Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-26
G0LDsNIrH MAID DEAD.
rhs csr.., Of sac osss farmers aassn Of
the rurr.

tU< Uffs
A Trenton special says: Goldsmith
Maid, who once held the proud title Of
:. Oueeu of the Turf" died at the
Fashion Stud Farm, near this city, yes
tsrday afternoon. She was i'll only q
few hours, but it was perceived by her
keeper that her trouble was serious
one, and he at once telegraphed Tor
Heston Bradshaw, the most competent
veterinary surgeon in this part Of the
State. The latter's skill ayailed no.
thing, the marc dying shortly after
his arrival. A post-morfem exsmina-
ton made to-day by the veterinary sur
geon and DR.. w. w. L. Phillips showed
that the Maid suffered from fatty de-
generation and enlargement OF the heart.
She was twenty-eight years old last
May, and for seven years has been liv-
ing in retirement at the Fashion Stud
Farm, where she enjoyed as good treat
ment as it was possible to extend an
animal. The stud farm is owned by Ii.
N. Smith, q millionaire stock-broker OF
New York. He purchased Goldsmith
Maid, it is said, after her career on the
turf was finished, and gave her luxu-
rious quarters in which to pass the re-
mainder other days. Ofmany horses once
famous on the turf and now at Fashion
farm she was the most popular, and
there was mourning when she passed
away among the people at the farm.
Her death removes city attraction
also. Visitors to Trenton were never
allowed TO depart without sight of
the mare that lowered the trotting
record to Ola. On summer Sundays
and holidays hundreds Of people were
wont to flock to the farm to catch a
glimpse of the mare. She has given
birth TO three colts at the farm, one of
which is dead.
In her early days Goldsmith Maid
was as wild as prairie horse. Her
owner had built hopes of making her
creditable farmhouse, but finding them
disappointed he let her run at will.
She had passion for jumping fences,
and when she found one that her eye
said was too high to leap in comfortshe
knew how to use her heels to bring it
down to a proper level. For miles
around Deckertown, N. j., where she
was born and raised. her reputation
as "Decker's worthless mare"
was established by the havoc
she made among the fences and
coIn-felds of the farmers. Her
owner. John b. Decker, had bought her
mother of peddler, and she became so
useful that he decided to get the best
colt he could from her. Goldsmith Maid
was the offspring Of this mare by a
Hambletonian stallion belonging to Ma
Jor Edsall, of Goshen. Although the colt
could not be trained to harness and
persisted in wild freaks of running in
the fields and meadows, making havoc
with fences, Mr.. Decker was very fond
of her, and it was only by his wife's
entreatv that he parted with her for
$500 to his nephew, John Ii. Decker,
of Newburg, in November, 1864.
She was then eight years old and I'M
tanned. Before that she had made q
reputation as a runner on local race
courses through clandestine collision
between Mr.. Decker's hired man and
some young horsemen in the neighbor-
hood, who were permitted by the hired
man to take her from the field at night.
As soon as it was known that she had
been sold, William Tompkins, Of
Hampton, prevailed on young Decker
to part with her for $500. Young
Decker regretted the sale the day
he made it. The next spring
he met Alden Goldsmith and put
him on track of the mare. Dir. Gold
smith bought her of Tompkins for 5000,
and turned her over to William Bodine
to train. She was naturally a runner,
and was SO persistent in her inclination
TO run that Bodine was several times in
danger Of losing his life by her capors.
But he had faith in her, and when she
understood what gait he wanted she
became perfectly tractable in his hands.
She won several local races at the start
Of her career under Bodine.
Her first race of note was at New
burg, June G, 1867, when she made
record of 2:24t. That was not low
cred until October 7, 1868, when she
trotted at Mystic Park, Boston, in
2:2l3. At Buffalo on August IL,
1869, she made 2:l9l, and 2:l9 on the
same course on August IL, 1871. She
lowered Der record two seconds at
Milwaukee on September II, 1871.
Budd Doble was then her owner, hav-
ing bought her for $4,000 in 1868. On
the lowering of her record Henry N.
Smith bought her for $4,000. Her
record became 2:l6 at Springfield on
August 10, 1874, and her best
time, 2:l4, was made the same season,
September 2, 1874, at the Mystic
course. She was then seventeen years
old. After that she trotted in 2:l4 at
Belmont Park, Philadelphia, on June
%, 1876; made three heats at Buffalo
On August 3, 1876, in 2:l6, 2:l5t, and
2:l5, and trotted in 2:l4! at Belmont
Park on November 4, 1876. Her last
appearance on the turf was at Toledo,
on September q, 1877, when she tried
10 beat PA, and made three heats in
2:233, 3:2l!, and 2;22. As she was
then twenty years old her owner
thought she had earned retirement. She
had trotted in 1872 races, of which she
won go. Her earnings were nearly
s240, 600.
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