Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-09-24
How Mr.. ROdman Bought Goldsmith
Maid"

How Mr.. ROdman Bought Goldsmith
Maid"
THERE is always a charm about stories
which are true. Fiction is pleasant, and it
may be SO wrought by skillful 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, this feeling will only last
till the story is finished, and then he
wonders that he was so foolish as to cry
over it when common sense tells him it
was only a batch of unrealities skillfully
strung together. a true tale, however,
will be remembered long after the fiction
is forgotten, and it is a true tale which
now purpose to narratc.
Mr.. ROdman was a Western farmer
who cultivated a couple of hundred acres,
or thereaboat, 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 judg
ing the former. Nobody could surpass
him in proper appreciation of a horses
points. lie would take long journey
at any time to view promising colt, and
yet strange as 1t may seem, he had never
attended a horse race Not that he had
any conscientious scTuples against the
spOrt-On the contrary he would have
delighted in it had opportunity offered
But he lived far from any race-track
was a great honebody, and up to the
time Of which | am writing he could
never make up his mind to take so long a
journey, even though it were to witness a
fast trot.
There came day, however, when he
was aroused to a 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 world by the fastest
mile on record, were to trot at East Sag
NAV. He determined, therefore, for
once in his life to witness a 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 on the ground, and was,
Of course, deeply interested in every
thing 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 a wide berth.
Great was his excitement when the
Judges bell rang and the cry Bring up
your hOrsesm greeted his ears, and when
the animals began to score previous to
starting for the race he was filled with
admiration at their superb action and
their splendid points generally. He had
raised some tolerably fast stock himself,
but he had never seen horses 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 mep Poor man! He had not
the slightest idea of the value of the an
imals. He little dreamed that his entire
farm, with all its stock and fixtures,
would not purchase a 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 his mind, suddenly his ears were
saluted by the cry of the auctioneer in
the pool stand Mr. Rodman knew moth
ing Of pool selling He had never seen a
wager made except in the old-fashinned
way and he naturally concluded that the
auctieneer was selling the horses outand-
out instead of selling bets on them.
Here, then, he thought was a chance to
buy Goldsmith Maid, and with fast
beating heart he approached the group
which surrounded the BOOKSELLER
How much for first choice of these
two horses, Goldsmith Maid and Fuller
ton?' exclaimed the auctioneer. Come,
gentlemen, give me bid. Start it at
anything you please. How much?"
Three hundred dollars" exclaimed
one Of the group.
Four hundred dollarsw chimed in
Mr. Rodman.
Five hundred" exclaimed another
looker-on.
man, and from that out he continued to
bid till the little mare was knocked down
to him for 5000
That's big price for horse, unused
Mr.. Rodman; the biggest l ever paid
but | think she's worth it.
Going down to the track he found the
driver of the Maid warming her up pre-
vious to starting for the heat.
Here, your he exclaimed. in a tone
Of authority, come down out O. that ere
sulkey and strip the harness off O. that
mare. She amt goin' to trot to-day"
The driver, supposing Mr.. Rodman to
be either drunk or crazy, paid nc atten-
ton to the demand, but sent the mare
along to the quarter-pole at lively gait,
and then, turning walked her leisurely
back.
Didn't l tell you to get down and
take that mare out of harness?" demand
ed MIR Rodman, angrily.
The driver knew not whether to laugh
or swear at the demand, but at last his
better nature prevailed, and he said, jocu-
LARRY:
What's the matter with you, old fel-
low? Don't your clothes fit you?"
= You'll find out what's the matter
with me pretty soon if you don't do as l
tell YOUR returned Mr.. Rodman, with
severity. THE mares mine. l have
just bought her, and [ shan't allow her
10 trot in this race. Do you hear me?"
Who did you buy the mare trom?''
asked the driver, who began to think
that Mr.. ,Rodman had been made the vic
TIN OF some practical joke. &.
Why, from that fellow up on the
stano there, replied Mr. Rodman-" the
auctloneer. He knocked her down to
me for s5O0, and here's his receipt" And