private static boolean determineIsFirstColTime(String filePath)
   {
      final boolean DEFAULT_VALUE = false;

      try
      {
         final BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(filePath));

         // This parameter is the percentage of flexibility that is permitted from
         //    a perfectly even distribution of time values.  This function will
         //    most likely not work if this is set to zero because of floating-
         //    point math roundoff errors.
         //    (a setting of '0.05' is '5 percent')
         final double EQUALITY_FLEXIBILITY_PCT = 0.001;

         final int NUM_OF_VALUES_TO_CMP = 100;   // $ of time values to look examine

         final Vector possibleTimeValues = new Vector(NUM_OF_VALUES_TO_CMP);  // 'stores numOfValuesToCompare' values

         // Read the first 'numOfValuesToCompare' possible time values from the file
         //    and store them in 'possibleTimeValues'.
         String line = in.readLine();

         while ((possibleTimeValues.size()<NUM_OF_VALUES_TO_CMP) && ((line=in.readLine())!=null))
            possibleTimeValues.add(new Double(extractFirstNumber(line)));

         if (possibleTimeValues.size()<=1)
            return DEFAULT_VALUE;

         // See if there is equal spacing (with a flexibility of
         //    'equalityFlexibilityFactor') between all values in              // TODO TimeSeries is now messy...in need of design
         //    'possibleTimeValues'.
         if ((possibleTimeValues.size()>1) && possibleTimeValues.get(1).equals(possibleTimeValues.get(0)))
            return DEFAULT_VALUE;   // special case needed for very flat data


         final double expectedDiff = ((Double)possibleTimeValues.get(1)).doubleValue() -
                                     ((Double)possibleTimeValues.get(0)).doubleValue();
         final double flexibility = expectedDiff * EQUALITY_FLEXIBILITY_PCT;
         for (int x=1; x<possibleTimeValues.size(); x++)
         {
            if (Math.abs( ((Double)possibleTimeValues.get(x)).doubleValue() -
                          ((Double)possibleTimeValues.get(x-1)).doubleValue() - expectedDiff)
                > Math.abs(flexibility))
            {
               return false;
            }
         }   // end for loop

         return true;
      }
      catch (IOException e)
      {
         return DEFAULT_VALUE;
      }
   }  // end determineIsFirstColTime(.)