Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-01-03
GOLDSMITH MAII.
the EARLY History OF ti4c WORTH
less Decker larc,'' Who He-
came SO Famous.

A correspondent of the New York
Times, writing from Deckertown, N. j.,
gives n most interesting biography OF
the famous Goldsmith Maid Her dam
was 4 bony bay mare, bought of ped
Ter, who was bred to Esdalls 1lamble-
tonian. and the colt was born in May,
1857. This colt, John Il. Decker. her
owner, intended 10 raise for use on his
farm. 1t was Il mare. and proved to be
q most ungovernable piece of horse
flesh. She was three years old before
an attempt was made to break her to
harness, as she was understood, nervous
and fretful. 1t was only by the most
persistent effort that she could be IN
duced to undergo the restraints of har-
ness. and then she utterly refused to do
any work on the farm One day she was
hitched 10 plow TO furrow ou' corn. To
the surprise of her owner She worked
with will for half day Then she
suddenly turned about in he turrow
and started in another direction. Upc2
heir~ forced haci: to her pace siIc i~.l
down and kicked herself loose from the
plow and ran off in the direction she had
chosen. Once afterward she drew a
stone drag for two or three hours. and
| that was all the work she ever could be
was turned loose in the fields, and she
ran at will. as free and unrestrained as
the wild horses of the plains.
To add to the annoying contrarlness
of the mare on the farm. she was in the
habit OF making trip through the ad
joining country, regardless of fences
bitches or streams. regularly once 8
month. She could jump
ANY FENCE ON TIE FARM,
and if one OF extraordinary height wa:
built around her lnclosure, she woul(
| would make a circuit of eight or ter
miles around, when out on these jour
neys. and every one knew the ''worth
less Decker mare" and there were :
few persons who, knowing the blood
that was in the colt. believed that some
thing might be made of her.
In November. 1864. John II. Decker
nephew OF John B., tired 10 purchase
the mare, but the owner declined al
offers Mrs. Decker. however. wanted
her husband TO sell the mare; and, afte
much persuasion by her, the nephew OBJ
tanned the animal for $3.50. Arrivin:
home his mother objected to his ownin:
what she termed Grace horse" an,
her husband joining in the debate, h
sold her to VIM. Tomkins, a sportin;
man known rs "Jersey Bill" Tor 1886
In the spring of 1868, John II. Decke
met Alden Goldsmith on an Erie rail
way train, and the result of the CONVEX
sation was that Goldsmith bought th
mare from "Jersey Bill" for 5000. Al
ter purchasing the mare. Goldsmith pu
her iu charge of Bill Bodine.a note
Orange county horseman. Whom h
took her four men were required to
HITCH HER UP.
| She was. from use and inclination.
runner, and it was months before BE
dine could induce her to take the desire
gait. She ran at every opportunity IAN
several times came near killing he
trainer. Goldsmith was thoroughly di!
gusted and discouraged with her, ant
but Tor Bodne, would have disposed {
her at any price. The driver knew thi
there was sterling stuff in the .nervor
little mare. and hy months OF patIen
kind and persistent effort made her {
| u as COulu Ue ueSl
ed. No matter to what height of ian
she reached under subsequent manage
lueut, the we,rld is inisbted ~ ,hs sh
and rare judgment OF VIM. Bodine tt
the peerless Gold-mith Maid. Her fir
race rs Il trOtter was at Gosh N, N.
where she defeated well known hors
General Walker, in three straight heat
making record of 2 :26. Immediate
after she became famous, and was mar
ed Goldsmith Maid. Goldsmith own,
the horse until November, 1868, VIII,
he sold her to Budd Doble and Barn,
Jackman. Two years later she W
purchased by Henry N. Smith. for $50
900. She was Withdrawn from the tu
in 1877, with record of 2:l4, made
her nineteenth year, in 1874. She h:
trotted 132 races and won 92 H
aggregate winnings were about $24'
600. Among her great achievements. W
her trotting of three successive heats
Buffalo. August 3, 1876. in 2:16, 3: L
and :15. Since her retirement she h
become 4 mother in her twenty-seco