The Oskaloosa herald., 1904-06-02

steam roads concentrate manufacture
ing, whclesaling, and to certain ex-
tent retailing, in few large centers.
The manufacturer must have meth
cd of distribution He must reach
every available point. He must be at
a place where there is some sem
blance of competition betweent roads.
Hence, he goes to the largest city
with the best railroad facilities, fuel
supply, etc Population centers there
because there is work ana plenty OF
it. The wholesaling must be done
where there are railroad facilities;
hence in the cities Of first and second
class.
The interurban drives population
from the city to the country in this
way: The man who lives in the city
soon begins to realize the disadyan-
tages; high taxes, largely through the
wretched misgovernment of cities,
small lots for dwelling places, no op-
pcrtunity for garden, no place for
the children to play, frequently bad
sanitary conditions, smoke, dust, dirt,
and heat, and the man who came to
the city with such big expectations,
such high hopes, longs for the coun.
try. The interurban road comes, ex-
tending cut into the green fields;
farms along within five or ten miles
are cut up into acre lots Of three, five
and ten, and the workman, and espe-
cially the clerk, the bookkeeper, type
writer, tine attorney, and other large
classes, find that they can buy from
three to five acres within three miles
of the city, or five, for about the price
Of town lot They can build just as
cheaply on that as on the town lot,
have garden, chickens, pigs, a
COW, horse, and can, in fact, get
about half their living off this small
acreage, have room for the children
to play, fresh air, refreshing sleep,
the song of the birds and hence wher-
ever possible they leave the city and
go out along the interurban. Wher-
ever interurban lines come you will
find this cutting up of farms and this
extension of the city to the country.
Outside of the vicinity of the cities
the advantage to the farmer is that
it solves in a great measure the good
| roads questions. He will need good
roads to the interurban station. There
will be less necessity for hard cover
ed roads leading into the cities. In
time the interurban roads will furnish
power and light cheaply to the farm
houses along the line
More than his, they promise to fur
nish competition with the steam
roads. The interurban can build &
switch on the farm, and every mar
who gives the right of way SHOULD
provide for this, and the farmer car
load his stock or his grain and have
it hauled to the city practically with
out cost, for the railroads will be GLAD
| to give to the interurban liberal per
centage of the through haul for thei
service. in picking up freight and de
tifvering it in car load or train loa
lots to the railway station. So far a
we can discover, the interurbans ar
getting about forty per cent of tn
through haul for this pickup service
When the inerurban lines are com
plete they will be able to assemble
cattle and deliver them in train load
to the railways and thus secure tn
snort schedule for the lack of whicl
farmers in the west are now suffer
ing.
These are some of the advantage
which occur to us as a result of TIL
development of the interurban lines
Many others will occur to the farme
who can imagine himself on an inter
urban line, or within half mile O
it. We think we have understate
instead of overstated the advantage
that will accrue.