New-York tribune., 1878-04-13
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
RAILWAY TINE.

| THE ADOPTION OF TRUSTWORTHY sIANDAkDs-
| PRESENT CONFUSION AND DECEPTIoN-TIME-
TABLES AND THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC.
| To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: Is there no way out of the confusion
now existing in railway time THE TRIBUNE has dis
cussed this question repeatedly and called the atenuon
OF railway managers it, but thus far nothing has been
brought into practical use TO make railway connexions
easy and safe and to make it possible for the travelling
public 10 keep any reliable trace Of time Many man
spends large sum for watch that will not vary mlh-
ute in month and yet after travelling feW houls east
or west lie can place reliance upon IT, In oden me
when travelling by stage COACH change OF tme was
not worth considering, but now, when one may start
from Portland week, and be in Portland,OreGon
the next and find that the difference Of tmo between
the two places three hours and half he is cOnvnced
that change Of time is worthy OF grave consideration
short time ago a man travelling east was studying
the tme-t tables OF his guide to see now ne cOulu Ae
his connection with trunk line The guide had u tht
the train he desired take upon the trunk line departed
before his arrived at the junction hencehe changed
his course and took another route. The fact was
however, that the trains made regular connccon p'
the timetables OF the two roads made out on diner
ent and unknown standards hence to the traveller they
proved to be only deuson. The system of clocks used
at depOts keeping unknown timeor time Oh an uhAo"n
standard, Is little less confusing
AUttle careful study will convince any candid mind
that such confusion is not necessary Change oil tme Is
necessary. but regular change need occasion no cOh
sionand surely all changes of time are naturally regular
The confusion grows out OF the fact that each railway
fixes upon some arbitrary standard Of time for itself
alone independent Of all other time standards. Hence
tho four hundred and prominent railways east OF
the Rocky Mountains have almost all conceivable sand
ards OF tie and all blind to the public as tho spDnXs
riddle little careful study OF these time standards
will reveal the fact that the tendency Is on the one hahu
eastward toward NewYork City tme and on the other
and
somewhat subordinate nucleus is also found In the
vicinity of Columbus OHIO. Very little attention seems
10 be given 10 the fact that distance north ana sOuth
makes no difference Of time On account OF this TACT IL
woud really require little change to bring all stan
dards 70 a perfect system
Suppose tho time OF the scvcnty-fourth merdlan OF
longitude Io long ". Greenwich were taken as
the standard time for all in the Eastern states and
along the Atlantic Coast. This is New York city tne
the time toward which, have seen, al eastern siu
ards TO tend Then suppose the tle 0I 6T W gisy
ninth meridian were taken for all r0aqS III thG western
states and down the Mississippi valley Ihis tlme
Would he about five minutes slower than chicago le'
fce minutes faser than ST. Ions time ana Io lUs ~,
faster than New-Oreans time TINS Wonid DC ] u I,iI
cOmurnmsc between Chicago and 81 Louis tIme O"aru
which standards seem to tend ana would ne an
exact hour slower than the eastern or New oI@ sti -
OF having an exact hours dnlcfehcc
between the standard times for the East ana or tne
West - apparent rms Dslng the aT' % neH HepSIe of
a Western rond would bring It 10 Eastern time ana
Embracing one hour from any expression Of time upon
the timetable OF Eastern road would bring It to Wett
crn time II such system were adopted, sllnpe;
time correction" might be attached TO the name OF
each place to bring IT. local time to standard time
which being done, the time OF the place would DC a.
readily known as its locality Then every one wond
know the relation OF hls time 10 standard tme' ana
might MT glance find its relation to the local tme OF
any place he might chance TO VISIT anu Oh cpulsc @ Nv,
ing s relation standard time at home, he KNOWS tnat
tins relation is preserved wherever he may CO. ,
Surprising as may scem nearly One-hait ot the iouI
hun Irr railways above mentioned zone hunuIcu anu
cIghtyfour ght adopt the Other OF the above.
standards wthou changing their present running tme
I tn exceed five minutes. II an intermediate time,
thirty minutes slower than Eastern time, ana
of course thirty minutes faster than western
lime as above fixed, were taken as standard
time by all the roads running Dy COluul,
i'm. Ohio time and by all others witEin the compass OF
five minutes change II would include over iity roads
more So by a little concert of action more than one-nalI
Gf m the roads east OF the Rocky Mountains might sys
rinatze their standard time. that everybody c0ud
md n, and their timetables, without changing thelr
trespnt ruUuin time much as to attract puDlc atte
lion II ali these roads 20 do TINS, ~ Is believed
Int all ofhcrs would fall into line and compbto the sys-
tenn Cauuot something be donei CHARLES f. DoWD.
Saraiogu Springs April l 1873.