Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-08-05
SONOMA GIRL is
OWNERS PRIDE
FAST MARE NEVER KNEW TOUCH
OF WHIP
Springer Thinks She Is Greatest OF
Living Trotting Mares-Winner
of M. and M. Stake Gets
Nervous Sometimes

]. D. Springer the owner, trainer and
driver of the Girl from the Golden
West" is now 81 years of age, about
feet tall, straight as an arrow, active
as a man of half his age, and one OF the
most affable gentlemen to be found any
where Born in the Kennebec region
of Maine Springer stayed there until ~
years of age. when he went to Idaho to
make his fortune. He engaged in sheep
raising and became very successful
About Is years ago lie took up mer-
camille business at Boise, the scene OF
the Haywood trial, in which business
he Is still interested. Beside being en-
gagged in the sheep and grocery business.
this thurman has also held the othce OF
sheriff in that wild and woolly country
but at no time was he captain on
either land or sea, an appellation tnat ne
does not like to have applied.
Springer likes n horse more than any
thing else you might mention, with the
exception of his family, and now that
he has a world beaten he Is the happiest
man in the country. Springer is making
friends fast as he moves east, ana is
bound to continue doing so. While II
would annoy most people to have thous-
ands firing questions at him about the
great trotter this man takes matters
calmly and always finds time to give
people the information they want. 1t
is not exaggerating the story in the
least to say the owner of Sonoma Girl
answers the same questions about his
mare 500 times day.
Among the most important questions
that Springer has to answer is how he
got possession of Sonoma Girl Con-
corning this matter the owner of this
great trotter says:
About three years ago l took my wife
and daughter to California for a VISIT
My daughter liked the university so
we'll that she attended that we decided
to remain in the land of flowers until
she had finished her education. During
this time 1 had to have something to
help pass away the time. so 1 invested
In one horse, then another, and finally
secured Sonoma Girl.
Half the time since I have had the
mare she has been lame, but on last
Christmas day she trotted mile in a
matinee at Los Angeles in 2:07. This dis
play of speed made me happy and 1 de-
cided to go easy with her until this
spring. She had the best of manners
and, being bred in the purple. 1 thought
she was fast enough to train for the
grand circuit. Along in April 1 COM
menced to get her in condition for the
seasons campaign, but 1 went very
slow with her. When she withstood
the early training we'll shipped her to
Libertyville to put on the finishing
touches. The first race she had in a
field of fast horses and the first i'm
portant race 1 ever drove took place on
July 4.
LAS is we'll known, Sonoma Girl raced
twice at Libertyville, winning one race
and losing the other, but not until Inc
M. and NJ. was raced had she been as
ISOLATED with such a large field of
horses. There were ten starters in this
race and they were paraded past the
grand stand. The mare did not like
this, as it made her nervous, but as
soon as she had gone one heat she be-
came herself again and behaved in her
usual good manner.
When asked if this mare ever became
hard to manage, Springer said:
"She has sometimes tried my patience
a little but she has never known that
she did. 1 have never whipped her nor
treated her roughly. but instead have
overcome her little fussy' spells by kind
and patient treatment. 1 think a lot of
her and believe she is the greatest trot-
ting mare living.