RPC Handler - how to add another..?

we've got an RPCXML server on a linux box receiving request from PHP pages being served through apache. I need to add a few new Handlers to it (I wrote the original server) and for some crazy reason I can't get the server to recognize the new Handlers - I've added them to the handlers properties file (nope) and hard coded them (for testing to see if I'm crazy) them into the server... nope.

If I remove existing handlers from the config file the debug shows they don't get loaded, and subsequent calls for them throws an error (handler not found). If I put them back in the properties file, the existing handlers get loaded and run normally....this confirms I'm affecting the correct properties file. Add the new handlers to this file and.... nothing. If I remove the new handler's class file the server throws an error (class not found as listed in the properties file) but if I try to call its methods I get an error does not exist... *banging head on wall*

help!

Dave