The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-13

or the American Association of Local freight Agents Association in the city or savannah. Among the speakers was D. G. Purse. president of the Board of Trade of that city. and he treated the subject in the following attractive man. ner
 It was during the constructive period or the Central Railroad of Georgia that point was reached when. because of the length of the line. great loss of time was experienced in the movement of trains in opposite directions. Up to this ,. time trains had siding stations: the first train reaching one of them had to wait until the train from an opposite direction pulled in. no matter how many hours of delay resulted, embarrassment to both passengers and shippers. as we'll as rail- road companies. with attendant expenses incident thereto.
 The remedy was. 1t seems to-day, for such condition of things, quite a sim pie one but Thomas Purse. first super intendent of the Central Railroad, whose genius equated the time table as the so- lution of the problem confronting rail- roads. was severely criticised when he proposed to make a practical test of his conception. for attempting, as it was claimed. to make a dangerous innovation in railroad operation at the risk of both life and property.
 Lorlng O. Reynolds. chief engineer in tho construction of tho Central Railroad. characterized the suggestion ns an at- tempt "to run railroad on paper" and seriously expressed the apprehension that ovorwork and excessive anxiety had un- balanced MT. Purse's intellect. as such suggestion could only have It's birth in m affected mind.
 That ME. Reynolds was deeply concern cd about Ahe matter is shown by the fact that ho carricd his misgiv;ngs as to the tho sanity of Mir. Purse to President Gordon. and urged him to put his veto on tho proposed attempt to run e train on tho Central Railroad "on paper" President Gordon did not share in tho apprehension of his chief engineer re- sarding tho sanity of hia superintendent, and in concluding added that he could not restrain Mir, Purse If he 10 deeired, as tho condition upon which he assunn- cd tho superintondency mado him free from such restraint. and at liberty to pursue hIs own inclinaticns in such mat ters.
 Suffice 1t to say tho first practical np- plicatlon of the limo table, or schedule book. us It was then dosiganted. wnE in every way successful, and thus belongs to the Central Railroad tho credit of be- ing the first railroad in tho world to op- crate Its trains by an cquatcd time table, eliminating tho expensive and ombarrasa- inR delays that wore daily becoming more perplexlng as railroads increased their mileage and their trains, and to an adopt cd citizen of Georgia the so.e crodit for conception that cvon in thet day, ns suoi as known simplifed tho train scr- vice for all tinn.
 In the summer of tho samo year. iss9, Superintendent Purse made a 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 progressive methods of opera ton. It was during the trip that 5upor- intendent Purse made his first practical test of the time table outside of Georgia He carried letters of introduction to the President of the Boston and Worcester railroad. When he called to present his letters the President was out, but MT. King, the ce-President, received him. Superintendent Purse explained the value Of the timo table to him. as in use on his Georgia railroad, and offered to give the