Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-02-23
From Hearth & Homo.
Railroads and Agricultures

habits of lite, modes OF farming,
kinds Of crops, etc, I suppose can
hardly now be estimated. Their
general political effect in uniting and
asslmilating the parts and people OF
every county, however much deprc-
Gated by lovers Of the curious and
unique IN the developments OF
human nature, is one to be rejoiced
at by patriots and philanthropists.-
Human nature loses its narrowncss
Of thought and its bigotry, and ad-
vances made in any department. OF
human thought or practical'lite spread
rapidly, and the general advancement
of civilization goes on with accel.
Grating speed. I have seen 1t inti
mated that the unification of Ger
many, which we may now perhaps
regard as substantially accomplished,
is more the result OF the railroads
facilitating intercourse between her
petty States than OF any master.
strokes OF Prussian craftsmanship;
and no doubt as time advances, and
these iron ways Of traffic and travel
penetrate the by-places Of Europe,
we shall find them an influence more
potent for peace, goodwill, and gen.
eral progress than any, or perhaps all
other causes combined. Travellers
tell us, somewhat regretfully, that
the characteristic costumes. manners
and dialects Of the formerly isolated
rural districts are rapidly disappear
ing, and peoples, dress, manners, and
language becoming homogeneous
The end OF this process when all
Asia is grit with railways even to the
extent that India is to- day, when the
African Central and 'Patagonian
Shore Lines run through trains with
out change OF cars, can be only par
italy and impertcctly imagined, but
I more than halt believe that the
"thousand years OF peace" will see
the land girt with railways and the
ocean depths with magnetic wires, and
that another iron age will bring the
political millennium.
But started to speak of the ef
fects OF railways upon American ag-
ricultural rather than upon general
civilization. The topic is less pleas
ing in some of Its more immediate
aspects, though not, | presume, in its
more remote consequences. 1t brings
in unpleasant thoughts Of the rail
road gamblers and swindlers who
have abused their trusts as railway
officers to plumber the people, and
even the stockholders who elected
them. 1t suggests freight charges
that consume the farmers crop be.
fore it can reach tide-water, and ex.
press rates that leave very narrow
margin Of profits, if any, to the fruit
grower. The producer and the con-
sumner are taxed, sometimes plumber.
ed, to support extrayagant and I'M
warranted expenses OF management,
and to pay usurious rates Of interest
on watcred stock. Such is the visible
present, with which all honest men
are at war in railroad management,
behind which it IS sometimes difficult
to discern the iurturc advantage Of 4
system so iniquitously managed in
some OF its parts.
Yet the advantages OF railways to
the agricul,nrist are numerous and in
disputable. DO not reckon ono Of
them to be, though many would, the
additional facility with which the
farmer can despoil his land OF It's
better constituents III the shape Of
grain, and sent it to enrich the fields
of New or Old England But the
increased facility of exchange, where.
by each part OF the country is en-
ablcd to grow what it can grow best,
and send it to less-favored sections in
quantity even though peristable in its
nature. is a decided advantage. It is
no small mutual benefit to Delaware
and New England that the peaches
OF tie former State can be placed in
the markets Of the latter III a few
hours. 1t is well for Illinois, as we'll
as for New Y ork, that the Tar bull
locks o! the Sucker State can have so
rapid, and, compared with earlier
methods Of Garage, SO cheap a
transit to the metropolis. And these
are only specimens of great variety
Of instances that might be adduced.
Then there is the advantage OF a
more general equalization OF cppor-
Turtles. All men are, in one sense,
near the market. and the farmer near
the great cities or towns does not
have the same relative superiority
that he once did.exccpt in the case Of
very bulky products. The daily or
weekly account Of markets reaches
one man but few hours later than
another; and the new IDEAS and new
improvements in farm implements,
seeds, or livestock arc spread rapid
~ over wide extents Of territory
Thus, more homogeneous, more in
telligent, and advanced agriculture is
the result, and no part OF the coun-
try suffers at the expense of another.
l see that the Illinois correspondents
Of the Country Gentleman, whose
ideas are always worth noting, wheth-
err we agree with them or not, takes
the ground that the towns are not
going to thrive as we'll as the cities,
under the new order Of railways
l have seen something Of this kind
indicated IN the arguments of others,
who suppose town loses its a1yan
tage in being made station upon a
railroad, instead Of terminus. But
whether this be SO or not, which
doubt, If it prove any thing. it is the
welcome fact that the present ncccs-
sarv evil OF towns may yet
pass away and future aggregations OF
human beings, based upon higher
law OF self-interest than that of trade,
may take their place.
Railways tend, perhaps to special
rather than mixed farming, because