The National tribune., 1902-12-11
THE TELEPHONE m COUNTRY LIFE.
How II Is Banishine the old-fims Isolatioi
Of Existence on the Farm.

How II Is Banishine the old-Tims Isolation
| Of Existence On the Farm.
Rev. Z. P. Powell in Christian Reg
ister.)
The evolution of a new country life is
going on so rapidly and so thoroughly as
to be revolutionary. Those Of US who have
had the hills and the valleys, the birds
\ the brooks. and the fresh air. are now
getting those privileges which for IS
years have belonged to the city only. Less
than 10 years ago the Bell Telephone Com.
pany decided it was inexpedient to under
I take country lines. From the standpoint
possible to be taken at that time it was
thought to be an unwise investment. To
4 day the proportion of phones TO the cOun
try is larger than in the cities, while the
uses made of the system are far greater.
Il In one city of New York State, with its
10000 population, the telephone compan
les, inclusively, have less than 1000 sub
lscribers. or one to 30 people-possible one
to every six families. In an adjacent
township there are 200 subscribers out ot
a population of $500. or one to about II
persons. This proportion is rapidly ad
vancing in favor of the country. Remote.
ly situated farm-houses are learning the
power Of this instrument to create neigh
bOrhOOd. and at the. same time to estab-
lish easy connection with markets, stores,
depot, and post office.
The chief point is. of course. the aboli.
tion of that isolation which has 80 long
been the curse of farm life. Steam con-
centrated population about the power, but
steam power could never be prOfitably
used more than a quarter of mile from
| the generator. This made its application
to farm work exceedingly limited. 1t be-
longed to the town. to the factory, and to
manufactures. The country was left to
get along with animal power and wind
power. Agriculture remained practically
in the 18th century through the Whole Of
the 18th century. 1t is the power that
makes the age Then came the telegraph
to lock cities together, but it did not re-
lieve the country. The speculator learned
the prices of farm crops at Liverpool or
New York. and bought up produce at such
prices as he chose to offer. With the
trural telephone all this is changed. The
farmer is in close connection with the
markets. and knows the real value of his
frheese, his apples. and his wheat. He
deals intelligently, at every point.
| From a daily paper we read that in an
Indiana town telephone church service
was instituted recently, whereby hundreds
Of people in the village itself and in the
outlying districts listened to the church
| 'ervice while at their houses. There had
been a telephone war for several weeks;
md the Central Union Company submit
ted a proposition to the ministers that
they would put up telephones in every
church in the town. so arranged that ey-
cry patron could listen to the preacher
while remaining at home. This arrange
merit made it possible for any telephone
user to listen to services Mt an Episcopal
| or Baptist or Il Methodist or Presby-
terian church. The result was very salts
| factory. and those who listened could dis
tinguish every word of the services. There
were invalids listening to the exercises,
who had not been in church for many a
year.. Tliis is the future OF all our social
services. The organization of the town
qbout the school makes it quite probable
| that there will be, not far in the future, q
| lrOpping altogether of the sects and n
| united town religious service. The eco
ronic changes will be as sterling as the
Intellectual. In my own house my sons
frequently play the violin and organ for
IN grouping of a dozen or more families
scattered over radius of two or three
niles. The music is heard as perfectly
III the most remote house as in the near
ast. In the same way the women of n
circuit have established telephone tea
parties. At certain hour they sit down
70 their phones, drink their own tea. and
distribute the gossip. Imagine how each
one puts in an extra lump of sugar. We
magine that news is softeped that goes
over the phone. At any rate, the tongue
will lose its rapid gait. Each person will
have hearing. Such party requires
70 special dressing, no labor of walking
ror waste of time. There is no reason
Why this sort of service may not cover
much club work.
From Indiana. word comes of the es-
tnblishment of telephone news service.
Once each day the word Attention calls
l Al. 4 h SO
| phone. "Now set your watches or clocks:
| t is exactly ) o'clock" Then follows a
summary of the news of the day from all
over the world This is followed by n
}rief statement of local events and then
market reports. The service covers n
whole county, and is limited to exactly
half an hour. When the time is up Good
| night closes the session. Precisely how
much is involved in this innovation it is
difficult to estimate The effect will GER
tainly be to make tie farmer the best
posted man in the world His news will
he digested and sifted of rubbish. His
reading will hereafter he something quite
different from the common and undigested
OllapOdrida of the newspaper.
Teamsters have phones. because they
would lose orders" Doctors are consulted
over IL radius of three or four miles by the
| phone, and their advice is received hours
before they can make personal visit.
Orders from the store or butcher come in
TWO or three miles. In rural districts this
will necessitate more team service on the
part of the dealer and less on the
part of the purchaser. The farmer will
| not be compelled to drive into town for a
gallon of kerosene or a pound of nails.
The change will be greatly to the advant-
nge of home life. The village will cease
| 20 be the center of attraction. where oil
every visit the farmer drops a few nickels.
| He himself lives at the center of creation
ruite as much as the man at the store or
the saloon With his habits of town-going
oud spending broken, lie will have more
time and more money to devote to his
own house and farm. This is only one of
the ways in which the old country is be
coming the new country.