Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-05-15
GOLDSMITH FAMOUS MARE,

d GOI.DSM1IH > FAMOUS MARE.
Picked MP wild and Worthless in tn
, Pasture Fov sI6o and Sold
for $50, 900.
#
n New York Sun
! John II. Decker. Esq. brother-n-lay
: Of ex-|Hdge VIM. Fullerton. died at hi
J. residence Gear Denton. Orange county
! n. y. Il few days ago. He was the MAJ
who found running wild in a pasture le
Z in New Jersey ami lilS1 brought to the no
tice of hofseinen tie mare that has sine,
asfonished the world rs Goldsmith Maid
A short time before his last Illness Mr.
Decker told the story Of the beginning o
: this wonderful mares career.
? I'm 1854 Tom Bingham and myself.
Mr.. Decker said. event into little specll
lation. buying mp turkeys and cattle t!ro
this section. We botl, lived in Newburu
AT that time. In November of that wear
we drove over into Sussex county. and
stopped at John 4. Decker's near Decker
town. Johnny B.. as he WAS called. was
my uncle. He had Il mnre that every one
in the whole coilntrv knew about. for she
WIS the wilsleSt and "ickedest piece OF
horspilesh that ever lived. The mare WAS
in the p,stur lot with the other horses
the day we went there. and us knew the
stock she came from. wanted to have Il
look at her: but we coIlln'i get within
hot of
llam'ilrtonian. We stayed III night ut
Uncle jolmnys. Somehow or other.
took u great fancy TO that wild mare. and
! offered $50 for her: but the old gentle
man didn't want to sell her.
"'Oh. what's the use of keeping tha;
mare? said his wife. Let him have her.
Offer him $40 more says She to me. and
he'll take it,
$50 | counted ont SlG0 and gave it to
my aunt. Uncle John he.itateti, but soon
! said:
''All right. You may have her. But
you must catch her tirst!' and the old
man laughed as if he had me in Il tight
fix.
Il called two or three of his men to-
"e'her. and we went ont and drove all the
horses into the btrnyarl. The mare went
into tie barn. ana We shut her in. Then
we got her into a stall. and afi+r 4 long
While We managed 10 Get Il halter on ler.
she hadn't looked ;l!r0agii Il collar in four
years. she Was seven years cid at the
time. Wher Uncle John saw her he was
sick Of Ills bargain. and wanted to back
out. But we tied her 5.iiin our wagon
an drore away. Uncle John had a mare.
II sister of this one. that he valued at $500. (
He slid he would give me that mare in !
stead; but didn't want her. Gen. XII
patrick bought that one afterwards AM,
took her to Chilli witl, him: but never
heard that she amounted to anythinc. On
our way in from Uncle Johns to my Eull-
er's house. in the place where live now.
we brought over a ton OF turkeys. tried
the speed of the mare now and then BY
my horses as fast as they could
go. but she could trot fister than they ran.
every time. never saw such movement
for 4 green horse. and knew she would
make a good one.
well. we got to fathers. and put up
for the night. Next morning Tom Brig
ham counted out $3.50 and offered it TO me.
and said he wanted to 90 into partnership .
with me in the mare. But tol. him that
wanted the mare for my brotler-in-law, .
Judge Fullerton. While we were getting I,
ready to start. after breakfast. who should
irive up but Bill Toinpkins. or Jersey Bill.
IS he was known. and is yet. He kept
lOtel az Hampton. two or three miles
,way. He had heard that had bought :.
Johnny B s mare. and he came over TO .
OOk ut her. The hired man had the mare =
'ut OF the barn. and was showing her gait :.
Up and down the lane. Father and moth :
r were both looking ut her. Mother y
vas very much put out because | had =
fought q horse that was a trotter. and :,
atier didn't like it much. either. Jersey =
Bill fell in love with the mare right off. .
John. said he, Ill give you $500 for :
er.'
IL said no. Father and mor..er were
9th very anxious that | should take the j,
loney. b,h wanted the mare. !,
Three hundred and iifty.' said BIZ. :,
But | didn't want the money, and .;
tarted to drive away. :,
'''rl give you $3.50 for the mare said = =
ersey. -
Father wanted me to take the money. -,
ld mother said she was sure would 20 =,
, the bad if kept Il trOtting horse. and :,
}. by and by. got ont OF patience. ana -,
'll Bill to hand me over his money and u
Ike the mare. He drew a check on the =,
'alikill bank at Middleton tor the sum. .,
didn't want to take it.
- Let me see it, my f,ther said -,
II handed him the check He wrote his -.
me across the back ot il.
There lie says, Il guess that will go -,
wv
''Of course that put the matter out of N,
iestion. | took the check. and Jersey m
III drove Off to Hampton with the mare. ci
II CHAM and went on TO Goshen. and a il,
'ker man you never saw than was over tie
e sale OF the mare. Something seemed in
tell me that she had stuff in her that he
rs more than good. After | got TO on
oshen ! was SO thoroughly disgusted TN
tn myself for parting with her that TO
lde up my mind to get her back if pos Of
lie. put my team in the barn at Gosh Ina
VIM NJ. Graham. afterwards State no
nator. was president of the Waikiki ",
nix. went straight to the telegraph 40.
Ice and asked him by wire: oy
lis Jersey Bills check good in your TO,
nix for $780, ot
The answer came back: an,
: 1T is good for $780, tor
so | went back to the hotel and told b.;
'gham what had done. and that was fer
ing straight TO Hampton and take that iss,
re out Of Jerseys barn. Bingham was bo,
awyer. and told me might get my 1
gers burnt by such Il proceeding. While
were discussing the matter. along came 7
'ther dispatch from Graham: wo
Jersey Bill has na,Ie his check good. i,le
That settled the whole business, and VIII