The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1900-02-22
Improved roads and rural mail dsliv.


cry are 80 closely connected that they
must follow one upon the other
speedily, whichever come first. II
country roads were piked the delivery
OF mail would be 80 much easier that
1t would very quickly follow, and vice
versa, II rural mail delivery be once
granted, Uncle Sans attention will
soon be very forcibly called to the
necessity OF better roads.
But the third remedy l think is
eminently worthy the attention OF
farmers, that is, the telephone. There
Ia no real necessity that all life's con-
veniences. should be banished from
tho county and that progress should
characterize none but town and city
life. I'm not going to indulge in any
visions Of our farmers going to town
in trolley cars just yet, but / am go.
ing to say that 80 simple thing as a
telephone system is possible thing
a practical thing, and that it would
be a very profitable thing to the far.
mer; profitable l believe 1t would be
In business sense. but m talking
OF social interests now, and / think a
rural telephone system would do
more toward the development OF the
social side Of farm lfe-toward giving
us something worthy the name soci.
ETY. than any other improvement to
be thought Of, and this is not Wis.
ionary or even an original idea. We
happened ourselves, just a few
months ago to see some of it's work.
ings and reap some OF it's benefits
while spending little time with a
Meigs county farmer.
In the first place we met our host
in neighboring town and he tele.
phoned his wife at home on the farm
Of our coming, so that soon after our
arrival at their station q man came
with wagon to meet us. During the
two hours we stayed at the house
one neighbor was called up to sing
for US, another was called to ask
about patent carpet stretcher which
an agent was selling. OF another ar
inquiry was made concerning a sick
child; and last, when we went tc
start away the agent at the village
was asked If the train was on time
that we might not wait unnecessarily
at the station. This was the observ O
tion OF just about two hours. What
possibilities we saw In it as a part O
the dailyHlife on he farml What ,
social factor it could be. What daily
chats instead Of long days of silence
What plans made What meeting.
arrangedl What appointments
changed when necessary; and thi'
last means great deal when so mucl
depends upon wind and weather. Thu
date of an expected social meeting ar
rived amid rain, wind, :hard-frozer
roads and bitter cold. No one can go
Everyone disappointed, that's all nj
change possible; only to meet by
chance weeks hence and say we wer'
sorry. With the telephone hear th'
word going from neighbor to neigh
Dor: Tomorrow night" or first nigh
next week, or some such.
Now the telephone mentioned wa
no chance, outside speculation tt
connect towns. 1t was just the re
suit Of grit and gumption on the par
of progressive farmers, who deter
mined not to be an isolated species O
the human family, but to be in toucf
with the world around them, and il
was doing more to bring them in con
tact with the outside world than any
thing else you could think Of. The
line was owned and operated by ,
joint stock company OF farmers, ant
after moderate expense in estab
fishing the line, any one could have
a box, by the payment of a small
monthly rental and feel sure thai
no one who once had box would lei
it be taken out for twice the cost.
Some one has said /: 1.-The pocke
nerve is very sensitive" and / guess
the farmer has this nerve fully de
yeloped, but we farmer folks need tt
make up our minds that higher
standard Of social living is needed or
the farm, and that we will unstraE
our pocket books despite the twitch
ing of this over sensitive nerve and
help pay for it. The farmer has never
been natural agitator, but he needs
to become one. The social side Of
farm life unites with its business in
terests in calling for agitation along
the line of roads, mails and tele.
phones. But what of the time now
while these are coming. Shall we sit
down and wait? No, rather let us
get ready for them. Let US start 80
cial development by surmounting
obstacles, and prove ourselves worthy
NJ nd no ~ 70 uao aourht a 4 th,, CO.. ]