The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-10-05
A GOLDSMITH MAID STORY.
The Way John Decker Came to Buy a
Future Trotting Queen.

Squire Tom Bingham died in New
burg, N. Y, some time ago. He helped
to buy Goldsmith Maid from the Jer-
sey farmer, and never tired telling of
it, says the Newark, N. j., Sunday
Call. The story he always told of the
part he took in the transaction is as
follows:
"In 1864, John III. Decker, a friend
of the squire's, lived in Newburg. He
was brother-in-law of Judge Fuller
ton, having married the judges Sis
ter. His father was, and is, one of the
wealthiest Orange county farmers, who
at that time lived near Chechunk
spring, three miles from Goshen. John
II. Decker was of a speculative turn
and one day said to Squire Bingham
that he believed a good deal of money
could be made in buying up a carload
or two of turkeys, which were scarce
in the market and commanding big
prices. The squire agreed with him,
and in November, 1864, the two
started out with team to buy up the
turkeys. They intended to take in
Orange and Sussex counties. In the
course of their trip they came one af-
ternoon to Uncle Johnny B. Decker's
farm, near DeckerstOwn, in Sussex
county. Johnny B., as he was known
all through that country, was an uncle
Of John III. Decker's, and he and Squire
Bingham concluded it would be a
good place to tie up for the night, and
they did so. John II. Decker was one
of the best judges of horsefesh in all
this region of good judges. In the
course of the afternoon he walked out
to look at some horses his uncle had
in a field, and among them saw a
young mare which he fell in love with.
He tried to give her a close inspection
but he couldn't get within gunshOt of
her, she was so wild. Still he had
SO much admiration for the mare that
the next morning ut the breakfast
table he said:
Uncle Johnny. I'll give you $3.50 for
that wild mare of yours"
Johnny B. sneercd at the offer. He
said the mare was as worthless as she
could be, but money couldn't buy her.
She was known all over the country as
Decker's worthless mare. Johnny BIS
good wife was anxious that he should
get rid Of her. To help the matter
along she put it on the score of re-
lationship.
"Now, father" she said, 'heres john
your namesake and nephew, and you
must let him have the mare. John,
you offer him $40 more and he'll let
you have her."
80 John H. counted out $500 and
johnny B. said all right, he could have
the mare, provided he could catch
her."
$50 John and went out into the lot"
Squire Tom used to say, land tried to
surround the mare. We chased and
circled and tumbled around that lot
for an hour. with old John B. stand
ing at the fence enjoying the scene
and almost bursting with laughter.
After a while, when we were both al
most ready to drop, we got a corner ON
her, ran her into the barn and put
halter on her. When we led her out
a captive, John B. wanted to back out
and coaXed and cOaXed John to let him
have the mare back, but John had
great ideas ahead for the mare and
stuck to the bargain. We led the mare
behind the wagon, to Johns fathers,
and there John ran up against Il snag.
Johns father and mother knew that
lots of horsemen had been trying to
buy the mare, because they thought
they saw a great future in her as a
trotter, although she had never beeu
in harness. The old people were OPP
posed to Johns being concerned in
trotting horse, and when John saw
his mother crying over the matter, he
weakened and sold the mare to Bill
Thompson, known as Jersey Bill, who
had heard that John III. had bought
the mare and had come over from New
Hampton, couple of miles away, to
see if he could make dicker for the
animal. He gave John H. his check
for $500 and drove off to New Hamp-
ton with her.
Decker and / drove on to Goshen,