New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-03
TELEPHONE IN COUNTRY.
Insight Into the Use Of the
Farmers Visiting Line"
BY nj. j. Backus-

short time ago the statement was made III q
certain weekly magazine that since the advent
Of the telephone into the country places the
average Of insanity among farmers wives and
daughters had notably decreased
The connection between farmers wives and
daughters and the telephone and insanity was a
mystery until drove over to Briarve one day
this summer and made the acquaintance of the
middIe-aged woman who the switchboard at
the central"
Briarvie proper consists of the church on the
hill and the two story hotel. 1 had to wait one
day in the hotel parlor while the wheel of my
blackboard oiled. I had exhausted the
photograph album. with its bridal couples and
family groups: had gazed with wonder at the
deliberately framed circle of hair flowers. and
had studied the intricacies of the fluffy lamp mat
the table. The ring of telephone in the adj
Joining promised something. The door
between was ajar. I knocked gently and
admitted by CHEEKY Come inr' Evidently it
was the family living room. Over in one corner
hung the switchboard Of the telephone. A
pleasant-faced woman sat by her window
the kitchen door, peeng potatoes from a pan
In her lap. "Yes," she said, 81 am Central.
Would you like to how It works?" Down
went the pan of potatoes and she drew up
chair for me- while she seated herself in front of
the board, and explained how this line Off
down Sugar Hill way, and this led up to Glen
Fishers and that out to Cranberry Plain.
Now, you wouldn't believe what a comfort
and company this is to those folks: they do call
it the farmers visiting line. 1 have to shut EN-
of sometimes. I can't help it: they get so in
terested talking ABOUT recipes and pat
terms, and the last samples that from
Middleburg, and how their sick folks are
handled that they clean forget that maybe some
one else might want to telephone But, dearie me-
all the folks along the line enjoy it. too. Why
you wouldn't believe that if don't get my party
first call sometimes 1 just have to give it up for
every receiver is down and the line is too weak
to carry. There talk Of dividing the
line awhile ago. but the people made an awful
fuss; you see, it will cut 'em off from Just SO
much news
They do say that Of the folks have a
long wire to their receiver and sleep with 1t
their pillow. don't believe it myself. 1 think
It all from that time when Jim Adams
telephoned at o'clock in the morning for the
doctor for Johnnie. and when he through
somebody asked over the wire Who did you say
store. I did thing myself. but I
wouldn't mention any names. The family moved
away this spring went in Unexpectedly to call,
and there was the transmitter with a big cork
popped into it. and a wire to the receiver. and
they just carried that receiver around the house.
I tell you there wasn't any news lost on that
line
'oTheres Mary Jones at the Four Corners; she
keeps of her half dozen children at the
phone the whole time; they just spell each
ether at the receiver The other day l couldn't
get my party, and 1 certain sure from a
clock tick that I heard that it was that Jones's
a 6nyvr G. ba1,N bot
Jones was listening and 1 couldn't make cor
nections, and they had better wait awhile, and
chat oldest Jones's boy fairly yelled over the
phone, It's such thing, I amt listening
"Bless you, nobody mite; it's just az
good as sewing society, and enjoy It myself
well, here's your team. Come up any time
IN be glad to show you anything about 1t you
want to know. It's the greatest thing we ever
had IN this part Of the country"