Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-03-17
IoooHrY's RURAL TELEPHONES
Something About the Farmsrs' New
COnveniences. N

Il Conveniences.
For the Reflector. M
The call Of "hello central!" wi
soon DO as familiar to the farmer
Dickinson county as 1t Is to the bus
nessman Of the county seat and th
telephone will be as indispensable q
appliance for the successful runnin
Of b farm or rancho as tbs pillow o
self binder 10 today. M
When the farmer once has realize,
the usefulness Of the telephone .
home (which II does mot take hin
long to do) as time and money saver
be w,uld about as soon part with BIZ
best piece OF machinery as with BIZ
phone. II does not, as rule, take ,
Kansas farmer life time to see ths
usefulness Of thing, providing 1t Il
really Of benefit to him. That ht
understood the benefit Of the tele'
phone at once when it crossed bill
pathway, is shown by the way In
which he encouraged the building Of
toll lines all over the country.
In consequence Of this there Ii
hardly town or hamlet In the state
but what has its telephone connec'
tlons. In fact these lines were en-
Outraged SO strongly that the farmers
and country businessmen practically
advanced more than enough money
TO build and equip these toll lines, to
their respective business centers and
received in return for their money,
tickets which entitled them to the use
OF the lines until the tickets were
used up. After this, Of course, they
had to pay.
But while this has already proved q
great benefit to the respective com.
munities, it does not seem to ill the
bill completely; and while here and
there some OF the wealthier farmers
have had phones put in their homes
and connected with the toll lines,
the price Of the commodity was such
as to be in reach Of few. But as the
Kansas farmer generally gets what he
is bound to have, he studied the
matter up until he found that 1t was
much cheaper to build telephone
line than, be had ever dared to think,
and that by clubbing together and
600 . ating a little, farmers could
buid and maintain their own tele-
phone lines much cheaper than to
have a company put one in for them.
DIcKINsoN's LINES.
We have in the northeast part Of
his county at Upland Farmers'
Telephone Company with some 100
phones in operation and still on the
Q crease. Then we have Q number |
II farmers lines in operation In South
Dickinson, Marion and Morris coun-
les.
AZ the result Of few meetings
leld during the last month there are
wo lines with 10 miles building out
\ Banner In South Dickinson.
Holland also is expecting to build
Inc In the immediate future.
There are three lines decided upon
o run In three different directions
rom Donegal one Of which is already
uiIt. The completed line runs from
Donegal south and east about Z miles.
his line is finished with exception Of
utting in the Instruments which
ill probably be done in few days.
Another line is decided upon rum
ing from Donegal north, east and
Iest. Orders for material for this
ne have been placed.
Still another line running from
Donegal west has been decided upon
nd material ordered. This line has
be necessary support already prom
led to take it through to Abilene at
nee thereby increasing the import
nee and value OF all the connecting
mes on account Of reaching the coun-
y seat.
EXPENSE OF BUILDING.
The expense Of building one Of
hese cooperative telephone lines 10
OF great. This 10 the actual expert
nee as found BY building lines:
wenty foot cedar poles, 4 inches
ismeter st top. can be laid down at
lillon or Banner at "a cents each, 20
sr mile, .s0;brsckets. wire and In
llstOrs per mile, %; phone Qnstru-
'ent), $ll; work Of putting up line
, farmers, each subscriber dOlpg bis
,sre, costs nothing; total for one