LELAND STANFORD AND PALO ALTO 



the 2.12 of Axtell made at Terre Haute October n, 

 1889, the world was astounded, and Mr. Bonner, 

 acting upon the message conveyed by me to him, 

 addressed a letter to Hon. Leland Stanford, saying 

 that he would give him $41,000 for Sunol, which 

 was $1000 more than he had paid Mr. Vanderbilt 

 for Maud S. The reply was prompt and satisfactory. 

 It was to the effect that the breeder of Sunol would 

 rather sell her to Mr. Bonner for $41,000 than to 

 any other man for $100,000. A syndicate had paid 

 $105,000 for Axtell, a few days after he had trotted 

 to his three-year-old record of 2.12, and this fact 

 emphasized the sincerity of Senator Stanford's words. 

 Mr. Bonner went to California, where Senator Stan- 

 ford took pride in showing him Sunol, and the young 

 mare with the grayhound hips changed owners, 

 One of the conditions was that the mare should be 

 controlled for six months by her breeder. Marvin 

 was to trot her in the name of Leland Stanford, and 

 if possible reduce her record. The Axtell party 

 questioned her supremacy, and the newspapers were 

 filled with talk about the point in dispute being settled 

 by a meeting on the track. It was well known that 

 no challenge would be accepted by Mr. Bonner, but 

 with Senator Stanford in control, there was a way 

 around the obstacle. Senator Stanford authorized 

 me to accept any proposition that the owners of Ax- 

 tell cared to make, and in 1890 both four-year-olds 

 were put in training for a meeting. Mr. John W. 

 Conley spoke for Axtell, who was trained by Budd 



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