The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-08-22
GOLDSMITH MAID
N"'ur Particulars at tcr Early LIE.
From the Evansville IoprnsL'

From the Evansville iogrBSk'
pht Maid was wayWard child. From
the date of her birth on the farm of John b.
Decker in Vantage Township, Sussex Coun.
ty, \. Y, in the spring of 1851, to the age of
six years, she distinguished herself in many
Ways but never as trOitcr. She was under.
sized, nervous and frctful, and utterly refused
heavy work Mr. Decker, her owner, says he
never got any work ont Of her but twice, one
halliday In blowing cora and one halliday IN
drawing stones. once she was hlchcd to a
harrow, but after sho.t distance she reared
backward and cntangled both her hind legs
in the cross.piece OF the harrow and so injured
those members, that when she goes out for her
morning walks, it is said she still shows
signs of stiffness from behind caused by this
fall in early life From the time she was six
months old until Mr.. Decker sold her, She
was used as a race horse, though without her
owners knowledge. The boys on the farm,
Of course. as boys do, were anxious to know
which was the speedieSt horse, and at an car
ly day they found il was the Maid And
So after the "Old man" had gone to bed, they
would take her out Of the pasture or stable
whenever a race could be made up, and run
her on the road after night She beat every
thing that could be brought to run with her,
so that finally none but the uniformed from
I distance tbiiINt tc !Oulltl ~ bti against lti
These races were made up at the country
stores and lounging places in the evening AZ
ter farm work was over, and the race run the
same night after the ''old man" had gone to
bed. No training, no groomS, no jockeys, no
weight for agc--just a man or boy in his
bare feet, mounted bareback, with his toes
hugging the mares belly like leech, was the
style; and the Maid no doubt enjoyed it
more than she has some of her late races in
the trotting ring. One day, in the summer Of
1863, two men were buying horses for the
army, and stopped all night at Mr.. Decker's
and in the morning bought the Maid" from
him for $500, and started for home, leaving
the mare behind them. On their way they
met Mr. Tompkins, who knew the little
mare and bought her of them tor $500. The
two men also knew her and believed that she
could be made trOttcr, but were willing to
make 500 by their mornings bargain. The
next day TOmpkins sold her to Alden Gold
smith, an excellent judge Of hOrSefcsh, of
Blooming Grove, Orange County, n. y, for
5000 From him she took the name of Gold
smith Maid He kept her in pretty steady
training under driver named William Be
dine, to whom, more than any other living
man, should be awarded the credit Of first
bringing the mare out. The renowned Budd
DOblc, who now drives her 50 handsomely,
had not then either seen or heard of her
While in training for the trOtin@ course she
was 50 irctful and irritable, so determined TO
run at every opportunity instead OF trOiting,
50 hard to bring 10 n trOt after breaking from
that gait, that Mr. Goldsmith many times de
tcrmned to give up the training and sell her
at any price, but his patient driver maintain.
ed his abiding faith in her and assured his
employer that She WAS the fastest animal on