private function _tableExists() {

        // Try a select statement against the table
        // Run it in try/catch in case PDO is in ERRMODE_EXCEPTION.
        try {
            $result = mysqli_query($this->link,"SELECT 1 FROM $this->table_name LIMIT 1");
        } catch (\Exception $e) {
            // We got an exception == table not found
            return FALSE;
        }

        // Result is either boolean FALSE (no table found) or PDOStatement Object (table found)
        return $result !== FALSE;
    }