The Helena independent., 1890-12-28
REASON TO BE PROUD.
How Tom Blnkhaln Helped to Bring Out
Goldsmith Maid.

How Tom Bingham Helped to Bring Out
Goldsmith Maid.
Squire .Tom Bingham, who died in
NewburQh, N. Y, few days ago, never felt
so we'll pleased as when he was telling how
he helped to buy the mare that aftesward
became the famous Goldsmith Maid. In
1864 John H. Decker, friend of the
'squire's, lived in Newburgh. He was
brother-in-law Of Judge Fullerton. having
married the judges sister. His father was.
and is, one of the wealthiest of Orange
county's farmers, who at that time lived
near the Chechunk spring. three miles from
Goshen. John H. Decker was of specula-
tive turn, and one day said to Squire
Bingham that he believed a good deal OF
money could be made by buying up
car load or two OF turkeys, which
were scare in the market and COM
manding big prices. The squire
agreed with him, and in November. 1864,
the two started out with a team to buy up
the turkeys. They intended to take in
Orange and Sussex counties. In the course
of their trip they came one afternoon to
Uncle Johnny b. Decker's farm. near Deck
ertown, in Sussex county. Johnny B., rs
he was known all through that country,
was an uncle of John H. Decker's, and he
and Squire Bingham concluded 1t would
they did. John H. Decker was one OF the
best judges of horsefesh in all this region
of good judges. In the course of the after
noon he walked out to look at some horses
his uncle had in field, and among them
saw young mare that he fell IN love
tion, but he couldn't get within gunshot OF
her, she was 80 wild. Still he had such an
admiration for the mare that the next
morning at the breakfast table he said:
Uncle Johnny, III give You $3.50 for that
wild mare of YOURS"
Johnny Is. sneered at this ofier: ne saiu
| the mare was as worthless u. could be. but
money couldn't buv her. The mare Was
known all over the country as Dccker.s
worthless mare. Johnny BIS good wire
was anxious that her husband should get
rid of her. To help the matter along she
put in ON the score OF relationship; .,.
'Now, father,'' she said, there's Johns
your namesake and nephew, and yon must
let him have the mare. John. offer him $lO
more and he'll let YOU have her."
So John H. counted out $3.50 and Johnny
B. said all right, he could have the mare,
provided he could catch her. :,
$50 John and l went out IN the LOT, !,
| Squire Tom Bingham used to say. land
tried to surround the mare. We chased
| and circled and tun1bled around that lot
for an hour. with old Johnny b. standing
] at the fence enjoying the scene and almost
bursting with laughter: After a while
got a corner on her, ran her in the barn,
and put a halter on her. When we led her
out n captive johnny b. wanted to back
out, and coaxed and coaxed John to let him
have the mare back, but John had great
ideas ahead for that maresand stuck TO the II
wagon to Johns fathers, and there John
ran against a snag. His father and mother
knew that lots of horsemen had been trying
to buy the mare, because they thought they
saw great future in hersas strotter, al
though she had never beenseven in harness.
The old people were oppossd to Johns De-
| ing concerned in a. trottina horse
and when John saw his mother crying over
the matter he weakened, and sold tine mare
| to Bill Thompson known as jersey Bill,
who had heard that John H. had bought
the mare, and had come over from New
Hampton, a couple of miles away, to see if
could make dicker for her He gave John
| H. his check for $3.50, and drove off to New
| Hampton with the mare.% .. sl
Decker and drove on TO Goshen, he
lamenting all the time that he had sold the
mare, and devising schemes by which he
could get her back. When he got to
Goshen he telegraphed to the Middletown
bank. en- which Jersey Rill's check was
drawn. asking whether thH check was good
for $3.50. The answer cAMe back that II
was good for only $500. Then
John h. was determined to drive straight
to New Hamilton and take the mare out OF
the barn and lead her away. Being law.
| yer, I knew that John would get himself in
a peck of trouble if he undertook such a
thing as that, and ] told him SO. But he
was bound to do it, and while he was get
ting his horse ready TO start he was handed
| a telegram. It was from the bank and
stated that Jersey Bill had made his check
good for $3.50. There never was a more
disappointed, down-heaYted man on earth
than Mr.. Decker was, and be never got over
it. 49, f ls's
well, Jersey Bill sold the mare, as ev.
erybody knows, to Alden Goldsmith fol
5000, and Bill Bodine made her the horse
that carried the name OF Goldsmith Maid
all over the world. And that's the way
/ halpeu to buy her,, .... ~.