The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1898-07-16

A good many of the important events
ct this life are governed by little things.
Many fortunes have resulted from
trihcs. On tho other hand, thousands
have been lost.
Not many days ago a furniture van
broke down on CT the lines CT an
important tramway system. Within
five minutes 80 Trans were drawn up,
waiting till the line was cleared. Lift
ing jacks Wore procured, and in three
quarters OF au hour the obstruction was
removed, yet that slight delay cost the
tramway company over $40. 1t had
d~lsor2anized he whole system. The
trans failed to Ent i'll an appearance at
the usual stopping places at the appoint
ed times, and throughout the length Of
the lines waiting passengers travelled to
their destinations by other conveyances.
There is perhaps no such costly triiie
as an engineering hitch. Not long since
a well known firm delivered a torpedo
destroyer to the naval authorities. She
was i'll every respect a perfect boat, the
result OF mastery designing and splen-
did workmanship, yet at the very outset
of her steam trials she met with a mis-
hap which necessitated her return to
the contractors for repair. This hitch
cost the firm $500 and was found to
have been brought about by a careless
workman thoughtlessly emitting to
screw a steam cock tightly and fit it
with a washer.
Another curious instance resulted in
a clear loss of 9250, 600 to the unhappy
victim. He was the holder of a large
quantity of South African stock, bought
at a low price during a slump. On sud
denly receiving the tip that it was like
ly to boom Immediately, he settled q
limit at which to sell, and when the
price bad reached this figure wired his
broker to sell out Immediately. He left
his Office with Jaunty step. He had net
ted a 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 dislnay when
his stockb1okers' clerk drove to his
hous and asked for "A confirmation of Is
NACEAhhi tHCf .bsA AflI, WHINn dP-
peared to have been delayed in trans
mission. 1t was his message authoriz-
ing them to sell, :.4i as the srocl was
at such a low figure they were anxious
to consult hon i.sf4re moving in the
matter. The uafortaYa,e investor was
d~umfounded IA III lost opportunity,
which on inqniry u wed to have result
ed from an accideu" to the telegrapi
boy. He bad been Knocked down and
stunned by Il cab aud conveyed toa hos.
pital. His Eaessils a had been sent ont
again rs 1onn Us nassibie. hut the de-
lay, slight as Il W., had lost one nan
a huge fortune.
The man who saf1ers mostly By tTi-
fling bitches il the l%Hventu IDnyEier.
able fo.tuues have been lost by five
minute delays in getting ont 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 COZ
n~ection with an invention happened to
an engineer wlo bad spent some years
in perfecting hydraulic railway brake.
The idea was III every way perfect, aud
in conjunction with his son he had Ton
structed models aud partially drawn up
patent specifications. To the latter,
however, he had not confidod "A certain
small mechanical detail-the very one
which had cost him so much lahoc to
work nut suocesstully-his idea heing
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 the specifications
were completed the father dropped dead
of heart disease through excitement,
and when, later, bis sen came to exam
inc the drawings he found the detail he
wished to know had not been included.
IN spite ct endless labor and coDsulta-
ton with brother engineers the difficult
ty, triiliug as it seemed, was never over
como, and ly this little hitch III the -
paratus it is estimated that he lost very
nearly $3.50, coo.
Some years q a popular favorito
lost the Derby, to the great surprise Of
It's owner and all who had followed its
previous doiEgs. 1t was q neck ana neck
race till within 80 yards Of the post,
when the fae0ri,e shot oct and Looked
like romfing home. Suddenly 1T checked
its pace fer the fraction Of a me
and was heatsn. Very few knew the
cause, curious though it WIS. A puif cf
wind caught the Jockey 5 cap aud il
stinctively be raised his hand to catch
it. In doing 50 ne struck bis eye with