Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-01-13
WAS DECLARED TO
BE INSANE.
invention Of inealeulable Value 10
Modern Times at One Time Derided
Its Worth owed Cniy by Practi-
cal Application.

In these days Of @odern methods,
manners and means the woull-5e
traveller consults the guido book
and is soon il Possession 81 al the
necessary information about the roll.
ing palace that will quickly sear IA
from Maine to California or other de-
sired points. Tracing his route over
0ue road or over s"Yeeal diGere.f rail
roads, it is all The same; IN EI;Is
book tells him NAel#&o s4a s+e; EaH
long he must Wa5s 1t - #4.i.=-st..e.
points, and practice. tee exact fJu1
If his arrival. !, naz= a=e..-41.. z@.e.-
and yet not SO Fe1f n#ez Ez.l.# a.-9
It W5s uaheerd o.. e tzf-z =
railroad tiM9 t.sa5t ia
IutaTastin@ a6.iIe f2=7=H.s = 'G=araa
. members of -" .zzl=t#5.afs= -==al&.
fion Of Local Fralgh4 za5#=
8Ied in the city of Savaeaa5I. -zz5a.z
he speakers We sa.ts=Fs4=z
dent Of Iha Bcaa at Tra 80 e4..az
5ity. and Ii t#ea;@# tAe 48s II
The following attractive asa#e.,z
It was aurin4 rae caass .t5allYe
pe4od Of the e-aHa asfF Of
Georgia in 1883 taat pest waa
reached whom. b.. =e5-= o. st8
Bf the line, great los u tyne ex
Derianced il tie uosoaea5 - 5aaias
IA opposite dire :oa@. VI t0#this
time trains had siding stations: tas
aIst train reachtng=one Of then LAD
20 wait until the ain from an op.
oosite direction pulled in, no matter
how many hours Gf delay resulted,
such delays causing great annoyance
and embarrassment to both passea.
gers and shippers. as we'll as railroad
companies.
The remedy, which seems simple
as we look back at it, was proposed
by Thomas Purse, first superintend-
ert of the road. whose genius equated
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
he risk cf both life and property.
Loring o. Reynolds, chief engineer
IN the construction OF the Central
Railroad, characterized the suggestion
- an attempt Ito run = railroad Oh
paper" and seriously expressed the
apprehension that overwork and u.
cessive anxiety had unbalanced Mr..
Purses intellect, as such a suggestion
could only have its birth In an affect
ed mind. He carried the matter to
President Gordon, urging him to vete
the proposed attempt to run trains "on
paper" but Gordon did not share in
his grave apprehension regarding the
sanity Of the superintendent and d.
clined to interfere.
Suffice it to say, the first practicA.
Of the time table, or
Achedule book, as it was then desia-
Mated, 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 its
trains by an equated time tabla
In the summer Of tho same year:
1889. 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 progressive
methods of operation.
Shortly after his return home IN
the fall Of 1889, Supt. Purse introduo,
cd bell cords on trains. and in the
winter of the same year he introduced
stoves into his coaches for the con-
fort Of his passengers, in both in,
stances in advance of the employment
Of beD lines and stoves by othet raii
roads.