New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-26
OLD " HARD LUCK
HOW HE WENT OUT ON NUMBER THREE.

ing TO make that concession, Dut qudllneI III Dy
adding that he was so blamed unlucky and pc
culiar, body never knowed when he was in 10
clear
This singularity extended to his name Hos
s-e-lk-u-s, accent on the sci, he wont 10 cx-
plain, with something like a shade Of wearness
when q new operator faltered on his long patro-
nymic.
Eben j. Hosselkus was engineer Of Engine Sew
entcen- Forty-Th
With the meagre data available. il is difficult to
determine whether the name Hosselkus belongs to
the AngloSaxon, Indo-European or 1eutonlc
family; but no such uncertainty attached to the
origin of its unfortunate bearer. lie an uh
mistakable Yankee; rather below the medium
height, lean and wiry; his mild. light-blue eyes
were overshadowed by bushy and frOwning eye
brows, and his grizzed mustache bristled with
singular ferocity, which the weakness of mouth
and chin Immediately beied. The whole man was
decidedly contradictory. When first addressed. his
manner brusque and his voice gruif but, after
few expletives his tone would soften and his
most positive assertions invariably ended with an
appeal for confirmation. Now. amt it SO. for
fact? Now wouldn't you say SO, f you uz me =
he would ask, while his wistful eyes wandered
from face to face in search of support or sympathy,
perhaps.
lie was the oldest engineer on the division. and
the most unfortunate. Two decades of brakemen
and conductors had twisted and distorted his luck
less surname in every conceivable way but TO I'LL
appellations, from "Od Hoss" TO IIustlc-Cuss.'
he ever accorded the same ready response.
OF late years he had been known simply as
81 Hard Luck" When train-crew would reach
the end Of the DIVISION and famished from
protracted soourn at some desert siding. the irst
inquiry of their sympathetic brethren would be:
l1;,,, ard nj
course, was the seldom varied reply.
Old Hosselkus had probably suffered more
showing accidents by food and field" than any
other man ever lived through And yet he was
thoroughly competent engineer lie an car
nest student of mechanical engineering. ana coald
explain the mysteries of link motion" the prin-
ciples of the injector" and the working OF the
Westinghouse automatic air-brake in slngularly
lucid manner. Nothing pleased him better than to
enlighten green fireman upon some knotty point,
and the walls of the round-house and bunk-housc
are still covered with his elaborate chalk and pen
Gil diagrams Of the different parts of the locoho-
tive.
As far back as he could remember. it had been
the dream of Hosselkus's life 10 be regular
passeneer-engineer-in railroad parlance. to pun
vanished cars This was the goal upon the At
tainmcnt OF which tlc best enorts Oi nus NE hl'i
been concentrated, and stu, after twenty Aeais
service he seemed as far ever from success
Many times he had almost achieved IT. but always
something had happened to prevent, some unac-
coSntabie and unavoidable piece of in-luck
Finally, his name became so synonymous Miun
disaster that the Company hesltaed to lntrust
the valuable equipment Of an eXpreSstralil ana
the lives Of the travelling public 10 him mus,
as the years went by, old Hard Luck had become
accustomed TO crawling out from under the as
granted engine of a side-tracked work-frain OF
way freight 70 acknowledge the patronizing wave
of the hand some former fireman of his whlzzcd
by with passenger-train or an officers special
Dispair, however, had no place in bis heart. and he
still revealed in the fancied joys Of pulling the fast
express and dreamed OF that happy time when,
to the customary inquiry to the time OF his de-
parture, he would be able TO answer Il 20 out
on Number Three"
There is a great difference in engineers; some
can step off the foot-board at the end Of long run
looking fresh and clean as at the start while,
to Judge from the appearance of others, one would
imagine they had made the journey in the ash
pan. Hoeselkus belonged to the latter class. 1t
would have required some more powerful solvent
than simple soap and water TO have removed tie
SCOT and CRIME that had gradually accumulated in
the wrinkles and hollOws of his countenancc
during years of arduous service. There was
some excuse for him. however, seeing that 80
much Of his life had been spent upon superannuated
awkward machines TO oil, on account of their
wheels being low and close together. Then
too, he had many accidents. lie scarcely ever
made round trip without slipping an eccentric y
bursting a fue, burning out his crates.
not to mention more serious mishaps. such as de-
railments, head and hindend collisions, or running
made him almost perfect in taking down side
disconnecting locomotive, while some of Lis
exploits in the lreb9x, plugging fues. rivalled
the exhibition given by the Hebrew children in
that seven times heated furnace Of Holy Writ.
But while his extensive experience upon the
road had developed habits of selfreliance and o
certain readiness in emergencies. it was not calcu-
lated 10 impart that gloss or polish which enables
one Ia shine in society. Hard Luck's only ap-
Icarancc within the charmed circle had been when
lie acted pall-bearer at the funeral Of division
superintendent, and upon that occasion he had
scandaized his colleagues by appearing without the
conventional white gloves and hurried and EN-
barras@ed search Of his pockets only brought 10
light bunch of waste" and soft hammer.
articles which, though almost Indispensable on q
locomotive are not essential to the success of O
well-Ordcred intermcnt.
Gamblers say that if one is but possessed of
sufficient capital. the most persistent run Of i'll
luck may eventually he broken, and so it proved in
uOsSclkus's case.
An officers special" carrying the leading mag
mates of the road upon q tour of inspection, was
expected, and Engine Scven-Sevcnty-Seve the
fastest locomotive on the division, and Bill
Pearson, an engineer with record, had been held
in readiness for some time TO take them ont
The engine, with full tank Of the best coal,
had already been run out of the round-housr
and the train-dispstcher had the frcights safely
passenger-trains about figured out, when he was
interrupted in his study Of the train-sheet by a
nervous ring at the telephone The dispatcher
answered it himself, and the foreman Of the round
house announced that Pearson was sick, and
unable to take the special ont.
THAT'S bad, muSen tne ulspatcncr nut ADDED,
a moment later: We'll send the next best man,
and get move on they'll he here in ten minutes"
sThey amt none replied the round-house
mo other engineer? 2" shouted the dispatcher.
We'll. there's only Perkins on the yar|l-enginc
and Hard Luck just in on SCOTS work-train-
might double him out again-thats all.
The dispatcher rushed into the adjoining room
to consult the superintendent.
1t was in the midst Of the busiest season, and
every available engineer WIS out upon tie road.
Hard Luck? nonsense." said the superiltend-
ent when he was informed of the situation. Tell
Pearson he must take the special out--this is a
nice time for him 20 get sick"
The roupd-houee was notified and replied that
Pearson was "foamin' awful-his wife's got him
lacked up and two doctors worlSin' on him,
yelled the foreman.
This is terrible terrible!" groaned the super
inteHdcnt perkins is only boy. we can't put
him on, and Hoseelkus will never get over the
I;..;.;n. ,,,;ty,out soyonfhipg ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS