The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-10-01
THE GROWTH OF TELEPHONES.

The altered status of the formerly
mortgrge-ridden agricultural region,
is evidenced in many ways, but by
none more forcibly than by the
farmers adoption of the improve
ments of modern science. He has
been setting up automobiles in Kan
sas and the Middle West improved
farm machinery and implements find
a ready sale personal and house
hold Injuries recently unheard of
+ now everyday matters; rural
free delivery of mails and long
distance trolleys are putting him
into closer communication with the
cities and, above all, he has been
solving some of the most difficult
social and industrial problems of
agricultural life by the use of the
telephone. The extension of indie
pendent telephones has been much
accelerated by a recent decision
against the parent concern in the
matter of the "Berliner patent,
which, while not basic, is a very i'm
portant and comprehensive instru-
ment and though the fight will in
all probability be carried TO Supreme
Court, the small companies, especi-
ally in the rural districts, are multi
plying with astonishing rapidity.
A monopoly or large combination is
necessary to get the benefits of the
long-distance telephone, or of the
ordinary local spstem in very crowd
ed communities, where it's efficiency
depends upon any business mans
ability to call up any other telephone
subscriber without having nor than
one installation but the isolated
country residents and farmers have
fouad their small organization of
the utmost service IN putting them
into communication with n an.
other, and with the nearest centre
of population. They are enabled to
shop to keep in touch with what is
going on, particularly as to the vitality
Important commercial happenings
and movements of prices which used
to be a closed book; and to amelio-
rate, especially by evening talks, the
loneliness and social isolation which
have been one of the greatest draw
backs to farm life. Within a radins
of thirty miles around Chicago there
are eighteen hundred farmers who
can be reached by telephone where
they do not adopt the three tO-the-
mile arrangement, giving a joint
service at a dollar a month apiece,
many farmers in this region rig up a
homemade line, two Dr. nor string
ing wires between their houses, along
the fences, or on bean-poles, at an
expense of about ten dollars each.
In Maryland, and indeed all over the
country, there are thousands of
system which gradually grow and
form connections with each other.
The result has been many minor
improvements and simplifications
which have reacted and still further
increased the ramifying network of
telephone wires, each little centre
spreading out arms to the other ad-
jacent ones like a great system of
nerve ganglia. The Department of
Agriculture reports that>the demand
for rural free dalivery has been great
ly lessened by the advenb of these
country telephone systems,
In the cities the telephone is also
making it's way with a speed which
needs only the inevitable further
cheapening of the service to double
or quadruple. We are still behind
some European countries in this mat
ter in Stockholm, Sweden for in
stance, the low rates have increased
the use of telephones till there is now
n for every fourteen inhabitants.
Worlds Work for September.