The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-10-25
EARLY TIME TABLES
THE FIRST RAILWAY GUIDE THAT WAS
ISSUED IN ENGLAND.

Difficulties the Manchester Quaker
Had to Overcome-Trnvelin In the
Old Time Pioneer Trains.
1t was an inspired moment when 1t
occurred TO George Bradshaw, the Man
chester Quaker and map engraver, to
publish his time table in 1889, and even
lf his intricate pages, as has been sug-
! gested, have helped to drive many a
man out of his wits, it is quite certain
that John Bull could never 90 without
| his Bradshaw.
In the early days of this friend Of
those who travel by rail PmcA pub
lished an amusing, if not very truthful
skit entitled "Bradshaw-A Mystery"
in which two young lovers, severed by
leagues Of railway, plan to meet by
the friendly assistance of Bradshaw
But, after consulting his pages until
they were on the verge of lunacy, the
lady, in despair, exclaims, Bradshaw
has nearly maddened me-" And me-"
reioins Orlando.
He talks of trains arriving that never
start,
OF trains that seem to start and ne'er ar
rive,
OF functions where no union is effected,
OF coaches meeting trains that never
come,
and so on, but the genial Quaker only
smiled and went on his way.
J,, t1,Ag, 1.,,g 40 Ia.
dom is covered with an intricate net
work of many thousands of miles of
railways and when its time tables
spread over considerably more than
thousand densely packed pages of
type, it seems impossible to imagine
time when you could count all the rail,
ways on the fingers of one hand and
when the only guide was Il medal car
ried in the pocket, on which were en-
graved the times of starting of dozen
trains of the Grand Junction railway.
This was the condition Of things in
the year of Queen VictOria's accession,
and two years later, on Oct. 10, 1885,
Bradshaw published his first Railway
Time Table, a tiny pamphlet four and
n half inches long and three inches
wide, bound in green cloth with gold
lettering. 1t was nothing more than
collection of the monthly time tables
issued by the seven railway companies
then in existence and was as modest a
volume as ever came from the press.
OF this pioneer Bradshaw there are
only four copies now in existence, Of
which two are in the BOileinn library
at oxford, and if by chance one of
them We're to come into the market it
would certainly fetch many times its
weight in gold.
The success of his Time Table en-
couraged Bradshaw to more amb-
tious effort, and he inaugurated the
year 1910 by publishing his Railway
Companion, twin volume of but thir-
ty-eight pages, including maps, and
sold at shilling. This was quite inde-
pendent of his Time Table and publish
ed concurrently for eight years, when
the two volumes were merged in the
Guide.
These original Bradshaws were
published at irregular intervals and
were kept up to date by the issue Of
monthly time sheets, which often fail
ed to make their appearance until the
9th or 9th of the month, from the diff
Guilty in learning the changes in times
from the railway authorities.
The companies, indeed, strongly re-
sented Bradshaw's innovation and put
every possible obstacle in his way. But
their obstinacy was not proof against
the Quaker's ingenuity and persistence,
and at last they capitulated and actu-
ally agreed, at his request, to adjust
their time tables for the beginning Of
each month. 1t was on Dec. 1. 1871,
that Bradshaw began to publish his
Guide monthly "under the direction
and with the assistance of the railway
companies" and from this date things
began to run smoothly for him.
The first monthly Guide was of thir- |
ty-two pages and contained forty-two |
or forty-three lines of railway, to such |
an extent had they multiplied in four
or five years. 1t was published both in
volume form and displayed on a single
large sheet, price threepence, which
could be mounted on a stiff board and |
hung up in offices and business houses.
In 1S43 Bradshaw had blossomed
into the Monthly General Railway
and Steam Navigation Guide. with
elaborate tables containing 'list of
shares, exhibiting at one view the cost
traffic length, dividend and market
value of the same"
These early railway guides are most
reading. The trains are de.
as first class second class
mixed, fast and mail. Third class trav.
elers had the choice of travelling on the
roof or in open wagons resembling cat
tie trucks, while gentlemen riding in
their own carriages are charged second
class fares. Luggage was carried on
The roof.-New York Herald.
Race Memory of Birds.
L am never tired of watching my