w. went to his fathers bank and
asked the cashier to take half the bet.
which he did. Then he went back and
covered the Comanche money. But as
they were arranging for the race, lay
ing out the track. ETC., Slater, that was
the name of the owner of Comanche,
asked: If / daylight you twenty feet,
how much will you give me for my
pony?"
.'Three hundred dollars" was Swan
strom's quick reply, for he knew If he
could get horse that could beat his
own, he could make the $500 in one
season racing him at the country fairs
through Iowa.
The race was run so quickly that G.
w. hardly knew it was run until 1t
was over. Then he paid down his $500
and took the pony, for the Comanche
had daylighted his own horse fully
twenty feet, as he himself acknowl-
edged.
So eIated was C. w. over his new
purchase that he Immediately began
forming a stock company for racing
Comanche, and let all his friends, even
his father, into the deal.
They raced at Boone. The little In
dian pony ran like a streak of light
ming until it reached the wire, and then
it stopped so suddenly that it threw its
rider over it's head.
The same thing happened time and
time again, until at last Comanche had
been barred from every country race in
the state.
him work out his $500 in the livery.
was G. VS. last ultimatum, and so the
little bay Indian pony which could out
strip any horse in the state, was rele-
gated to the obscure and prosaic posi-
ton of working out his forfeit money
by pulling drummers over the country
of his adopted home.
Once, however, his new owner won a
race with the wild pony. But it was a
private affair. A race was gotten up
between Comanche and another horse
of the country and for once Comanche
won But it was by strategy. Swans
| from had learned that for some reason
or other the pony would buck when
! it reached the wire, so this time he led
| him to the starting point, and when the
other horses were neck and neck called
out ''go'' and the little pony easily won
the race.
That gave Swanstrom an idea. He
did not know how to start the pony.
| Later he learned that there was no
one on earth who did know how tic
start him except his real owner-Slater
One day a greasy, ragged old fellow
lounged into Swanstrom's livery sta pie
in Dayton, and casually stated that he
was merely looking around. buying
old Junk
He looked as If he didn't have ten
cents in his pocket.
He was the most abject, disreputab bic
looking cuss that had ever strayed into
the precincts of the village
| Swanstrom thought him harmless
and let him wander around among the
horses while he carried the mail from
| the postoffice to the depot.
/ When he returned the tramp asked:
1How much for a pony?"
take your choice at $50" was
! Swanstron's reply.
| The man who looked less than ter
cents chose Comanche.
"I'll take this one, and pay you SIC
down and give you chattel mortgage
for the rest" he said.
| mot much" was SwanstromS re-
don't take the horse out of the stable
| The tramp's reply was to pull out {
roll as big as his leg and strip off the
fifty Then he led the Indian pony
away. The next Swanstrom heard OF
his three hundred dollar venture was
that it was winning first money al
over the state.
A month later he visited the races
in Des Moines and to his chagrin saw
| Comanche take second money His
former owner, Slater, was selling
cheap jewelry at the fair
| Then Swanstrom tumbled.
Slater was an all round fakir who
4 could make money any place. He had
purchased Comanche and trained him
never to start until he gave the
word When a race was being run
Slater stood near the wire. and il
seemed. in fact it was positive that
the little pony watched his master, fol-
when Slater saw that the start was fail
he gave a snap of his finger and a
downward wave of his hand, and the
pony was off.
/ If Slater did not consider the start
/ fair, he made no motion and the pony
tbucked.
Swanstrom did not know this. and
if he had, it is doubtful If the pony
would have obeyed his mandate.
/ Slater made money each season by
tracing the Comanche against fast
horses in the country, selling him. and
then buying him back at a low price
| The man who looked less than ter
cents was Slaters right-hand pal
Charles Curtz Ham, in Baltimore
Evening Herald.