Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-05-26
ASLEEP At SWITCH
Fate Of Professor Thinkist's
Scheme for Operating Rail-
road Without Engines
or Train Crews.
nv HARRY M. ooTY.

reached in nearly everything scientif,
and mechanical But progress hal
gone on even more rapidly since tina
time than in the years which inter
vened between the stage-coach day.
of 1850 and the slaughter-by-auto days
OF 1907.
The president Of the great r. and N
system sat in his luxuriously uphol
stored chair in, his luxuriously fur
nished private Office, lost in thought
Ever and anon, as IL to quicken the
coming Of ideas, he ran his shapely
fingers through his abundant locks,
now well tinged with gray.
The problem with which he was
wrestling was the same one with
which he was contending in 1907-19OS
that is, how TO decrease expenses
and increase dividends; but the solu-
ton seemed as far away as ever.
The buzzer on his desk informed
him that some one desired an inter
view He touched a button which
raised a curtain in a room three sto-
ries below, and exposed to the gaze
of the caller seated therein a sign
which read; Name and business,
please"
The caller crossed the room and
spoke in the transmitter Of the phono.
print, a recent invention. connected by
wire with the recordograph on the
presidents desk.
The recordograph contains a com
plete outfit OF type. each letter at
tached to a wire so sensitively and
delicately adjusted that, as a word is
spoken into the phonoprint, each let
ter composing the word is automatical
ly released, linked. and brought in con-
tact with a card, distinctly printing
the word and ejecting the card when
the sentence is completed. 1t is now
in universal use, having replaced the
slow and inefficient telegraph service
about five years ago.
The card which was elected from
the presidents recordograph bore the
printed inscription:
J. GREATHEAD THINKIST,
Expense Reduction Specialist
Interview requested.
Expense Reduction Specialist"
were really the only words the presi-
dent saw. Quickly he pressed another
button, which uncovered the sign, Re
quest granted" whereupon the special
list entered the pneumatic elevator and
was whisked up to the magnate's pri.
vate office.
There he was cordially received,
and proceeded Immediately to bust
ness.
My errand here" said he, sis to
unfold to you, by the aid of this model,
a railroad expense reduction scheme
which | believe is to revolutionize the
railroad systems of the world-that is,
unless, of course, one of Americas |
foremost roads should purchase the |
exclusive right to use it,"
After waiting a moment to assure
himself that the great railroad presi-
dent had fully comprehended the Eek
elusive right" hint, he continued:
This scheme, of course, will neces-
state the expenditure OF considerable |
money at the outset, but the saving
will be so great that this will be more
than returned in a few weeks. The |
road must be equipped for operation by
electricity. The current will be SUP.
lied by storage-batteries Of my own
invention, more compact and a hun
dredfold more powerful than any now
in use.
Practically the only expense for
current will be for charging the bat
teries to run the first train, as each
car will contain a battery-charging
fitted with a small dyna-
mo operated by a belt from the car
wheels. Thus when the cars reach
the terminals the batteries will be
fully charged and ready to furnish
power for drawing other trains and
exhausted batteries will be put in their
places.
You see, this also practically solves
the problem OF perpetual motion; but
that is secondary. Expense reduction
is what we seek primarily"
Just So" said the president, but
proceed. The scheme looks good 40
far. I'm getting interested"
About how much is the aggregate
weekly salary Of your train crews at
the present timer" asked the expense
reduction specialist.
The president communicated with
the accounting department and found
the figures to be $9,899.9S.
How much do you pay your Office
ooyE' inquired the special.
Since his last increase, $2.25 per
week" replied the president.
Then" said the specialist won
Would save in salaries Just 1887 rs
per week, the difference between his
weekly stipend and the train crew
pay roll. BY reducing the boys salary
two cents, you would effect a saving
of exactly $9,S91.75 per week. And Won
also do away with your coal bills. be.
cause, as above stated, the storage
l.