Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-09-20
GOLDSMITH MAID.
CHAT WITH UNCLE JOHN DECKER. WHO RAISED
THE FAMOUS TRoTTING MARE-How SHE USED
TO KICk-HER PRoPENsITIEs IN HER YOUNG
DAYs-A VERY HANDSOME SISTER

Deckertown, n. j., Cor. Philadelphia Times.
About four miles from this place. on one of the
finest farms in this wonderfully fine section.
lives John B. Decker, the founder of the village
OF Deckertown. and known Familiarity as Uncle
Johnny B." Mr.. Decker is the man who raised
the famous trotting mare Goldsmith Maid"
VINO was at one time the fastest trotting horse
IN the world and who not long ago gave birth
to a fine colt at the Fashion Stud farm. near
Trenton, this state Mr.. Decker is a very
pleasant old man, seventy -eight years old and
Iold many stories OF the Maids performances
when young colt.
THAT mare, said he, twas one of the widest
and wickedest pieces of horselesh that ever
saw. just for little exercise she'd often lump
a six-rai fence gallop up and down the big
meadow and make a clean circuit of the whole
farm jumping every fence as size went without
bit of trouble and finally get back with the
rest OF the horses. She was terribly wild i'm har-
ness, and never drove her. single or double to
light wagon in the four years l owned her,
her once for half day" THE dam of the
Maid" continued the old farmer, was an
Abdaah mare and an awful good one
at that. She was half sister to old Ham,
bletOnian,' and could trOt her $40 to an old
fashioned road wagon without any apparent eff
fort. bought her of an old hat peddler named
Vernue. from Plainfield. N. j.. who always kept
good horses and was forever trading. The sire
of Goldsmith Maid was a Hambletonian stall
lion owned by Seeley Edsall. of Goshen, Orange
county, N. Y. He was afterwards sold to a
man named Alexander. in Kentucky, where he
was kept solely for stock purposes The Maid
was foaled during the last week Of June, 1857,
ana was always as wild as hawk. l never con-
sldered her fast until one day went out in the
held with a measure full of salt to feed the
horses. The Maid would not come near me to
get any salt and got mad and set the dog on
her. The way she trOtted around that field then
convinced me there was speed in her. / enjoyed
seeing her trot so much that frequently re-
peated the experiment. She was an awfully
fast running mare. too. On moonlight nights
the workmen used to steal out and catch the
horses and race across the meadow flats. l
never knew Of this till long afterwards. but the
men said that the Maid invariably dstanced
the fifteen or twenty fine blooded horses then
had on the farm. That was running, under
stand, and not trotting.
John H. Decker, butcher from Newburg. and
Tom Bingham of the same city, came to take
dinner with me. and wanted to see some of my
horses. We started for the field with some salt
and the dog. and l set the dog on the maid the
very first thing. She went off like the wind
and they were SO struck with her gait they Of
fered me $500 cash for her. l refused. but they
said they were bound to have the horse. and
told me to name my price. Finally | said I'd
take $3.50. and they handed me the money |
hated to sell the mare, and yet concluded to let
her 90 because she was SO ugly. They
caught her and tied her behind the wagon and
started home. When they arrived at Denton.
VIM. Denton. known then as Jersey Bill"
who kept hotel there, tried to buy her. but
they would not sell her. short time
afterward they found she was so ugly that
they sold her to Jersey Bill' for 5000. The next
spring 'Bil' sold her to Alden Goldsmith for
$500 and wagon. Goldsmith named her
great horseman, of Middletown. N. Y, to
handle her. Then she was awful wild, and
came near killing BOdine several times 1t used
to take four men to hitch her up and she'd bite
and kick quicker than lightning. This made
Goldsmith very sick of his bargain. and. for
month or two she could have been bought very
cheap Finally BOdme conquered her and she
soon became very popular. 1t was not long as
you know, before she was known all over the
country. Goldsmith told me he sold her to
man named Jackman. of Philadelphia and
Budd Doble for $4,000 cash. After she had
made her best time Doble and Jackman sold her
to Henry Smith, New York broker. who still
owns her, for an even $4,000, which was al
most one hundred times the figure sold her for.
She is now, l believe on the Fashion Stud
Farm, near Trenton, which is owned by Smith,"
Yes" said the old man, mOurnfuy II did
let fortune slip through my fingers when l sold
the Maid, but | think let bigger one go when
sent her half sister. of the finest and swift
est mares ever came across, to General kilpat-
rick while he was in Chill. She was handsome
black, fully as fast as the Maid. and just the re-
verse of the latter in disposition and temper. In
those days there were no railroads in this sec
ton, and when we used to carry our produce and
do our trading at Newburg forty miles away. we
used to do some tall driving. I've frequently
driven eighteen miles to Newton in an hour and a
quarter; took tea, fed the horse and then drove
on to Middletown, orty-nine miles further the
same evening. l always had fifteen to twenty
bloOded horses and never allowed man to pass
me on the road One day my father was taken
sick, and at four p. IN. I left home, drove to
Newburg ard back, eighty miles. in six hours
and half actual driving time. They may do it,
but somehow never hear of such drives now
a-days, and yet they claim bloOded horses now
have greater endurance than they used to have.
But for all that must confess they've got mile
heats down fine of late. Well. gentlemen. I'm
obliged to you for your patience and if you'll
step inside I'll give you drop of applejack made
forty years ago. and with this remark ended
the "reminiscences of Goldsmith Maid