Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-11-17
Essen Junction,
\ FAMOUS FAST Run.
How tuanett Drove tsis Mad Engine
HUNDRED Miles in Ninety liiuutrs.

FROM the Louisville tGnmefc.ul.l
Las night as a Commercial reporter was
Longing through the cortid rs Of he Gar
ilous, listening to the friendly chatting of
the engineers, group OF veterans, s,a'ed
Around one of the pillars laughing ovtr old
stories, drew the news man toward IL en-.
Did you ever hear Low jan llumelt brought
| DtFunlak from Nashville 10 Louisyi.leI"
asked one of the Louisville en-inrt re-.
"Well, you all know jim, guess, or know
OF him. lie can make the fastest time on
the Louisville and Nashville when lie wants
10. lie has been in II dozen wrecks and 70,
hurt in all of them. | doa't believe there's a
sound bone in little Jn's body, but the
more bumps and knocks he gets the faster he
wants to run"
About two years ago DcFuniali was down
at Nashville and had inporta't business that
required his immt date prCs.nCc in |. uis-
Vile lie was then gen raj manager Of the
Louisville and Nashville, and orIert d The
road clear between the two cities. Then lie
locked out for an engineer 10 hau him
| through. lIamttt was iu-t in Il his lun and
Dcfuniak knew he was just. The man. He
sent for him and said;
Mr. llamcit, | want to Get to Louisville
as quick as possible The roads clear You
won't find any distraction, VIII you take
mt" llamcts eyes sparscd luz lie
touched his hat and said quietly III try,
sir Any man who knows Jim Hamett
would know what that meant. DeFuuiak
had his car coupled on right next 10 the ten
der and another car behind, jim lmp,d up
into his engine Che can't wax srlisUt since
his last wrecbl, and there va, kind of a
smile hanging around his mouth The train
pulled out uf the depot at y .>hvi as the
negro porter was iiNiug hs dish in the
| siIehOard
They started ont at pretty lively gait and
went on inccaS.ng 1t. Ihc con ne ~ N the
back car b gan to get uneasy, for he hadn't
h ard JAMS instructors, Every ninu.u tie
train went faster. ilous and trees md
fences lecame .mIcd line. The
cars jumped and rocked auG rolled like mad
animals wanting TO leap tIpm thor place ~
confinement. The porter hogan 10 look
frightened. The train, instead t stacking.
increased its speed Nobody in ID FuM4l,s
car could remain in the seats without dcs,
perattly cluichiug to the seat in front II
seemed impossible for the cars 10 remain on
the track, they bounded and rolled 90 vie
lently. The dishes in the 81 lcb, ard rn.ltl
out, the ted fell in the middle of he lD,l,
chairs were rent from their fast Jnings; but
the porter didn't care straw for that-hc
thought his time had come and was praying
desperately
ICE uuluh, WIN MS tA PIE SSlOnltSs lace,
was calmly holding on TO some raps lane-
ing from the ceiling, and waving at humett
though the glass door TO g ON. The con
ductor grabbed the bell rope AMI nearly
jerked 1t Off lie firmly BELIEVED thai # they
escaped with their liv, 5 both h. and the en-
gnccr would lie discharged ms soon as they
reached the city. Jim was sitting on his
seat in the engine calmly smiling and paving
no, the least attention to the frantic conduct
or. About Il hundred miles from Nashville
Jim got couple of hot boNts aud had TO
stop. lie made the hundred miles in ahau,
eighty seven minutes, about the tastes, time
on the road. There wasnta lit of furniture
left in DeFuniak's car. There was a CON
fused heap of broken plates, pictures and
chairs ard that was all, Jim was outside
calmly linpIng around aud cursug the hot
boxes between times, whoa D,Funiak come
out of the car ana brusquely tod jim he had
made fast run.
Not very fast, sir SAID jim If had
run her as fast us She can 90 it wouldn't only
have broken your plates and pictures, hut
there wouldn't have been bit OF tie inside
Of the car left, That was mighty poor run,
The porter resgned as soon as he got to
town aud always goes by beat now, when he
can