The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-08-14
Goldsmith Maid.


The following account Of this fayoritc trot'
Ting mare we fud in the current No. OF The
fir,, StOch. journal. 1t was evidently writ
cen previously to her last great feat at Buffalo
when she made the unprecedented time OF
2:1J!:
"The early life OF this wonderful animal
was distinguished by many striking pccu-
liarities. Her great powers of speed, the "a
pacity and pluck manifested in her mature
Years, shown especially in races, made horse
men anxious to know something Of her colt
life: and to crafty this curiosity The ever
entcrprising newspaper correspondent has
pushed his way among the meadows where
she first SAW the light, and interviewed her
owner, cleaning the following incidents OF
her life:
I.It seems that the Maid was a hayward
child. From the date Of her birth, on the
farm of John b. Decker, i'll Vantage town.
ship. Sussex county, y. l., III the spring of
1857, to the aye OF six years, she di>tin-
suishcd herself in many ways. but never as
n trottcr. She was understood, nervous, and
frctiul, and utterly refused farm work. Mr.
Decker, her owner. says he never got any
work out Of her but tmice-one-half day in
plou9hing corn and onehalt day in drawing
stones. Once she was 8tchcd TO i harrow,
but after short distance she reared and en-
tangled both her hind legs in the ross-piece
Of the harrow, and 50 in lred those MEM
bcrs that when she goes out for her morn
ing walks, it is said, she still shows signs Of
Stiffness behind, caused by this tail.
From the time she "as two or three
wears old until Mr.. Decker sold her ut ; <
In.. "a u. hon
her owners knowledge. ne boys on the
farm. OF course IL all boys are, were anx
iouS To know which Vas the >p",'dir,t horse,
aud at an early dlr they found t.al il was
tuc Maid And % after the old ilan had
gone to bed they would take her ont Of the
pasture or stable whenever Il race could be
made up, and run her on the road after
urgnt. She beat everything that could De
brought to run with her, 50 that finally none
but the uninurmed from Il distance could be
:oi,nd to bet against her. These races were
,ua,ie up At the country stores and l0ungli%-
DiaccS in the evening after iarm-wGrk vas
ever, ard the race run the same night after
the old man had gone to bed. No training,
no yrooln>, no jockeys, 10 weight for age
lust a Il maa or Il boy In his bare feet,
mounted barc-backcd, with his toes huG@ng
tho mares belly like Il lcccu, was the style :;
and the Maid no doubt enjoyed it more
than she has some Of her late races in the
trottns-ring.
cone Of the most singular freaks of the
crazy headed little mare during her farm-liie
was 4 haJit she had Of taking monthly trip
through the country. About once month,
no matter how high the cnco, ure, sue would
break from her pasture and 90 sailing over
the neghb0riDy larn~,' leapin9 and dying
over fences. bitches. stone walls. and streams !:
through fields Of gr0wn" crops, meadows.
woods. and pastures !; up steep hills and
down, until, making a circuit, generally
about six miles. she would tiEallv land in the
field from which she started, behaving her
self after wards III L steady manner, for her.
until the next run. The time that she would
be out during these trips was generally
about forty minutes. 4 few stops by the
way to hayea little gossip with her neigh
bors, probably accounted for the time being
so long.
Zone day in the summer Of 1868 two men
who were out buying horses Tor the army
stepped ali night at Mr.. Decker'S, and in the
morning bought the Maid Of him for
$500. and started for home, leading the mar e
behind them. On their way they met Dir.
Tompklns, who knew the little mare, and
bought her OF them for 1850. The two men
also knew her, and were aware that the mare
had great speed, and believed that she could
be made trotter, but were willing TO make
800 bv their mornings bargain. The next
dav Tompkins sold her to Alden Goldsmith,
an excellent Judge Of horseIlesh, of Bloom
| ing Grove, Orange county, y. Y, for $500.
| From him she took the name OF Goldsmith
Maid. He kept her in pretty steady training
| under driver named William Bodlne, to
whom. more than other mep, should be
| awarded the credit Of first bringing the mare
out. The renowned Budd Doble, who now
drives her SO handsomely, had not then seen
| or heard Of her.
"While in training for the trottlng course
she was so lretful and irritable, so deter
mined TO run At every opportunity instead
of trotting, SO hard 10 bring 10 trot after
breaking from that gait, that Mr.. Goldsmith
many times determined TO give up the train
ing and sell her at any price, but his patient
driver maintained his abiding faith ia her
and assured his employer that she was th'
fastest animal on his premises, and WoulC
come out at last q great trotter, aud finally
persuaded him 10 keep her, which he die
until this driver so brought out her points
| that Goldsmith, in November, 1868, sold bel
| 10 B. Jacam man and Budd Doble for 1000
These gentlemen sold her TO Ii. y. smith To-
S31, 900. Doble still drives her.
"She made her first appearance in publ,
in August, 1865. When she trotted in II
ut Milwaukee, September s, 1871, there VA
great excitement everywhere among horse
men. The majority doubted the length o
the track and the time. But the track wa
measured afterwards By competent enS'
neers, who testified, under oath, TO its bein:
a iull mile in length when measured tire
Ieet from the inside rail (; and the accurac
OF the time was established beyond disput.
Ever since then vast crowds have atiende
her races. Since her last great achievement
ut Mystic Park in 2:l63, this excitement
again revived"