The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-21
Webb c. Ball, Railroad Watch
King of America.
COntrO's 1850 Miles of Rail-
way With His Time.
STARTED INSPECTION.
Mr.. Ball Made Out First Schedule
in 1892.
Other Items of General Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Chicago, Jan. 21.-An unseen man,
whose name, if mentioned. has had
meaningless sound, is helping the
green lights, the white lights and the
red lights, the wooden arms that
reach across the tracks, the railmak-
ers. the car builders and the train dis
patchers to make travel both swift
and safe by day and night.
1t may be, in the way of protect
ing life and in the matter of saving
legs and arms, not to mention heads.
necks and backs. that Webb c. Ball.
time expert on 125,OOO miles OF rail-
roads, is beating all the hospitals in
the United States and most of the doc
tors, besides. 1t may be.
If ones watch were thirty seconds
slow or fast. it would make no appre-
ciable difference in the routine of
ones pleasure or business. Measured
in feet, however, thirty seconds equal
a half mile, and more to the locomo-
tive engineer of a high velocity spe
cial or a twentieth century flyer. A
half mile either way from the approx
innate spot of the running schedule
might mean 100 lives and a property
loss of many thousands of dollars.
Keeps Watches in Order.
It is Mr.. Balls duty to see that the
watches of engineers and conductors
from New York to San Francisco and
from Chicago to New Orleans are SO
nearly exact month in and month out
that sideswiping and collisions, head
on and from behind, are at least the
oretically impossible, If orders are
obeyed and signals are rightly read
and not disregarded. Nearly all the
great railway systems of the United
States have put the technical details
of their time into his management.
He has offices in Cleveland, Chicago
and San Francisco. and his assistants
are travelling the country constantly.
Ultimately, OF course, some man
would have thought out his scheme
of watch and clock Inspections
some other man than Morse would
have invented the telegraph-but to
Mr.. Ball alone as pioneer belongs
the honor of its conception and per-
lection. He is sixty years old and
while his hair and beard are pretty
gray, the steam of youth is in his step
and the eagerness of youth is in his
vision. Moreover, he is an energetic
and prosperous merchant and manu-
facturer.
IT was a farmers son." he said,
. 'and my first investment was a meri-
no lamb that I bought of Columbus
Delano. our nearest neighbor and the
secretary of the interior during the
administration of Gen. Grant. While
learning the watchmaker's trade I
worked a year for nothing. The Sec
ond year my wages were 81 week.
No boy would apprentice himself so
that may not be conducive to good
craftsmanship
Finds Variable Time.
Returning to Cleveland one one oc-
casion with John Newell. president OF
the Lake Shore road, and William H.
Canniff, the superintendent, 1 suggest
ed a plan of watch inspection. The well
known Kipton accident proved that the
watch of one of the engineers was I'M
reliable and that the conductor of the
accommodation train had neglected his
business. A meeting of the operating
officers of the railway was held soon
after and 1 was authorized to get ur
a scheme of inspection and also to in
veStigate conditions on all the import
ant lines east of Chicago. l found that
railroads were run hit or miss, with
-'espec. to clocks and watches, and that
practically every city and town had its
own uncertain and. variable time. Ii
some Instances the ringing of the schoo
bells OF the " histles of factories, fur
races and mills regulated the getting
Up, the lying down and the meals OF
the populace.
STANDARD time had been adopted by
the railways. but the average either
observed what he was pleased to cal
sun time. and resented with much bit
terness of spirit any railroad tamper-
ing With his sacred clock or brass
watch. In one place that / visited, {
venerable inhabitant, a local literary
character, fiouriched his hickory cant
over my head. saying: Damn old Van.
derbilt's time. We want Gods time
The Vanderbilts cannot run me if they
dc run the rest of the country, by
Jehosaphatv Travelling in the state O.
Ohio, and keeping tally on piece O.
paper, marked up II different kind:
of time in as many towns, cities anC
railroad centers.''
KATY GIVES AWAY To2TZENS