The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-03-08
BRILLIANT RACE OF A DOG.
Jumbo. y Setter Belonging to Rufus
Hunter. Runs Even With the States
Vile Train from H~untersyilIe 10
Charlottesville Usual Pluck OF 4
Dog.

- Il
Charlottesville Usual Pluck OF 4
Dog.
Rufus II. Hunter, the young brother
OF Mr.. Leonard l. Hunter the archi-
tect. OF this city. has a big setter dog
named Jumbo who We renown yes
:erday by racing even with the june
Bug Express from Huntersyiile to this
city. & distance OF fourteen miles.
The June lug Express. which IS
sometimes known as the regular pas
enger train running on the Atlantic, |
Tennessee & Ohio Railway, reached |
Huntersvilie yesterday morning short
ly before noon. Jumbo, a large. hand
some dog, followed Rufus Hunter, his
master, TO the station, and when the |
train came and young Hunter boarded |
1t, Jumbo climbed up on the car He |
was showed away; Hunter cook his
seat, and the June Bug Express, trav
cling under the guidance OF Capt Tom
! Rowland, reSumed its spirited jour
ney.
The train had not been running
many minutes before Capt Rowland
touched Hunter on the shoulder and
said:
Come here and look"
Hunter followed him TO the rear OF
rhe train. Far down the straight
track was discernible a small but rap
~ ldly poNyS IA NH@N
middle of the track. 1t was Jumbo,
half a mile i'm the rear.
There are only two stations between
Huntersville and Charlotte-Croft and
Derita. Just before Croft was reached
Jumbo had disappeared from view,
and it was assumed that he q gotten
: tired like a sensible dog and had re-
turned home. BY the time the train
reached Croft the passengers and the
engineer had heard OF Jumbos gal
liant pursuit and were very much in
terested in the matter.
The Express remained only a rev
minutes at Croft, and then started
away on a quick run. Before it had
gone any great distance Capt Row
land again approached Hunter. He
had a strained, nervous o on his
face.
Il am not certain about the mat
ter" he said. 1t can't be true. but 1
wish you'd come back here and take
another oOk
Again the two men went 20 the end
of the rear coach. Silently Rowland
held out a hand and pointed. Way
in the distance was q moving body,
still running W the rails. The
head was thrown back slightly, n it
could be seen that there was deter
mination IN every spring.
That" said Mr.. Hunter. sis Jum-
bo,"
: All the passengers became eXcitoo
d over the pluck and W of jun
/: DO. The conductor and the engineer
became bored. The une Bug Express
> to be beaten by a dog-a mere setter
/ dog named Jumbo, from HunterSVllle
v What ignominy.
{ The engine made an extra squirt
= and when Derita was reached no Jum-
s DO was to be seen. Quickly h train
s men attended 10 the little work to be
lone at that small station, and the
e train went away with a jerk and
e roar. and an evident purpose TO leave
Z Jumbo beyond al reckoning.
d But thai setter dog was deep-lunged
= ard game to the heart. 1t was cleai
: that he had not been fully advised as
n to how far the train would go, OIL
t when 1t would stop, but he was Ger
q tain OF one thing: II carried his young
1t master, and therefore it was n thins
: to be pursued so long as his limb:
n gave him strength TO run.
= Derita is only five miles from town
q One mile out of Derita passenger
y standing on the rear of the June Bus
looked far off III the distance and saw
n faint speck, an atom that sped alont
on the railway track.
Tom Rowland was grim and per
picked. The engineer was vexed, and
II permitted the June Bug 20 do all +
knew how. The passengers were
making eve bets.
There was a long. silent look, and
them
The dogs gaining" said q voice.
7. Il was even so. The broad. deer
chest Of Jumbo, his long, supple legs
and that positive characterised OF hi:
~ head, were not given to him for moth
= ing. Tired he must have been aftel
r. his mad race of ten miles, but hi.
= ambition and the owe that was sing
: ing in his soul spurred him on and O.
" And, while Tom Rowland soft1,
- -,-nro ,nh~ ras~11 ~ sLnA Try-,
e Bug Express, the pride of Statesvill
q and the glory of Alexander county.
When the suburbs were reached
. Jumbo was in plain view. Eis seccn
4 wind had come to him. He had Fettln'
8 to a swinging movement that had beer
unknown to him as he had forne,
u shifting semi-circles over stubbleleld
e In search of partridges. re ha'
= dropped professionalism, and was
- pure dog-a dog to the heart. He hat
thrown back till the deepest. primi
! tive chords were touched. All Of hin
: was reused and dominated by tn
V best of n dog-the best Of a man
{. Neither danger. nor unfairness. no
e time. nor aught else was a barrier II
d the wa of the dog who had set GU
? to run that race of love, and simple
II ity. and faithfulness.
d And when Rufus Hunter stepped OF
the train Jumbo was there, and lick
e ed his hand. and beamed utter Joy OF
e OF his eyes and was content JoS
= because he was q dog his love coulC
L only deepen and not abate: nor couIc
3 anything ever lessen his faith. Veal
l. and sore as he was, he showed a hap
= Oinese that was very beautiful az he
5 in a world that was new to him
? walked painfully by the side of tn.
: boy that he would nave followed I'll
& he dIed.-Chariotte Observer.
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