The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-04
THE CURTINS OF IOWA
By W. III. GCSHFR.

In 1857 John Curtin disposed OF
@his business in Angelica, Alleaany
county, y. Y, and turned his face to-
wards the setting sun. With a drove
Of horses. and their equipment. he
aimed at Chicago and hit DEBORAH.
lie went there TO sell but remained
10 buy and grow UP with the country.
The star Of the state had been shin
Ing for eleven years I'm the group on
Old Glory when he crossed the Mis-
sissippi river and while the red
skinned chiefs no longer smoked their
pipes on the clay hills near Council
BluNs. the ink on the Indian bin OF
gale to President Pierce for the site
81 Oma ha across the Missouri was
scarcely dry.
While John Curtin could not be
rated as pioneer, with the French
Canadian Julian Dubuque, whose
fort on the Mississippi bank fastened
his name on one OF the fairest cities
IN Iowa, he dates back to the tall
grass days, in the horse business
while his son Ed has kept the ball
rolling UP 70 date.
Everyone in Iowa knows Ed Cur
tin, and while not sage by any
means he is Identified. with such a
!arge number Of enterprises. many OF
which have been wished on him by
his friends. that he is forced 10 keen
\ card index in order to appear az
testimony 10 the fact that he 10 an Of.
the proper place at the right time
Both Dunn and Bradstree3 bear silent
testimony to the fact that ne is AT
officer Of two national BANKS in North
Dakota as well as the president OF 4
bank in DEBORAH where he resides
= hte his friends report that ne Is
the president OF the Great Western
Circuit, the only rival OF the Grand
Circuit. IN responsible for the brand
o. racing At the Iowa state fair -
well as the county fair at his home
TOW N, and also pays the bills on a
stable ~ race horses that are aired
annually on the half mile tracks OF
The Mississippi valley. or on the larger
orals X they develop enough speed.
Trotters, PAGERS and hoppled birds
af c-ok alike to Ed Curtin. The only
question that he asks his horses
when they are 1T. lis TO race for the
aoney or sell Cor the high dollar ir
t!l!c Western style. Win or lose hs
ccps them going. and Of few oi
'hnm come home linlping or wheez-
tre It Is >very easy matter to fnd
others that can make another bid for
the pot Of gold at the end OF the
rainbow
In The early days The Curtin GamIy
ds billed iva Indian ponies, light dirty
ers, and Morgens, there being a strain
~ Vermont blood somewhere, al.
though az times IL was rather hard to
En3. Those we're also the days when
trainers had 20 sit up by candleliRht
rrytng 70 devise contrNances that
would make a speedy horse 20 on q
trot. and when owners were forced
80 lay awgke nights. planning ways
ard means to pay the bills. until q
stranger came from he citg looking
for a prospect In the early seventies
II horse took a hop. skip and jump
occasionally. nothing was said sc
long IS he kept on a trot part OF the
way even II II wac % the dot and
carry one variety but II required
more than hand picked judges to con.
vince a buyer that he could win with
a w!ld-eyed one that persisted in run.
Ming at least "a quarter OF mile fn
each heat The head OF the Curtin
farn!lv was well aware OF this fact
when rarmer named, Barfoot drove
into DEBORAH eariv In 1879 with a
horse hat he considered a fair pros
psei He looked him over carefully
ard found The prize package was a
ciosSe made. six-year old. black geld
inc ~ the Morgan type. and also q
trus bred one. AS he WA by King
aysrad cut 81 a mare by Young Green
Mountain Morgan. H owned called
w 7