The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-09-08
Se1ftt Story.
HOW MIR. RODMAN
BOUGHT GOLDSMITH MAID"
By FRANCIS B. SMITA.

By FRANCIS B sMITA.
There is always q charm about stories
which are true. Fiction is pleasant, and
it may be so wrought bv skiliiul hand
as to carry the reader away completely
and lead him to suppose, for the time
being, that what he reads is reality and
not romance. Still,tLis feeling will only
Hast till Tie steFy Is nHIslee, aid Then lie
wonders that he was SO foolish as to cry
over it when common sense tells him it
was only q hatch Of unreaiities skilifully
strung together a true tale, however,
will be remembered long after the fiction
lis forgotten, and it is true tale which
now propose to narrate.
Mr.. Rodnau was a western farmer,
who cultivated couple of hundred acres,
or thereabout, Of excellent land, and was
something Of stOck-breeder besides
He had fine eye for horses and cattle,
and especially was he an adept in iudg
ing the former. Nobody could surpass
him in proper appreciation of horses
points He would take journey at any
time to view promising colt, and yet,
strange SIS it may seem, he had never at
tended horse race Not that he had
any conscientious scruples against the
sport-on the contrary he would have
delighted in it had opportunity offered
But he lived far from any racetrack, was
great homebody, and up to the time OF
which / am writing he could never make
up his mind to take so long j0u neY
even tEough it were to witness fast
trot.
There came day, however, when he
was aroused to pitch of enthusiasm
which absorbed him entirely in spite of
himself. The announcement reached
him in Michigan paper that the Queen
of the trotting turf, Goldsmith Maid, and
the flyer, Judge Fullerton, who will one
day astonish the void by the fastest
mile on record, were to trot at East Sag
inaw. He determined, therefore, for
| once in his life to witness trot between
two flyers. Accordingly he set out and
| in due time reached the scene of action.
When the day fixed upon for the sport
arrived he was early on the ground, and
was, Of conrse, deeply>in,erested in eve
rything which he saw and heard He had
been warned repeatedly before leaving
home of the sharpers and tricksters
which he would meet, and had deter
mined to keep bright lookout and give
all such wide berth
Great was his excitement when the
judges bek rang, and the cry Bring up
Iyour herses!' greeted his ears,and when
the animals began to score previous TO
starting for the race he was filed with
admiration by their superb action and
their splendid points gelerally. He had
raised some tolerably fast stock himself,
but he had never seen horees step like
that before: and could not help saying to
himself:
:'How it would astonish the folks at
home if should take that little mare
back with mew Poor man!s He had
not the slightest idea of the value Of the
animals. He little dreamed that his en-
tire farm, with all its stock and fixtures,
would not purchase half interest in
Goldsmith Maid, and he really cherished
the notion that he might perhaps become
the possessor of the little mare without
any very great sacrifice.
While he was thus turning the matter
over in bis mind, Suddenly his eers were
saluted by the Cry of the auctioneer in
the pool stand Mr., Rodman knew moth
ing Of pool selling. He had never seer
q wager made except in the old-fashioned
way, and he naturally concluded that the
auctioneer was selling the horses out
and. .out instead Of selling bets on them
Here, then, he thought was chance tc
buy Goldsmith Maid, and with a fast
beating heart he approached the grouE
which surrounded the pool seller.
"How much for first choice of these
two horses, Goldsmith Maid and Fuller
ton ?" exclaimed the auctioneer. "Come
gentlemen, give me bid. Start it q
anything you please. How much ?"
Three hundred dollars!" exclaimed
one of the group.
"Four hundred dollars" exclaimed
Mr.. Rodman.
"Five hundreds" exclaimed anothe
looker-on.
"Six hundred - cried out Mr.. Rod
man, and from that out he continued t.
bid till the little mare was knocked dowI
to him for 5000
That's big price for horse mus
ed Mr. Rodman; "the biggest l eve
paid-but | think she's worth it,"
Going down to the track he found tn
driver of the Maid warming her up pre-
vious to starting for the heat.
"Here you" he exclaimed in a tone
of authority, "come down out O that err
sulkey and strip the harness off O. tina
mare. She amt goin' to trot to day."
The driver, supposing MIR. Rooman t.
be either drunk or crazy, paid no atten
ton to the demand, but sent the mar,
along to the quarter pole at lively gait
and then turning, walked her lcisurel,
j., back.
Didn't L tell you to get down ant
! take that mare out O. harness ?" deman
| ded Mr.. Rodman angriy.
; The driver knew not whether to laugf
or swear at the demand, but AT last hi
better nature prevailed, and he said jocu
larly:
: whats the matter with you, old fel
lowp Don't your clothes fit you?'
"You'll find cut what the matter wit
me pretty soon if you don't do as l tel
lyou!' returned Mr. Rodman, with sever
lity. "The mares mine. ] have jus
bought her, and / shan't allow her t.
trot in this race. Do YOU hear me 70
"Who did you buy the mare from ?
asked the driver,wh began to think tina
= Mr.. Rodman had been made the victim
of some practical joke.
"Why, from that fellow up on tn
stand there" replied Mr.. Rodman-'th
= auctioneer. He knocked her down t
me for 5000, and here's the receipt. %
and as he spoke he held out the pool car
which he had received.
n "Receipt," exclaimed the driver wit
grin "Thats no receipt-that's a poo