The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-11-20
TELEPHONES FOR FARMERS.
They Help to Remove the Isolation OF
Farm Life.


Farm Life.
Among the greatest evils and bur-
dens of farm life have never been
reckoned the solitude which it entails
on the women of the household. Many
a wife has faded away because OF the |
lonesomeness of her toll far from the
associations of those in whom she has
an interest. A new western expert
ment has opened way to avoid this
and substitute for the isolation OF the
farm close connection with neigh
bors that means better enjoyment for
all.
Situated in central Kansas are
number of farms and ranches owned
by relatives and close friends. Grow
ing weary of the long drives between
residences-for the distances on the
prairies are magnifcent-the farmers
began experimenting with telephones
and have this spring put in working
order neighborhood system that is
attracting wide attention. 1t starts
from little railroad station, and the
wires are attached to the barbed wire
of the ranch fences, no insulating
process being used, it only being care
fully arranged so that there shall be
no broken wires. Where the wire
crosses the road it is lifted on high
poles until it will clear even the big
loads of prairie hay, then comes down
and is stapled to a fence post and con-
nected with the barbed wire again.
The residences along the route have
plain Sc instruments, which are the
principal portion of the expense. The
line is about six miles long and con-
meets half dozen homes. The women
can talk with one another as well as if
they were in the same room, and on
pleasant mornings, when all the in
struments are in use, it is quite So
cial affair. The men who have large
stock interests receive semi-daily mar
ket quotations from the depot, dictate
their orders for buying and selling,
and one of them manages, largely by
wire, cheese factory in neighbor-
ing town. Contrary to all expecta-
tions, there is no leakage in posts, and
the conversation between the most
widely separated points is carried on
easily. The success of the line has
encouraged the building of others, and
it is probable that the barbed wire
fences of the plains will soon be gen.
orally employed for telephone lines.
TIE recent experiments with rura
delivery of mail in prairie communi
ties have been very successful, and al
though there are such widely separ
ated homes as are not known in the
! East, the carriers found it much ap
preciated and were able to serve whole
, neighborhoods by single visit. Thu
families of the farmers were geatl.
: delighted by the innovation.
, The farmer has been the recipien
, of many labor-saving devices, but hi
, family has had far less benefit from
> the advancement of the times. Tn
> coming of these new achievement
promise to make more happiness i
. the farmers home and to remove tn
/ feeling of isolation which has been S
great a barrier to the bringing up G
. a family far from the centres OF popu
lation and business. With the tele
! phone at hand, buggy in the barn
: mail delivered at the door and bicy
: Gle, perhaps, for an occasional spin
! there ought to be way to solve tn
3 ever present problem of how to kee
: the boys and girls on the farm.-Ka1
: sas Correspondent New York Ind'
q pendent