The Osceola times., 1882-12-16
A FAMOUS FAST RUN.
How Hamett Drove His Mad Engine Hun
dred Miles In Ninety Minutes.
Louisville Commercial.

dred Miles In Ninety Minutes.
Louisville Commercial.
Last night as a Commercial reporter
was lounging through the corridors of the
Gait House listening to the friendly chat
ter of the engineers, group OF veterans,
seated around one of the pillars laughing
over old stories, drew the news man to-
ward them. "Did you ever hear how
Jim Hamett brought De Funiak from
Nashville to Louisville?" asked one of
the Louisville engineers. swell you all
know Jim, guess, or know of him. He
can make the fastest time on the Louis
vile and Nashville when he wants 30.
He has been in dozen wrecks and got
hurt in all of them. l don't believe
there's a sound bone in little Jim's body,
but the more bumps and knocks he gets
the faster he wants to run. About two
wears ago DeFuniak was down at Nash
vile and had important business that re-
uuired his immediate presence in Louis
vile. He was then general manager of
the Louisville and Nashville and ordered
the road clear between the two cities
Then he looked out for an engineer to
haul him through. Hamett was just in
off of his run and DeFuniak knew he was
lust the man. He sent for him and said:
"Mr. Hamett, | want to get to Louis
vile as quick as possible. The roads
clear; you won't find any obstruction.
viii you take me?"
"Hamett's eyes sparkled, but he
touched his hat and said quietly: 'I'n
try. SIR ANY man who knows Jim Ham
EFT would know what that meant. De-
Funiak had his car coupled on right next
to the tender and another car behind.
Jim limped up into his engine Che can't
walk straight since his last wreck, and
there was kind of a smile hanging
around his mouth. The train pulled out
| of the depot at Nashville as the negro
porter was fixing the dishes in the side
| board. They started out at pretty live
gait and went on increasing 1t. The
conductor in the back car began to get
uneasy. for he hadn't heard Jim's in
structions. Every minute the train went
| faster Houses and trees and fences be.
came a blurred line. The cars jumped
and rocked and rolled like mad animals
wanting to leap from their place of con-
! finement. The porter began to look
! frightened The train instead of slack
! ING increased its speed. Nobody in De-
| Funiak's ear could remain in the seats
without desperately clutching to the seat
| in front. Ii seemed impossible for the
cars to remain on the track, they bounded
and rolled so violently. The dishes in the
sideboard rolled out, the bed fell in the
middle ofthe floor, chairs were rent from
their fastenings; but the porter didn't
care straw for that-he thought his
! time had come and was praying de6per-
ately DcFuniak, with his expressionless
face was calmly holding on to some straps
hanging from the ceiling and waving at
| fIamett through the glass door to go on,
| The conductor grabbed the bell cord and
nearly ierkcd it off. He firmly believed
that if they escaped with their lives both
he and the engineer would be discharged
as soon as they reached the city. Jim was
sitting on his seat calmly smiling and
paving not the least attention to the fran
| tic conductor About hundred miles
| from Nashville Jim got couple of hot
boxes and had to stop. He made the
| hundred miles in about eighty-seven min
utcs, about the fastest time on the road.
| There wasn't bit of furniture left in De-
/ Funiak's car. There was confused heap
of broken plates, pictures and chairs and
| that was all. Jim was outside calmly
| limping around and cursing the hot
boxes between times, when DeFuniak
came out of the car and brusquely told
jim he had made fast run.
"'Not very fast, sir said Jim. IF had
run her as fast as she can 90 ii wouldn't
have only broken your plates and pict-
ures, but there wouldn't have been bit
of the inside of the car left. That was a
mighty poor run. sir, mighty poor run
! The porter resigned ~ soon as he got to
town and always goes by boat now, when
! he can"