410 LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 



I have said that when Groldsmith Maid came into my 

 stable she was about eight years old, and at that time^ 

 she could trot a mile in about 2:30. This was in the latter 

 part of October, 1867, and it might be well to state here 

 how the mare came to be driven by me. It will be remem- 

 bered that after the sale of Dexter to Mr. Robert Bonner the 

 horse still had several engagements to fill, and as he was 

 transferred subject to these he remained in my charge for a. 

 month after the sale was made. Going from Buffalo to 

 Hamilton, Canada, I drove him a race against BoUy Lewis, 

 who went under saddle, and from there we shipped west to 

 Chicago, where a couple of races had been arranged, the 

 first being against Silas Rich, Bashaw, Jr. , Tackey and Gen- 

 eral Butler, in which Dexter went to wagon, the others in 

 harness; and the second against Brown George and running 

 mate. Dexter won both these races, the fastest mile he was 

 called upon to trot being 2:22, and they ended my connec- 

 tion with the horse. 



While I was at Chicago with Dexter I received a letter 

 from Mr. Alden Goldsmith, proposing that I train and drive 

 Goldsmith Maid and asking me what I thought of the propo- 

 sition. Another letter that reached me at the same time 

 was from the owner of Lucy, a mare that at that time had a 

 record of 2:28, was considered to be one of the best trotters 

 on the turf, and that subsequently made a mark of 2:18J. 

 I had seen both of these mares trot, and while Lucy had a, 

 good deal the best record of the two and could unquestion- 

 ably go a mile faster than Goldsmith Maid, still I had 

 noticed the latter particularly in a race that summer, and 

 had seen her at that time strike a clip that made me think 

 she would be a first-class race-mare if only she could be 

 taught to stay on a clean trot and not go back to the rough 

 and hitching gait that she was at that time inclined to favor. 

 So after giving the matter considerable thought, I finally 

 decided to decline the proposition from Lucy's owner and 

 accept that of Mr. Goldsmith, but subsequently Lucy was 

 also in my stable, and I gave her a record of 2:22^. Conse- 



