W. H. Hose, superintendent of the Bridge and building and water service departments of the Santa Fe Railroad’s Southern Kansas Division, died at 2 o’clock this morning at his home, 606 South Highland avenue, from heart trouble, after an illness of several weeks. He had been in failing health since last spring.
No funeral arrangements had been made today.
William Henry Hose was born January 25, 1843, on a farm in Harrison county, Ohio.
When the Civil War began he enlisted, at 17 years of age, in the Seventy-seventh Ohio infantry as a drummer boy and served five years one year following the war in charge of negro troops at Brownsville, Tex. That part of ex-Governor Crawford’s book, “Kansas in the Sixties, “ which deals with the Civil War, is a fairly complete account of Mr. Hose’s army service, for he was in nearly every engagement and campaign mentioned. He was a lieutenant on the staff of General Steele and was standing by him when the General was shot.
Returning from the army he took up bridge carpentering. His first work was with the Burlington Railway at different times in Palmyra, Hannibal and Brookfield, Mo. He left the Burlington to take charge of the construction of a new railroad through Nebraska, and after three years there went to the Fort Scott & Gulf in a similar capacity, with headquarters in Cherokee, Kansas.
From there he came to the Santa Fe in September of 1888 moving to Chanute at the time the division headquarters were established here. Of the men who built the Santa Fe in the last thirty-five years he was one of the very few on the entire system remaining in service.
He had the confidence of his superiors and the loyalty of his men, and both rated his work high. He was particularly proud of the number of bridge foremen he had trained and of the number that had gone up to general foremen. He had the satisfaction too, of training his own assistant superintendent from the ranks over a twenty year period.
He was untiring in his
industry and integrity and a very kindly-natured man. He both gave and
returned full measure in his friendships.
He was reared in the Presbyterian faith, and was made a Mason in early life. He was a member of all the loyal Masonic bodies and a Shriner.
While located in Bucklin, Mo., he married Miss Emma Cantwell, the daughter of a physician. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, Mrs. F. P. Cone of this city and Mrs. J. G. Irvine of Taft, Calif, a Nephew, William Hose, of the home address, two grandsons and the following brothers and sisters: Moffatt Hose of Hayward, Calif.; Clark Hose of Osborne, Kas.; Hattie Broadbent of Leola, S. D.; Mrs. T. Lindley of Wetonka, S. D.; Mrs. Al Berlin of Sterling Ill.
