Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-15
SYSTEM IS PRIDE
OF CLAIM ADJUSTER
r. N. FOWLER HAS DEVISED A
NOVEL PLAN
Pacific Electric official Keeps His
secret Well Guarded, but Re-
suits Of System Are
Well Known

From the life Of a country boy with
no education in an obscure little Ohio
town. to a position as one of the most
trusted men in the life of great rail-
road system and the originator Of a
bookkeeping system which promises
To become famous throughout the
United states. is the enviable lot that
has befailen F. M. Fowler, chief claim
adjuster of the Pacific Electric Rail-
road company.
Mr.. Fowler's history has been re-
narkable one in demonstrating what
energy and determination in the right
direction can do for a country boy de-
string to make his mark in the world
IL you should walk into the offices Of
the Pacific Electric Railroad company
any day, and state your claim against
the company for some accident or
trouble you will be shown to beauti-
ful Office, a private one, not the long
room with the stacks of books with
papers and files, thrown around as you
have always seen in claim adjusters
Offices. but Just a fine private Office and
there you will meet Mr.. Fowler.
One stenographer you will find IN
his room and only one, but If you refer
to any incident connected with the ad-
juster's department for the past few
months you will find that almost before
YOU have stated your claim, the data
and information Of the entire incident
will be brought forth.
New System of Books
That is the great part of his success
that Mr.. Fowler prides himself upon
and it is said by all the railroad men o.
Los Angeles who understand the intr'-
cate detail of a railroad office that the
claim adjuster has discovered system
of bookkeeping which will do away
with half of the labor of clerks and
stenographers and yet keep the books
of railroads in neat compact form,
easily and quickly handled by two or
three people.
Mr.. Fowler was born in the little
town of Urichville, Ohio, 46 years age.
His early life was spent at home and
such were the arduous duties of assist
ing in the work of the household that
he secured only two weeks of school
ing before leaving home.
FIis departure from the family hearth
was at an early age and until 1890 his
life was spent in various cities of the
East and West. He came to Los An.
geles in 1890 and secured position
with the police department. He served
in that capacity for several years and
was later called to work with the Pa
cific States Telephone company.
Nineteen months ago, Mr.. Fowler
was called upon to take position
as claim adjuster of the Pacific Electric
Railroad company. In order to prop
erly fulfill the duties of the position it
was necessary to secure a man with
knowledge not only of bookkeeping, but
also of expert management and law.
Admitted to Practice
Mr.. Fowler was ready to accept the
position. In his life he had not only
planned a most remarkable system CT
bookkeeping and picked up an educa-
ton worthy of a graduate Of college,
but had also two certificates of his right
to practice in the courts of law.
Since taking charge of the business
of the adjusting department Of the Pa
cific Electric road, Mr.. Fowler has
increased the system until the company
now owns more than 250 miles of run
ming franchise. including the Mount
Lowe railroad, the North, South, East
and West divisions, also the Interur-
ban, Belt and Temple street lines.
With all OF the cars over these roads
I'm operation, a large number of acct
dents and cases coming under the juris-
diction of the claim department natur-
ally result.
All this business is being handled by
Mr.. Fowler and the railroad men of
the west are awaiting. with the inter-
est the day when he will give the Sc
cret of his bookkeeping method to the
railroad world.