Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-10

tunity presented itself This came to
pass one day when the head brake.
man, whose name is unknown, delib'
erately left the service while working
with Conductor Tom Strain of the old
guard, at Whitebreast and the con-
ductor told Operator Knipe that he
would continue to Creston with but
one brakeman, who 1t happens was
Claude Younkin, at present in the con-
fectionery and news business on
South Court street. Young Knipe
closed hiss key and asked Conductor
Strain to watch the Office while he ran
up to the Funk farm for his friend
"Ike," and filling out the parental con
sent blank, because the future master
mechanic was under age, he secured
the signature Of the father and with
his pal returned to the station, where
the first ralroading of l. N. Funk be-
gan with Tom Strain as conductor and
Claude Younkin as rear brakeman.
Saved Child's Life.
For about three years Mr.. Funk did
brakeing and then was advanced to
conductor on freight. 1t was during
the troubles Of 1888 that he left the
train service and became fireman,
February 7, just twenty-four years be-
fore the time Of his death. He was
made an engineer October 2 Of the
same year and continued at the throt-
tie for nine years. 1t was while pulling
passenger on the old Charlton e St.
Joe branch that an-incident occurred
that made him and his fireman. E. G.
Messenger, the idols of the residents
along the line in the neighborhood of
Bethany, Mo-, because of the rescue
from death on the rails of little Miss
Mary Keller, aged two years. The In
cident took place June Is, 1893. Engi-
neer Funk and Fireman Messenger no
ticed what they supposed was white
chicken in the middle of the track as
they bore along under good speed and
as they neared the object were hor-
rified to see it arise, and not until
then realized that it was a baby. Re-
versing the engine and spilling all the
sand the engine carried, the train
was brought to such an abrupt stop
that passengers were thrown against
the seats and the baggage car doors
were slammed shut with a force that
locked them. 1t was thought for a
time that a terrible accident had hap
pened, and considerable excitement
reigned among the passengers and
train crew While Engineer Funk was
bending his every effort to stop the
train, Fireman Messenger was making
his way over the outside of the boiler
along the running board to the pilot.
Upon reachin the pilot, which at the
time was resting against the baby, he
snatched up the little bundle of white
in his arms just as the train stopped.
.." Heard From Girl.
A remembrance from the delighted
parents shortly followed, when the en-
CINE crew were given photo of the
child and memorial Of the incident
signed by the parents, and in 1909, the
child being then young lady of IS
years and resident of Denver, she
sent her photo and a letter Of graft
tude to the then Master Mechanic l..
N. Funk, renewing her thanks and
those of her parents for her rescue in
1893, sixteen years previously.
Mr.. Funk's advent into official cir
cles took place on July I, 1897, when
he was given the appointment of gen.
eral foreman at Charlton. Within five
years after that, or on March 8, 1902,
he came to Ottumwa as acting master
mechanic, succeeding F. A. Torrey,
now the general superintendent of
motive power for the system, who in
turn had succeeded the lamented Ed
Button, whose death occurred while he
was in the service here. He has since
retained his post Of master mechanic
and was continually on the job until
fourteen weeks ago, when his state
of health made 1t imperative that he
take rest. He was taken down sick
and for about two weeks did not leave
his home. Rallying, he made few
trips to his Office before the Christmas
holidays, and in order to give him an
opportunity to remain away from the