Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-07-08
BACK IN HoosIeRDoM,
n purangoan Once More Eats Cook.
les Like Mother Used to Make"
An Interesting Talk on the
Crops and interurban Eiec-
trio Railways.
Fountain City, Ind, June 90
To the Editor of The Herald,

" ttit VI 1terul1.
Durango, Colo.
Once more We have the supreme
pleasure of breaking bread with the
old folks at home" Again we are Ell.
joying with unabated relish the pies
and cookies, Just like mother used to
make In the delirium of our en-
joyment of mingling with friends of
days gone by we are sometimes ready
to declare In consonance with the
sentiments of our early childhood and
the steadfast belief of old citizens here
that this is the choicest spot in ma.
ture's whole creation.
But some insistent weather condi-
tions just now cast deep shadow of
doubt across our unschooled youthful
opinions. AS we sit in the shade,
tanning and sweltering. while the
air is oppressively muggy and the mer-
curry is high up in the nlneties. visions
of the snow.capped La Platas loom up
before US and we sigh for the refresh
ing caresses of Colorado's cool noun
tain breezes. Yet If the weather here
is not exactly suited to the nice de-
sires of the summer tourists, there
are ample compensations. This is
pre-eminently a farming district. and
the weather now is just the kind for
which the farmer has been longing.
The crops In Indiana. as in the 9th
er states through which we passed are
late. But the frequent rains. torrld
sun and consequent steaming air for
the past ten days have been very fa-
vorable to growing or ripening pro
ducts. Should the same conditions
prevail ten days longer, corn will have
attained Its normal size for the time
of year The Oft heard remark on
the farm during propitious weather,
you can see the corn grow" is nearer
literal fact than fiction just now
All the wheat fields are now rapidly
changing to a golden hue. Harvest,
which short time ago was not ey-
pected to begin before the Fourth of
July. is already announced by the
click of the reaper In some forward
fields. The yield of wheat In Indi-
ana promises to be an abundant one.
Since returning to Indiana | have
been greatly impressed by the already
extensive and rapidly increasing IA.
cilties for cheap and quick passenger
transit through the various parts of
the state afforded by the so-called
"interurban railways" There Is al
ready network of these electric
railways over the Indiana gas belt"
connecting the cities of that section
Anderson, Alexandria, Marion, Nun
"a. IL.
towns-and thence leading to Indian
apolis
Just now there is unprecedented ac.
tivity among capitalists who are In
terested in the establishment of these
lines. Almost daily articles of in.
corporation for the construction of an
interurban railroad in some section of
of state. A special from Marion. In
diana in today's press states that an
electric line will shortly be built from
that city to Salina. Ohio. thus con
meeting the lnterurban system of the
"gas belt" with similar systems OF
western Ohio.
These electric roads have proven
themselves more than than a match
for the steam railways In competition
for local passenger transportation.
They afford excellent accommodations
for travelling comparatively short dis
tances. Electric cars run between
neighboring cities and towns at fire.
quent intervals and at speed as high
as 25 miles per hour The fares, too.
are only about one-third OF the rates
charged on the steam railways. From
Muncie to Indianapolis. n distance Of
5 miles. the fare on the electric rail-
way is only Go cents and the run be-
tween the two cities is made In two
hours and thirty minutes Some Of the
steam railways where paralleled by the
electric railways, have reduced their
fares one-half and have put on extra
trains, yet Notwithstanding this. the
electric roads carry the bulk OF the in
terurban passengers.
The interurban railway is already
an important public utility. and there
fore merits the liberal patronage 1t is
now receiving. II its present prom
Use of usefulness is realized. 1t will GER
tainly become one of the great eco
nomics and social factors OF modern
civilization. j. X. MEEK.