Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-12-15

In these dars O. modern methods.
manners and ~1o~rr +sa would. ,,a
traveller coA&jtjts the "glide book
and is soon in Possession of all the
necessary information about the ron.
inS palace that viii quickl. .ear m
from Maine to California or other de-
sired points. Tracing his route over
one road Or over sc;eral different rail
roads, it is all the same: the little
book tells him when he can start. how
long he must wait at coancnti2c
points, and prac-ica. y the exact hour
Of his arrival. What a coa4enience!
And yet, not SO veTy many years ago,
it was unheard Of The history Of the
railroad time table was given III an
interesting address recently delivered
20 members of the American Associa
ton of Local Freight Agents assem-
bled in the city of Savannah. Among
the speakers was d. G. Purse, presi-
dent Of the Board ef Trade of that
city, and he treated the subject in
the following attractive manner:
It was during the constructive
period of the Central Railroad of
Georgia, In 1889, that a point was
reached when because of the length
Of the line, great loss Of time was ex.
perlenced Ill the movement of trains
in opposite directions. Up to this
time trains had siding stations; the
10 wait until the train from an op-
posite direction pulled in, no matter
how many hours Of delay resulted,
such delays causing great annoyance
and embarrassment to both passen.
gers and shippers, as we'll as railroad
companies.
The remedy, which seems simple
as we look back at 1t, was proposed
by Thomas Purse, first superintend-
ent of the road, whose genius equated
the time table, but it was vigorously
opposed by fellow officials, who claim
ed he wanted to make dangerous
innovation In railroad operation aa
he risk et both life and property.
Loring o. Reynolds. ehief engineer
IN the construction OF the Central
Railroad, characterized the suggestion
IS an attempt Ito run = railroad on
paper, and seriously expressed the
apprehension that overwork and S1.
cessive anxiety had unbalanced Mr..
Purses intellect, as such suggestion
could only have its birth In an affect
ed mind. He carried the matter to
President Gordon, urging him to veto
the proposed attempt to run trains "oA
paper" but Gordon did not share in
his grave apprehension regarding the
sanity of the superintendent and de-
clined to interfere.
Suffice it to say, the first practica;
application of the time table, or
schedule book, as it was then desis-
2ated, was in every way successful,
and thus belongs to the Central Rail-
road the credit Of being the first rail-
road In tho world to operate lts
trains by an equated time table
In the summer of the same year.
1889, Supt. Purse made a tour of tho
northern and eastern states to study
their advance in railroad construction
and operation, and reported on his
return that his own railroad was in
advance Of all others in progressive
methods of operation.
Shortly after his return home IN
the fall of 1889, Supt Purse introduc-
cd bell cords on trains. and in the
winter of the same year he introduced
stoves into his coaches for the com.
fort Of his passengers, in both in
stances in advance Of the employment
Of beD lines and stoves by othet rail
roads.