The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-07-10
GOLDSMITH MAID.
Some Strange Incidents In Her Col
hood Days

years, shown especially in racing, make |
horsemen anxious to know something OF |
her colt life, and TO crafty this curios- /
lty, the ever enterprising newspaper cor |
respondent has pushed his way among
the meadows where first she saw the
light, and interviewed her owner, CLEAN /
ing the incidents of her early life with
the same industry, and as infinitely, as
Parton when he visited the early home
of Andrew Jackson for the purpose of
writing his life.
1t seems that the " Maid" was way
ward child. From the date of her birth,
on the farm of John B. Decker, IN Wau-
tage township, Sussex county, n. Y, IN
the spring of 1857, TO the age Of six
years, she distinguished herself many
ways, but never as trotter. She was
understood, nervous, and fretful, and
utterly refused heavy farm work. Mr..
Decker, the owner, says he never got
any work out of her but twice-one-half
day in blowing corn, and one-half day
in drawing stones. Once she was hitched
to a harrow, but after short distance
she reared backward and entangled 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 behind, caused by this fall in
her early life.
From the time she was two or three
years old until Mr.. Decker sold her at
six, she was used as race-horse, though
without her owners knowledge. The
boys on the farm of course, as all boys
do, were anxious to know which was the
speediest horse, and at an early day
they found that it was the Maid. :"
And so after the cold 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 everything that
could be brought to run with her, so
that finally none but the uniformed
from distance could be found to bet
against her. These races 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 sold man" had gone to
bed. No training, no grooms, no jock
| eys, no weight for age-iust a man or
| boy in his bare feet mounted bare
backed, with his toes hugging the mares
| belly like q 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 of the most singular freaks of
| the cTazy-headed little mare during her
farm life was a habit she had of taking
monthly trip through the country.
About once month, no matter how
| high the inclosure, she would break from
| her pasture and go sailing over the
neighboring farms, leaping and flying
! over fences, bitches, stone walls, and
| streams through fields of growing
!
| up steep hills and down, until making
circuit generally of about six miles, she
would finally land in the field from
| which she started, behaving herself at
| terward in q steady manner, for her,
until the next run. The time that she
would be out during these trips was
| generally about forty minutes. A few
stops by the way, to have little gossip
/ with her neighbors, probably accounted
for the time being as long as forty min
utes.
This story might be hard to believe if
it were not vouched for by those living
in the neighborhood, who were so often
! eye-witnesses to this strange habit.
One day, in the summer of 1868, two
men were out buying horses for the
army, and stopped all night at Mr.
Decker's, and in the morning bought
!
for home, leading the mare behind them
On their way they met Mr.. Tomp-
kins, who knew the little mare, and
bought her of them for $3.50. The two
men also knew her, and were aware that
the mare had great speed, and believed
that she could be made a trotter, but
were willing to make hundred dollars
by their mornings bargain. The next
day Tompkins sold her to Alden Gold
smith, an excellent judgeof hOrse-fesh,
of Bloomington Grove, Orange county,
n. Y, for $500. From him she took the
name OF Goldsmith Maid. He kept her
in pretty steady training under a driver
named William Bodine, to whom, more
than any other living man, should be
awarded the credit of first bringing the
mare out. The renowned Budd DobIe,
who now drives her so handsomely, had
not then either seen or heard of her.
While in training for the trotting
course she was so fretful and irritable,
so determined to run at every oppcrtu-
nifty, instead of trOtting, so hard to
bring to trct after breaking from that
gait, that Mr.. Goldsmith many times
determined to give up the training and
sell her at any price, but his patient
driver maintained his abiding faith in
her, and assured his employer that she
was the fastest animal on his premises,
and would come out at last a great trot-
ter, and finally persuaded him to keen
her, which he did until this driver so
brought out her points that Mr.. Gold
smith, in November, 1868, sold her to
3. Jackman and Budd Dobble for 800
900.
These gentlemen sold her to Mr.. h.
n. Smith for the sum of $4,000! Mr..
Doble still drives her.
She made her first appearance in pub
lie in August, 1866. When she trotted
in 2:17 IL Milwaukee, Sept. 6, 1871,
there was great excitement everywhere
among horsemen. The majority doubt
ed the length of the track and the time.
But the track was measured afterward
by competent engineers, who testified
under oath to its being full mile in
length, when measured three feet from
the inside rail and the accuracy of the
ime was established beyond dispute.
Ever since then vast crowds have at
tended all her races. Since her last
great achievement at Mystic park in
2:162, this excitement Is again revived.
Agricultural Facts and Figures.
Hon. Samuel B. Ruggles, of New
York, most reliable and laborious
statistician, at a late meeting of the
New York chamber of comm cree, gave
the following condensed facts relating
to- the agricul IRE of the United States:
The agriculture of the American
Union is the broad and enduring basis
of its national strength.
It's agricultural population of 5. 900. :
All in 1870, had created and ACQUIRED q
property in agricultural wealth valued
at 81, 124, 55S. TAT, showing an average