The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-11-17
ELECTRICITY AND THE FARMER.

The Philadelphia Press thinks that
electricity will yet bestow the greatest
boon on the farmer in supplying him
with motive power which will save a
large part of the cost of running farm.
Much of his hardest work will in the
near future be done by power supplied
by dynamos. He will be helped in an
other direction also. One of the largest
items in the farmers expenses is in get
| ting his produce to market. 1t is true
that this is in a measure accounted for
by the poor system, or rather lack of
system, of road making which has made
95 per cent. of the country roads mud
tracks. But the general awakening of
public opinion On this subject is certain
| soon to cause revolution in road
building. But even with good
roads the time spent in going
to market and the wear and tear
on horses and wagon is considerable
tax on the farmer. In the case of most
of them it costs as much to get bushel
Of grain to the nearest market as ii does
TO carry the same grain to New York or
even to Liverpool. How to eleminate
this cost, or share of it, is the problem
before the farmer. The Engineering
Magazine Cor November, points out how
this can be done by the building of cleo
trio railways along country roads, giving
farmers easy and cheap transit to the
nearest city or village. OF course, the
first question is as to cost and the prob
ability of such undertakings paying.
The cost of building and equipping cleo
trio railroads has been shown to be So, 500
per mile. This includes track, poles and
wire, but not the cost of central station.
Ii within district ten miles square there
were 100 miles of railway the cost for
tracks and wire would be $3.50, 900, and
estimating the cost of the central station
at $500, 900, the entire cost or capitaliza-
ton would be $3.50, 900, or about SO per
acre. The annual interest on this at
per cent would $50, 800, or almost ex-
actly so cents an acre. To man own
ing farm of 100 acres the annual tax
would be $50. The Press says:
1.-The undertaking OF such scheme
appears formidable at first sight. Rural
communities are not over enterprising
and there is an aversion TO the intro
duction Of new ideas But if an ex-
ample were given, and it were proved
that such an enterprise would pay, other
communities would not be slow in
adopting it. Besides the saving in time
ana money to the farmer, one of the
greatest benefits it would confer would
be in removing from farm life its isofa-
ton. This is one of the greatest OBJ
jections to living in the country, and it
is constantly drawing 10 the city the
younger and more enterprising of the
farmers sons aud daughters. Farmers
feel also that they are not receiving their
share in the great progress made in the
world. They are cut off from many of
the advantages of modern life, and hence
has resulted . social and political dis
content that is making itself felt par
;icularly in agricultural states II the
use OF electricity can be so cheapened
that its introduction viii become prac-
ticable and this isolation removed and
the tide of progress turned into country
districts, farm life VIII become more at
tractive and contentment will take the
place of dissatisfaction"