The morning call., 1892-01-26
THE FAEMEE's HOME OF THE
FITJIsE II.

An experiment in transportation that
VIII probably make an epoch in the history
of American railroads is the projected
e.e trio rad from ~. Louis 10 Chicago. 4
company las been incorporated at Spring
field, ILL.,, Tor the purpose Of building Such
road. ard the work Of construction viii
soon be begun. Il is claimed that this road
viii be able to reduce tire time between the
two cities 10 three OF four hours instead Of
eight which is tie tine now required 10
make the trip by Tail.
The read IS 70 be run in a straight line
across tile farming country between the two
cities, and The dispatch that brings the news
says:
"Iu time tie entire line is expected 90 be-
come a boulevard Of farmers houses. stand
ing upon city lors. while behind them VIII
stretch tile wheat fields The houses Will be
lighted aud heated Jy electricity"
Due allowance should doubtless be made
by readers Of this report for incidental
stretching Of reportor.aI Imagination, and
also for the fact that one Of the tN0 cities to
be connected by this road is Chicago.
The facility with which that city gathers
ia and anuexes suburbs from the outlying
prai1ies is well known. but probably even
agents might feel some hesitancy in claim
ing that her city lots viii ever extend all
the way to ST. Louis
There can, however, scarcely be a doubt
but that the introduction Of new and i'm
proved transit systems throughout the
country will ere long produce decided
changes in the living arrangements OF rural
p0DuIations There has heretofore been a
sss g. 10
family residence should be maintained on
the land worked by its owner, isolated from
neighboring houses, often a mile or more
from the nearest residence, ami further yet
from school, church, postofiice, store, rail-
way station, doctor, telegraph office and
other c0nveuieuces and sources Of supply.
Rapid transit will make our farmers
more sOciable, and will possibly bring
about in the next few years, such
a condition Of things as exists IN pOr-
lions If Europe, where entire farming
communities live in villages. and re-
pair daily from there TO the scenes Of
their toll on the land. Such an arrange
/ ment as a saving OF labor, time, money and
expense would be vast Improvement over
the present customs. The farmer cOnld as
readilygo to bis work in field or orchard from
his home in the settlement where he and
his neighbors lived as the merchant or
/ lawyer or mechanic goes TOMS. With tool
/ houses, machiue-sheds and granarjes On
/ the land as many farmers have them even
/ now, the work Of the day could be done as
/ rapidly and conveniently as az present,
while the household work and duties that
1 are now such n serious burden and bug
bear to farmers wives could be greatly
! lightened in such community, wheFe help
would be more easily nbtanable and more
| willing to remain if that great objection to
| domestic service in the country, 'iOneli-
ness" were removed. The social and edI-
/ Cati0nal advantages of such an arrangement
are at once noticeable in their superiority
to those OF the present system. When an
evening spent in neghboring society means
/ for the farmer 'hitching up, long drive,
| going and returning, and the bother Of
! putting ND the horse at a late hour before
rest is Obtanable, he feels much less like
intervals. The same objection prevents
| his attendance upon lectures, business
meetings, entertainments and the like, and
tends to keep him more or less isolated
and apart from his fellows.
| The recent discoveries regarding the won
ders to be achieved by electricity open up
| vistas Of improved times for our rural pop
| ulati0n. The same plant that furnishes the
! power to operate these roads can be made
to furnish power for operating machinery,
| for cooking food, lighting houses, etc