Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-11-16

In those days Of modern methods.
manners a1d me rs the worid-Je
traveller consults the guide book"
and is soon il possession Of all the
necessary Information about the rob
ing palace ttat vi! quickly bear n
from Maine to California or other de-
sired points. Tracing his route over
one road or over scTeral different rail
roads, it is all the same; the l.ttle
book telle him when he can start. how
long he must wait at connecting
points, aad .,:a,' 'c".. = the exact hour
IF hi arrival! N,.-c> a convenience!
And yet. not SO very .lan:' years ago,
it was uaheard Of. 7 he history of TIE
railroad time table vas given in al
Iuterc sing address recently delivered
o members Of the american Associa
lion of LEGAL Freight A"aats assem-
bled in the city of Savannah Among
the erca'scrs was 3. G. Pure. psesi-
dent of the EoagG OF Trade of that
city, and he treated the subject in
the following attractive manner:
It VIZ. during the constructive
period Of the Central Railroad Of
Georgia, in 1885, that a point was
reached when, because of the length
of the lire, great loss OF time was eX.
pertsncea ia the movement of trains
IL opposite directions. Up to this
time trains had siding stations; the
fist train reaching one OF them had
70 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 well az railroad
companies.
The re-.e>y, which seems simple
as we look back at it. was proposed
by Thomas Purse, first superntend-
ert of the road, whose genigs eQuatec
the time table, but It was vigorously
opposed by fellow officials. who claim
I'd he wanted to make a dangerous
innovation in railroad operation at
the risk of both life and property.
Loring O. Reynolds. chief engineer
III the construction Of the Central
Railroad. characterized the suggestion
as an attempt 'to run railroad on
paper, and seriously expressed the
apprehension that ovnrwor!l and ex-
cessive anxiety had unbalanced Mr.
purSes intellect, as such a SUGGESTION
could only have its birth in an affect
ed ni.Id. He carried tho matter tc
President Gordon, urging him to veto
the proposed attempt to run trains "on
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 practical
application of the time table. or
schedule book, as it was then desig-
2ated, was in every way successful,
and thus belongs to the Central Rail-
road the credit of being the first rail.
road in the world to operate it,
trains by an equated time table
In the summer OF the same year.
1899, Supt. Purse made tour of the
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 progr gressive
methods of operation.
Shortly after his return home Il
the fall Of 1889, Supt Purse introduc,
ed 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 empl.,yment
Of bell lines and stoves by otttf rail
roads