The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-11-17
A FAMOUS FAST RUN.
Hsw Hamstt Drove His Mad Engine Hun
dred Miles In Ninety Minutes.
Louisville Commercial.

Louisville Commercial.
Last night ~ Commercial re-
porter was lounging through the cor
ridors Of the Gait House listening to
the friendly clatter Of the En-
gineers, group Of veterans, seated around
one of the pillars, laughing over old stories,
drew the news man toward them. "Did
you ever hear how Jim Hamett brought De
Funiak from Nashville to Louisville?" asked
one of the Louisville engineers. "Well, you
all know Jim, / guess, or know Of him. He
can make the fastest time on the Louisville
and Nashville when he wants to. He has
been in dozen wrecks and got huit In all
| Of them. don't believe there Is . sound
bone in little. Jim's body, but the more
bumps and knocks he gets, the faster he
wants to run. About two years
ago De Funiak was down At Nashville and
had important business that required his
immediate presence in Louisville. He was
then general manager Of the Louisville and
Nashville aud ordered the road clear be-
tween the two cities. Then he looked for
| an engineer to haul him through. Hamett
was just In of of his run and De Funiak
knew he was just the man. He sent for him
| and said:
"sMr. Hsmett, want to get to Louisville
As soon as possible. The roads clear; you
won't find any obstruction. Will you take
ms?'
"Hametts eyes sparkled, but he touched
his hat aad said quietly: I'll try, SIR Any
man who knows Jim Hamett would know
what that meant. De runiak had his car
coupled OIL right next to the tender and an
other car behind. Jim climbed up into his
engine Che can't walk straight since the last
wreck,) aud there was. kind of q smile
hanging around his mouth. The train
pulled out of the depot at Nashville as the
negro porter was fixing the dishes in the
beard. They started out at . pretty
lively gait and went on increasing it. The
conductor in the back car began to get un.
easy for he hadn't heard Jim's instructions.
Every minute the train went faster and fast
er. Houses aad trees and fences became q
blurred line. The cars jumped and rolled
and rocked like mad animals wanting TO
leap from their place of confinement. The
porter began to look frightened. The train
instead of Stacking increased Its speed. No
body In De Funiak's car could remain In the
seats without desperately clutching to the
seat in front. 1t seemed impossible for ths
cars to remain on the track, they bounded
and rolled 30 violently. The dishes in the
sideboard rolled out, the bed fell In the
middle of the floor, chairs were rent from
their fastenings; but the porter didn't care 4
straw for that-he thought his time bad
come, and was praying desperately.
"De Funiak, with his expressionless face,
was calmly holding on TO some straps hang
Ing from the ceiling and waving At Hamet1
through the back door to 60 on. The con
ductor grabbed the bell cord and nearly
jerked 1t off. He firmly believed that Il
they escaped with their lives both he ant
the engineer would be discharged ~ soon u
they reached the city. Jim was sitting or
his seat in the engine calmly smiling ans
paying not the least attention to the frsnti,
conductor. About = hundred miles frsn
Nashville Jim got couple Of hot boxes ant
had to stop. He made the hundred miles II
about 81 minutes, about the fastest time OF
the road. There wasn't . bit Of furnitur,
left in De Funiak's car. There was Z con
fused heap Of broken plates, pictures ant
chairs and that was all. Jim was outsid
calmly limping around, and cursing the ho
boxes between times, when De Funiak cam
out of the car aud brusquely told Jim b
had made fast run.
"'Not very fast, sir said Jim. If ha
run a. fast as she can 60 1t wouldn't hav
only broke your plates and pictures, bu
there wouldn't have been bit of the insid
of the car left. That was mighty poor ru
sir, . mighty poor rum The porter resigne
J ~ soon as he got TO town and always goe
by boat now, when be can"