Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-09-19
HUNNEMAN AND DRUMMEY.
Ellsworth's Famous Handful and HeI
POet-GrOcer Captain.

ElIsworth's Famous Handful and Her
POet-GrOcer Captain.
81 Ellsworth's famous OLD handful, and
her equally famous captain, M. J. Drum
mey, we're the subject of write up in tho
Firemen's Standard OF this week. This
is what the Standard says:
Zimmerman l. of Ellsworth, is probably the
Oldest hand engine In the State of Maine capa-
bic of making creditable showing in fire
mems muster. 1t is now nearly half century
since this famous old machine was built by
Zimmerman & Co. in Boston, and she has been
In constant service in Ellsworth ever since until
q few years ago. She was then laid aside only
because the town had acquired an excellent
water sy stem and two other more modern hand
tubs. Then it was thought the days of "oid
Hunneman's" usefulness were ut an end, and she
WAS hauled to the cemetery and entombed in the
hearse house. But her end was not yet. The
old fire fighter and prize winner was not to per-
ish thus. more glorious career was yet be-
fore her. While others seemed to have for
gotten Zimmerman, one man still cherished
memories of the old days when the red shirts
used to man her brakes and win trophies with
her. Michael J. Drummey longed to put the old
"oohihO AL ukubihB tEim OuCc IuOTos
MIR. Drummey is known by every citizen in
Ellsworth as popular groceryman and CON-
poser of humorous poems. He has an enviable
reputation Of making a success of everything
that he undertakes; yet when he said he was
going to organize a company to pump "Old
Hunneman', everybody laughed and thought it
was one Of his jokes. The old engine came
back to town, nevertheless, and the dust and
.t,S..l To- 49,
scraped away. The work was paid for by MIR.
Drummey out of his own pocket. When
Zimmerman came out for practice only few
men took hold of the brakes, and there was
little interest. The fact was no one thought the
Old tub coulu do any thing. The foreman's per-
sistence alone saved her from q return to the
cemetery. AT last his pluck created 50 much
sympathy that one night the brakes were well
filled at practice. The result caused the scofrers
surprise and the mempers of the other COM
panies CONSERVATION. She had beaten the two
modern engines by good big margin.
On July 4, 1885, Zimmerman was defeated at
home, but this defeat was due to the fact that
she had u crew entirely unacquaihted with the
work, and as result they did not get rs good
results as others would have. AT Bangor on
Sept 3, she failed to get first money, but beat
an old-time rival, Dirigo, of Ellsworth. The
men were more numerous on her brakes this
time but they were equally unskilled.
This year MIR. Drummey again put the old
engine in the field. Finding that he could not
raise a company In Ellsworth, he organized a
crew In Bangor, and the men were very enthu.
| elastic. Nevertheless this crew which worked
| the brakes at the Old Home Week muster did
not get good work from their machine, and the
| result WAS that she failed to capture first prize.
| What is needed is a company that will get 10.
gether and practice with the old engine often
| enough to learn how to get the best results
from her. This is just what is proposed to do
| next year.
! Zimmerman l was brought to Ellsworth in
| 1854. and II company was formed to take her out
| at the local fires. The first captain was Hon.
Johp d. Hopkins, who is now living in Ellis.
worth at the age of eighty three years. After
Mr.. Hopkins resigned, William H. Black,
Arthur w. Greedy, now the mayor of the city,