The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-30
EASTERN TIME.
How It Works in Augusta-Letter From
M O ..c.r. A L.

how IL w oTkS IN AuguSta-Letter FROM
ez-Nayor Alexander.
Augusta, Ga, Dec. 26.--Editor Morning
News: l take pleasure in giving you the
desired statement. In reference to the
adoption of 18th Meridian time as the stan
dard city time in Augusta and the entire
satisfaction with which our community
has settled down to it.
Augusta had labored, as your city la
bors now. under three times. some of our
railroads operating by 9Oth Meridian, some
by 18th, and the people. the banks. fac
tories and schools endeavoring to hold
TO sun time.
Some eight years ago the city council
declared 90th Meridian as the official city
time and invoked concurrent action of all
the people in the adoption of it, and the
people tried it in good faith for about
sixty days Then there was general re-
volt. and everything went back to sun
time again, except the railroads, and the
old state of confusion and perpleXty
was fully restored and continued until
1891
The objection was that the 90th Meridian
Yves intolerably slow, and set back the
whole business OF the day thirty-two
minutes. This was felt in the schools, the
banks and workshops, and all the domes-
tic affairs of our households, from the
kitchen fire in the morning to the pillow
of repose at night. The insensible, but
potent influence of the clock, told on
everybody, and the effect OF it was
dead give away and loss of a half hour
day. There were many of us who felt
from the first that the change was made
in the wrong direction, and would be
more acceptable and of easier adoption
if the eastern time was made the stand
ard. the idea being that the advance of
our clocks twenty-eight minutes instead
of setting them back thirty-two min
utes, would be rather a tonic and stmu-
liant to all the business and labor of the
day, than a sedative. the eastern time
would be an actual gain if we could con-
form to it. where the other had been an
actual recoverable loss.
In January, 1891, the first regular ses-
sion after l became mayor a motion was
made in the city council looking to re-
newal of the effort to establish city
standard. and declaring for the Goth Me-
ridian again, which had been once tried
and abandoned.
took the opportunity to impress my
view in favor OF 18th Meridian upon the
council and succeeded fully in doing so,
the result being the adoption of resolu-
ton declaring the 18th Meridian the stand
ard of city time on and after March
next ensuing, and inviting banks, facto-
ries, mills, schools and other public insti-
tutions to cooperate in the effort to re-
lieve our community of the confusion and
perplexity of several standards. Accord
ingfy, on the day appointed, March l,
1891, the city hall clock was set forward
twenty-eight minutes at noon, and the
people who had suffered so much and so
helplessly assisted the effort by general
conformity, and 1 assure You that
in - five, days time everybody fell
into it. and in thirty days for
got toey had done so, lost sight Of
the change, and have moved along in per-
feet harmony of time ever since.
It is true some factories and workshops
that used to ring their bells at o. IL and
6o'clock, began to ring at $50, 1890 and
$50 o'clock, but in those cases everyone
fell into ready unders landing Of the
change, and no confusion resulted. can
say truthfully you never hear a question
here now as to what time IS meant. unless
it is case of Central railroad or Georgia
railroad time, then it is understood rail-
road time is one hour behind city time,
and in fact these roads advertise here by
city time altogether.
There are several good reasons why Sa-
vannah will more easily fall into 18th Me-
ridian time, and, indeed, by all right and
reason ought to be governed by it than
Augusta. You need it more, I will ven
ture to say, than we do, and 1t costs
you only twenty-four minutes at the
start, where it costs us twenty-eight min
utes and again by far your most impor-
tant railroad connections run by it, or
ought to do SO. for they connect with it
close by. But I need not discuss these,
for they will all be obvious to anyone who
thinks carefully of It. Suffice it now to
say further, only that the adoption OF
eastern time here has done for US all that
was expected in relieving us of all doubts
or differences and oonfusions, and that II
cost but imperceptible effort 10 accom-
pIsh 1t. II came easy to do it, and has
given universal satisfaction, and in so far