The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-02-16
The Man Who Brought About the Me-
ridian Scheme.

Are you able to ride along in street.
car without reading every sign-boafd in
regular sticcessi6nP Can you pass row
of posts without ihstinctively counting
themP Isn't there something in your mind
that irresistib1y compels you to step oil
alternate tiaggings, if the make of the
sidewalk permitsp / knew a man who
took these tendencies for incipient in
sanity, and went to noted authority
for consultation. Going down Broad
way, yesterday, saw a man who step
ped with an odd precision which sug-
gested the questions above given. Not
only were his strides strangely perfect
in regularity, but it was clear that his
course was laboriously calculated. He
was watchful for every obstacle. He
jostled nobody. He did not have to
stop at the corners to avoid vehicles. l
called my companions attention to this
singularity.
''He is running himself on an mag
mary timetable" was the reply.
what do you mean by thatP" l
asked.
"That is William Frederick Allen, the
author of the new time system. He is
an expert in railroad timetables, and
what you see in his gait and movements
is a mannerism gained from his bust
ness" There is going to be 'Beauti-
full Snow" sort of controversy as to the
authorship of the new timing plan and
| thought it was as well to investigate.
My friend was right. Allen is the man.
At q desk in big front room at 46
Bond street, just off the Bowery, he sits
during business hours every day. He Is
a voting man whose time is occupied
to an amazing degree with visitors, with
great sheets of printed figures, with bus
mess by telegraph and telephone and
with an interminable round of messen-
gers, both going at his order and COM
ing upon errands for others. He is quick
as cat and methodical as weaver.
His friends say that he was always able
to do the three things at once, and he
says that of late twice that number of
things is constantly before him. This
is the man who has given its new stand
ard of time to the country He is a
good-looking, intelligent man, thirty
seven years old, with the spare frame
and pale complexion of man used to
hard sedentary work. He wears suit
of black, without jewelry, and this and
his close-cut side whiskers reaching be-
low his ears gives him the appearance
of Young. English divine. He is a
typical PhiIadelphian, with none of the
dash and show of New Yorker. He
receives handsome salary, and lives
in a pretty house in one of the suburbs
He is married and has three children
MANY people had given years of study
to the subject before he took it up, enc
he gives credit to each of those who con
tributed to what has now been consum
mated.
The fact of the matter is that the
thing could only be done by joint actor
, of the great railroads, and none of those
who studied the subject arranged tx
put their plans into practical shape OF
to get the ear of more than one set o
railroad officials at time. Their PLAN
, were like the house that rich sea Cap
/ tain insisted upon having built Just a
he designed it. When it was built, hi
/ found that he had to get out into TIN
r yard and put up ladder to get to tn
+ second story. They all forgot to pu