The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-07-30
Goldsmith N aid.
Her SinguInr Frenks-~ome Strange
Incidents in E3er CoIthood Days.


In former article we alluded to the fac;
that the early life of this wonderful animal
was distinguished by many striking pecuIi-
arities. Her great powers Of speed, the
sagacity and pluck manifested in her ma
ture years, shown especially in races, made
horsemen anxious to know something Of
her colt life, and 10 crafty this curiosity,
the ever-eLterprising newspaper correspou-
: dent has pushed his way among the mead
ows where first she saw the light, ami in.
teryiewed her owner, cleaning the irci Tents
of her early life with the same Industry,
and as infinitely, as Parton when he visi
ted the early home Of Andrew Jackson for
the purI osc Of writing his If.
1t seems that the Maid" was a wavward
child. From the date of her birth, on the
farm Of John B. Decker, in Vantage town
ship, Sussex county, n. y, in the spring
/ OF 1887, to the age of SIX years, she dis
tlnguished herself many ways but never a g
trotfer. She was unierszed, nervous,
AID fretful, and utterly refused heavy farm
"orE Mr.. Decker, the owner, says he
rcScr got any work out Of her but tw vice
one-half day in rlowiug corn, aud one-haf
day in drawing stones. Once she was
hitchef to a harrow, but after short dis
lance she reared backward ard entanged
beth her hind legs in the cross piece of the
harrow, and SO injured those members that
when she goes out for her morning walks,
1t is said, she still shows signs of stiffness
behind, caused by this fall in her early
life.
From the time she was two or three ye mrs
old until Mr.. Decker sold her at SIX. she
was used as a race horse, though without
her owners knowledge. The boys on the
farm of course, as all boys do, were anxious
to know which wa. the sIeedest hor.e.
and at an early day they found that 1t was
the Maid. AM! So after the cold man"
bad gone to bed they would take her out
OF the pasture or stable whenever a race
could be made mp, and run her on the road
after night. She beat everything that
could he brought TO run With her, so tina.
finally none but the uniuformed from a dis
lance could be found to bet against her.
hese faces were made up at the country
stores and lounging places in the evening
after farm work was over, and the race run
the same night after the ''uld man" had
gone to bed No training, no grooms, no
jockeys, no weight for age-just man or
boy III his bare feet mounted bare. lacked.
with his toes huggIng the mares belly like
ieech, was the style; and the Maid" no
doub! enjoyed 1t mors than she has some
OF her late races in the trotting ring.
One Of the most singular freaks of the
crnzy-heade'l little mare during her farm
life vas a habit she had of taking month
ly trip through tie country. About once
month, no matter how high the Enclosure,
she would break from her pasture and 20
sailing oTer FAC neighboring farm, Ieatinc
aud Tying over fences, bitches, stone walls,
and s'reams-thr9ugh fields of growing
crops, meadows, woods, and pastures, up
steep bills and down, until making a circuit
generally OF about six miles, she would
finally land in the field from which she
started, behaving herself afterward in a
steacy manner, Tor Ter, until tie next run.
The time that she would be out durir,
these trips was generally about forty MIMI
ties. A few stops by the way, to have n
little gossip with her neighbors, probably
accounted for the time being as long a.
forty minutes.
This story might be hard tn believe If il
were not voucled for by those living in the
neighoorhood, who were so often eye-wit
nesses to this strange habit.
One day, IN the summer of ;s63 two
men were out buying horses for TIE army
ard stopped all night at Mr.. Decker's and
In the morning fought the "Mad of him
for $500, and started for home, leading the
mare behind them. On their way they
met Mr. Tompkins, who knew the little
mare, and bought her of them for $500
The two men also knew her, and were
aware that the mare had great speed, and
believed that she could be made a ,ro,,.-
but were willing to make hundred dollar.
~ their mornings bargain. The next day
Iompklns sold her TO A iden Goldsmith. an
excellent judge of ho-sefesh, of Blooming
j ton Grove, Grange county, n. Y. for 5000
From him she took the name of Goldsmith
Maid. lie kept her in pretty steady train.
under driver named William Be5ine, to
whom, Ease than any other living man.
should be awarded the credit Of first bring.
ing the mare out. The renowned Bsdd
pobbie, DO new drives her 20 hsnd.emeIv-
had not then either seen or heard of Der.