Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-29
Curtin Family Of
DEBORAH Successful
il, Picking Winners

DEBORAH, March g.-In 1857 John
Curtin disposed of his business In An
gelica, Allegheny county. New YORK.
and turned his face towards the set
ting sun. With a drove OF horses, ana
their equipment, he aimed at Chicago
and hit DEBORAH He went there to
sell, but remained to buy and grow
up with the country. The star OF the
state, had been shining for eleven
years on the group on Old Glory when
he crossed the Mississippi river and
while the red skinned chiefs no longer
smoked their pipes on the clap hills
near Council Bluffs the ink on the
Indian bill of sale to President Pierce
for the site of Omaha across the Mis-
souri, 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
to date.
Man of the World.
Everyone in Iowa knows Ed Cur
tin, and while not sage by any means
he is identified with such a large num-
Der of enterprises, many Of which have
been wished on him by his friends,
that he is forced to keep card index
in order to appear at the proper place
at the right time Both Dunn and
Bradstreet bear silent testimony to
the fact that he is an officer Of two
national banks in North Dakota, as
corah where he resides, while his
friends report that he is the president
of the Great Western circuit, is re-
sponsible for the brand Of racing at
the Iowa State fair as well as the
county fair at his home town. and
also pays the bills on a stable Of race
horses that are aired annually on the
half-mile tracks of the Mississippi
valley, or on the larger ovals If they
develop enough speed.
Trotters, PAGERS and hobbled birds
all look alike to Ed Curtin. The only
question that he asks his horses when
they are fit, is to race for the money,
or sell for the high dollar in true wes-
tern style. Win or lose, he keeps
them going, and if few o. them
come home limping or wheeling, it is
a very easy matter to md others that
can make another bid for the pot OF
gold at the end Of the rainbow
They Had Their Problems.
In the early days the Curtin fam
dabbled in Indian ponies. light
drivers, and Morgans there being
strain of Vermont blood somewhere
altho at times it was rather hard to
find. Those were also the days when
trainers had to sit by candlelight try
ing to devise contrivances that would
make a speedy horse go on trot, and
when owners were forced to lie awake
nights, planning ways and means to
pay the bills. until stranger came
from the city looking for a prospect.
In the early seventies, If horse took
nothing was said. so long az he kept
on trot part Of the way, even II 1t
was the drop and carry one variety.
but it required more than hand picked
Judges to convince wild eyed ono
that persisted in running at least a.
quarter Of a mile IN each heat. The
head Of the Curtin, family was we'll
aware OF this fact when a farmer
named Barefoot, drove into DEBORAH
early in 1872 with horse that he
considered a fair prospect. He looked
him over carefully and found the prize
package was a close made, six year
old, black gelding Of the Morgan type,
and also a true bred one, as he was by
King Herod out Of mare by Young
Green Mountain Morgan. His owner
called him Billy AMI for a green one
fresh from the fields, he certainly
could trot fast. John Curtin bought
the gelding and as he led him away
he told his formersowner that he would
call him Billy Barefoot II he was ever
fast enough to go to the races.
Had Picked Winner.
That fall as soon as the fairs started
the new trotter was turned loose and
before the close of 1873 every one in
the western world, or at last that por-
ton of it between the Missouri and
Mississippi rivers knew that John
Curtin had trotter which could win
in almost any company in that local
ity AS the news spread it landed
AWM a.