Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-10-09
GOLDSMITH MAID.
now SHE WAS FOUND To DE FAST.

I
ango county, N. Y, few days ago.
He was the man who found running
wild in q pasture lot in New Jersey
and first brought to the notice of horse
men the marc that has since astonish-
ed the world rs Goldsmith Maid. A
short time before bis last illness Mr..
Decker told the story Of the beginning
of this wonderful mares career
ain 1864 Tom Bingham and my
seli,D Mr. Decker SAID, "went into a
little speculation buying up turkeys
and cattle through this section. We
both lived in Newburgh at that time
In November of that year we drove
over into Sussex county, and stopped
at John B. Decker's near Decker town.
johnny B., rs he was called, was my
uncle He had a mare that every one
in the whole country knew about, for
she was the widest and wickedest piece
of rse.nesh that ever lived. This
mare was in the pasture lot with the
other horses the day we went there,
and as knew the stock she came from,
| wanted to have q look at her; but
we couldn't get within gunshot Of her.
Her sire was the Edsall Hambletonian.
We stayed all night a. Uncle Johnny's.
Somehow or other | took a great fan.
cy to that wild mare, and / offered
$3.50 for her; but the old gentleman
did not want to sell her.
"'Oh, what's the use Of keeping that
mare said his wife, Let him have
her. Offer him SO more, says she to
me, and he'll take it.
80 counted out sl60 and gave it
TO my aunt Uncle John hcsltated, but
soon said
"'All right. You may have her.
But you must catch her first !" and the
old man laughed, as if he had me in q
tight fix.
u called two or three Of his men to-
getber, and We went out and drove the
horses all in the barnyard. The mare
went in the barn and we shut her in.
Then we got her in q stall, and after a
long while We managed TO get halter
on her, She hadn't looked through a
collar in iour years. She was seven
years old at tho time. When Uncle
John saw that we had her he was sick
Of his bargain, and be wanted to back
out. But we tied her behind our wag-
on aud drove away. Uncle John had
mare, a sister OF this one, that he val.
ued at 5000. He SAID he would give
mo the mare instead but | didn't
want her. Gen. Fitzpatrick bought that
one aiterward and took her to Chill
with him but | never heard that she
amounted to anything. On our way
in from Uncle Johns to my fathers
house, in the place where live now,
we brought over ton of turkeys !
tried the speed of the mare now and
then by running my horses as fast as
they could go, but she could trot faster
than they ran, every time. | never
saw such a movement for green
horse, and knew she would make O
good one,
"Well, we got to fathers and put uI
for the night. Next morning Tom Bing
ham counted out s13O and offered it tc
me, and said he wanted to go into part
nership with me in the mare. But !
told him / wanted the mare for my
brother-in.law, Judge Fullerton. While
we were getting ready to start, after
breakfast, who should drive up but
Bill Tompkins, or Jersey Bill, as he wa:
known, and is yet. He kept hotel al
Hampton, two or three miles away
He'd heard that / had bought Johnny
BIS mare, and he came over TO look al
her. The hired man had the mare out
of the barn, and was showing her gait
up and down the lane. Father and
mother were both looking at her
Mother was very much put out because
had bought horse that was trot
ter, and father didn't like it, either
Jersey Bill fell in love with the marc
right of.
a'Jobn, said he, IN give 5000 fol
her
u said no. Father and mother were
both very anxious that | should take
the money, but wanted the mare.
"'rhree hundred and fifty, said Bill
"But | didn't want the money, anC
started TO drive away.
"1ll give you three hundred ant
sixty dollars for the mare said Jersey
"Father wanted me to take the mon
ey, and mother said she was sure
would go to the bad if ! kept trottinl
horse, aud so by and by got out o
patience, and told Bill to hand mo owe
his money and take the mare. III,
drew q check on the Waikiki bank q
Middletown for the amount. | didn'
want to take the check.
"'Let me see it, my father said.
II banded him the check. Iowrot'
his name across the back Of it.
"Thcre, he says, j guess thatll g
now.
"Of course that put the matter GU
of question. took the check, ant
Jersey Bill drove off to Hampton will
the mare. Bingham and went on tt
Goshen, and sickor man you ncvc
saw than | was over the sale OF thl
mare Something seemed TO tell mt
that she had stuff in her that was NOR,
than good After got to Goshen
was so throughly disgusted with my
self for parting with her that mad
up my mind to get her back If possible
put my team in the barn at Goshen
William NJ. Graham, aiterward Stat,
Senator, was President of the Waikiki
Bank. | went straight to the tele
graph Office and asked him by wire
"''Is Jersey Bills check good in you
bank for s360i
"Tho answer came back
alt is good Tor $780,
80 went back to the hotel, anl
told Bingham what had done, ant
that was going straight TO Hampton
and take that mare out OF Jersey
barn. Bingham was a lawyer and ht
told me | might get my fingers burn
by such a proceeding. While we wer'
discussing the matter along CAM
another dispatch from Graham;
".lerscy Bill has made his checl
good.
aThat settled the whole business, an,
that IL how | lost Goldsmith Maid.
"The next spring | met Alden Gold
smith, the Blooming Grove horse breed
or, on an Eric railroad train.
"'Aldcn,' | says, give me hundred
and I'll tell you where to get the bcs
piece of horscnesh that stands on leg
, in America.
ale said he'd do it if the anima
seemed good one. told him wher
} she was. He went to see her, but ai