Evening journal., 1912-03-30
Wayfarer' S Note Book
YELLOW And MHITE.

YELLOW AND WHITE.
William Berl is president of The
James Bradford Company His hand
some home is at No 1903 Market
street. Not far from il is the home OF
Judge George Gray. The Berl home
is a,tractively painted. The dominant
colors are yellow and white. That
gives to the property brightness and
neatness. Il attracts the attention Of
all who pass il on foot or I'll vehi-
cles. Many favorable comments are
made on the colorlng of the house
by persons who do not know that they
represent failure by Mr.. Bcrl and
his color experts to create a differ
ent effect. Behind that lies story
not yet told in print
Mr. Berl went to Europe on a
pleasure trip. When i'm Germany he
saw a house that was painted yell
low and white. The combination was
so effective he decided that when he
returned home he would have his
home painted the same way. Fear
ing to trust his memory he hired a
German painter to paint small boards
with the same colors. When they
We're dry he put them in his luggage
and in due time reached home with
them. Taking the boards to his factory
he directed his paint mixers to make
up colors to correspond. They tried,
aud failed. Other efforts, equally fu-
tile, we're made. All the resources of
the big establishment were called
.nto play without success. The Ger
man colors could not be reproduced
with American ingredients. They
could be approached. and that was all.
Finally Mr.. Berl and his men aban-
doned their efforts and the Berl home
was painted as it is today, which was
the nearest approach that could be
made to the colors Mr.. Berl had
brought across the Atlantic with him,
if white may be called a color
COLONEL AYDON'S LONG ACTIVITY
Colonel John w. Aydon, publicity
agent for the Philadelphia, Baltimore
and Washington railroad, part of the
big Pennsylvania railroad system, next
Monday will complete the forty-fourth
year of his service with the company.
Inquiry by the Wayfarer elicits tho
information that although Colonel
Aydon was "a train dispatcher during
twenty-nine years of that period, and
for Eve years chief train dispatcher.
he never caused the loss of the life OF
one of the millions of passengers who
rode I'm trains that moved under the
direction Of himself and his subordi-
mates. He left the dispatchers oiiice
with a clear record That is the
more remarkable owing TO the fact
that during most of the time of such
operation, part of the p, B. and W
system was single-track. The Colonel,
as publicity agent for the grand diyi-
sion. is doing earnest and effective
work all along the line.
In 1866 Colonel Aydon was mes
senger boy in the office of the West
ern Union Telegraph Company. at
Third and Market streets. this city.
He applied himself diligently, learned
telegraphy, became an expert and in
1868 Went to Clayton as an. operator.
There his proficiency aud popularity
with the railroad officials led, in 1872,
TO his promotion to the position of
train dispatcher, and his long career
IN that capacity began.- Since the
Colonel left the dispatcher's Office tc
serve as -puhheity agent he has made
good, here and elsewhere, and il is z
hard-hearted city editor. indeed, whC
can refuse any request he makes fol
space. --'
The Colonel has the happy asset Of
being a good mixer. He also is warm
hearted and generous. and make:
friends wherever he. goes, One secret
of his success is pursuance OF the
policy that the newspapers are en-
titled to know the truth relative tC
railroad affairs. The old policy was
that they only were entitled to know
so much as they might be. able &
ascertain by sleuthing Colone
Aydon. like many other railroad mel
of today takes the ground that frank
ness is the best policy in dealing will
newspapers. and he has pursued tha
line in his publicity work for th'
company.
The Colonel was the first man q
bring to Delaware an internationa
convention Of any sort. In 1907
through his efforts, the Internationa
Convention Of Municipal Electrician
OF the United States and Canada me
here There Is no Wilmingtonia
who was alive then who has for
gotten the results of Colonel Aydon'
untiring efforts to have the people ex
tend TO the delegates a hearty wei
come. There never had been before
and there never has been since, sue
a display of electric lights. TIL
decorations were superb When tn
delegates were preparing to leav
they said that OF all the places tha
previously had entertained the as
sociation, none had equalled Whining
ton.
Colonel Aydon was superinter
dent of the fire and police telegrap
system in this city for fourteen year
He made il what It is today. Whe
it came TO a question whether th
Gaynor or the Gamewell systei
should be put I'm, he urged the adoI
E tion of the latter system. City Coui
p ril disregarded his advice and pt
, in the Gaynor plant Within eigl
teen months the Gaynor system W.
discarded and the Gamewell syl
TEN substituted. The loss to ii
city from failure by Council to hee
Colonel AydOn's advice was $500
Colonel Aydon was elected thil
president of the Municipal Electr
!. clans Convention in Elmira, n. y
. in 1891. In 1906 he was elected Il
FIRST president OF the Train Di
patchers' Association in IIarrisbur
Pa. His name is known in a
parts Of the country as a result
his activities in those associations.
Politically. Colonel Aydou is
Democrat In 1852 he ran for Ci