Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-10-27
ABOUT SWEET MARIE.
Famous Race Horse Was Bred by
Poor Negro Owner.

The breeding OF sweet Marie. pos
fiby the greatest campaigner Of all
times, was an accident.
AS a general rule, tho stars VI the
lieht-harness world are the result Of
q desirable lntormixture OF blood lines.
II was the theory OF the late Senator
Stanford to have thoroughbred close
up, and many OF the dams at the
once-famous Palo Alto were thor
oughbreds.
Many fast performers came from
Palo Alto, including sunol who once
roigned queen OF the turf owing to
cutting the fraction OF a second OF
the 2:0S& record OF Maud s. which
stood for SO many years. While Sem
ator Stanford met with conspicuous
success. he did prove that his pet
theory beat the old method OF breed
Ing trottlng-bred stations to trottng-
bred mares. That the breeding ~
a champion trotter f. a good deal OF
q lottery Is emphasized in the case Of
Sweet Marie.
This wonderful mare--the grandest
ever htched 10 sulky--was bred by
a poor colored man who knew abso-
lutely nothing about blood lines or
redlgrees. Through the courtesy of
Ed Smith, the well known light .hnr.
ness starter Of the California circuit,
the writer is able to give much here
tofore unpublished history about this
wonderful eampaigner.
One March morning In 1889 Chas
Durfee, the well knowIi driver and
breeder left Los Angeles for the east
for the purpose Of pure hasing a young
stallion. He was accompanied by
Charles Locl<hart. who was about to
secure the nucleus of breeding farm
which he was about to start near Bur-
bank, Los Angeles county. Durfee
purchased the then 2-year-old Me-
Kinney, by Alcoyone, q son Of George
Wilkes and Cannon Ball 3-ycar-old
stallion by Simmonds
Lockhart did not make success OF
his breeding venture owing TO the
drop IN the value OF an harness
horses, and Lady Rivers was sold TO
Il, X, Benchly OF Los Angeles. she
proved 20 be a very balky mare and
OF no use for driving PURPOSES Con-
sequently Benchly consigned her to
the sales ring where she was ac-
quired by John Schumacher the Los
Angeles photographer for $3.50.
Schumacher could do nothing with
the mare. as she absolutely refused
TO be driven. After she broke a cou-
pie Of carts. Schumacher determiner
TO get rid OF Lady Rivers at any cost
But no one wanted the high-strung
mare.
The Schumacher family owned pro-
Terty on Spring street, Los Angeles,
aud employed a oolored man named
Billy Smart TO cart away the refuse
at per week Frank Schumacher
told smart that he would give him
Lady Rivers IL he cnotinued to take
away the refuse, Smart refused the
proposition. but said that he would
take the mare provided that she be
bred 10 some stallion As Schumacher
had the privilege Of breeding TO Nc
Kinney who was then an unknown
quantity, the bargain was consum-
mated Frank Schumacher saved $50
and Smart got Sweet Marie, as that
was the result of the mating OF Nc
Kinney and Lady Rivers. Smart kept
sweet Marie In pasture until she was
years old. at which age she was
broken. In the fan Smart turned
her over TO a colored trainer named
Sam Washington She showed a mile
In 2:26h and was purchased by Milo
NJ. Potter, the Wen known hotel man.
He drove her at the matinee races
held at Agricultural park for a couple
OF years. Potter finally decided Ia
sell all his light harness horses. in.
Guiding Sweet Marie Garland, the
present owner, was the purchaser OF
Sweet Marie, paying $3,1b0 for tn,
| daughter OF Mckinney. Sweet Mari,
was a big gated mare and slow {,
| get into her stride at that time, an,
! Potter Is entitled to the greatest credi