Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-07-29
CASES OF BAD LUCK.
THRILLING HlTcHEs WHICH HAVE
COST A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY.

VI thAo AiAo hIt kuNtHHtu ny ilNtlo bulnbs.
Many fortunes have resulted from
triles. On the other hand, thousands
have been lost.
Not many days ago a furniture van
broke down ON one Of the lines of an
important tramway system. Within
five minutes B5 trans were drawn up,
waiting till the line was cleared. Lift
ing jacks were procured, and in three
quarters of an hour the obstruction was
removed, yet that slight delay cost tho
trainway company over e70. It had
disorganized the whole system The
trans failed to put in an appearance at
tho usual stopping places at the appoint
cd times, and throughout the length Of
the lines waiting passengers travelled to
their destinations by other conveyances.
There is perhaps no such costly trife
as an engineering hitch. Not long since
a well known firm delivered q torpedo
destroyer to the naval authorities. She
was in every respect perfect boat, the
result Of masterly designing and splen-
did workmanship. yet at the very outset
of her steam trials she met with mis-
hap which neoes5itatod her return to
the contractors for repair. This hitch
cost tho firm G600 and was found to
have been brought about by careless
workman thoughtl,ssly omitting to
screw steam cock tightly and fit it
with washer.
Another curious instance resulted in
a clear loss Of $3.50, 600 to the unhappy
victim. He was tho holder of large
quantity of South African stock, bought
at low price during slump. On sud
denly receiving the tip that it was like
ly to boom Immediately, he settled a
limit at whioh to sell, and when the
price had reached this figure wired his
broker to sell cut Immediately. He left
his Office with jaunly step He had net
ted fortune in one coup. A few hours
later the stock fell just as suddenly as
it had risen, and to a figure consider
ably below that he had originally paid
for it. Judge, then, of his dismay when
his stock brokers' clerk drove to his
house and asked for confirmation Of q
telegram they had just had, which ap-
peared to have been delayed in trans
mission. 1t was his message authoriz-
ing them to sell, and as the stock was
at such a low figure they were'anxious
to cousult him before moving in tbs
mHtter. Tine unfortunate Investor was
dumfoundcd at the lost opportunity,
which on inquiry proved to have result
cd frocl an accident to the telegraph
boy. He had been knocked down and
stunned by cab and conveyed to hos
pital. His message had been sent out
again as soon as possible, but the de-
lay, elight as it was, had lest one man
a huge fortune.
The man who suffers mostly by fri
fling bitches is the inventor. Innumer-
able fortunes have been lost by FIVE
minute delays il getting out projections
during which times others have stepped
in with similar ideas and annexed the
reward of their promptness. A curious
and somewhat pathetic instance in cen
nection with an invention happened to
an engineer who had spent some years
in perfecting ahydraulic railway brake.
The idea was in every way perfect, aud
In conjunction with his sen he had con-
structed models and partially drawn up
patent specifications. To the latter,
however, he had not oonfided o certain
small mechanical detail-the very one
which had cost him 80 much labor to
work out successfully idea being
that his son should endeavor to over
come the difficulty himself till the pat
ent was entered when he was to learn
the secret Of the mechanism.
The very day before tho specifications
were completed the father dropped dead
of heart disease through excitement,
and when, later, bis son came to exam
inc tho drawings he found the detail he
wished to know had not been included.
In spite of endless labor and oonsulta-
tion with brother engineers the difficult
ty, trifiing as it seemed, was never over
come, and by this little hitch in tho ap-
paratus it is estimated that he lost very
nearly e750. 600.
Some years ago q popular favorite
lost the Derby, TO the great surprise Of
it's owner and all who had followed its
previous doings. II was neck and neck
race till within 90 yards of the post,
when the favorite shot out and looked
like romping home Suddenly it checked
its pace for the fraction Of a moment
and was beaten. Very few knew the
cause, curious though II was. A puff of
wind caught the Jockeys cap and in
stinctively be raised his hand to catch
it. In doing SO he struck his eye with
the end of his whip and jerked back
ward. The action threw the horse out
-. bo .rboIa