Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-11-09
FARM USE OF TELEPHONE.
Profitable Deals Made by Farmers
Who Have Wires to Their
Homes

cattle buyer drove into the yard of
farmer about so miles from Chicago the
other day and made an offer for all the
cattle and pigs on hand, delivery to be
made at once. The offer seemed good
one, but before closing the farmer said
he would speak to his wife, reports the
Chicago Tribune. Going to the house
he asked his wife to call up Chicago
commission house by telephone. The
telephone, by the way, is an indispensa-
BILE article in farm houses in his neigh
borhood. In less than two minutes he
was in communication with Chicago and
was informed of rise in prices and
advised what good offer would be at
that moment Within five minutes he
closed deal with the buyer at prices
which paid him $500 more than the first
OFFER
At neighbours the threshing gang
was hard at work. Twenty five men and
huge machine were making quick work
of the big barley stacks. All at once
sharp report was heard; there was
stoppage, and investigation showed an
important part of the machine broken.
No similar part was at hand and it was
doubtful if it could be obtained in the
nearest town seven miles away. Per-
maps 1t would be necessary to send to
the manufacturer. There was just one
chance that it might be secured in FL
gin. Naturally thu first thing to get at
was the telephone. The exchange, seven
miles away, was called, and within
minute over the 20 mile line to Elgin
the mishap was discussed with the dealer
in that city. The train left Elgi1 in Is
minutes with the missing piece aboard.
In an hour and a half it had reached the
nearest railway station, and before din
ner was over it had arrived, was put in
place, and again the wheels were whir-
ring and the barley running into sacks.
1t no telephone had been at hand there
would have been certainly "a hours de-
lay.
Thousands of instances of the above
character go to show every day that the
telephone is Indispensable in the house
of an up-to-date farmer. Few people
in Chicago realize that there are more
than 5000 telephones in farm houses
within SO miles of this city. The farmer,
with all his great freedom of operations
and his opportunities in broad acres and
smiling fields, is just as closely in touch
with the facilities of the great city as
If he were next door to it. In the farm
house the telephone begins to get busy
at o'clock in the morning At dinner
time calls of many kinds go back and
forth over the line, but it is in the even
ing after supper, after the milking is
done, that neighbor meets neighbor, dis
cussing the crops and all matters of mu-
tual interest. Housewives gossip of
family affairs, and a community of In
terest is had not only all over the county,
but all over as much of the country as
may be desired. When the farmer goes
to bed he does not feel that he is out of
the world, nor have sorry dreams of his
Isolation. If the metropolis is the comet
he is hitched on to the tail with the
very decided advantage that he is rot
close enough to get burned and he can
let 60 if he wants to. The rural mail
delivery has done much for the farmer,
but the telephone is doing more
The farmer pays about 81 so per month
| for this service.