The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1906-01-26
What the Interurban Has Done


lished an argument in behalf of the
new system of transportation and
recounting its beneficial results to
the agricultural districts of the
country, from which the following
is quoted: "Stupidity and obstin-
acy- powerful combination, have
often retarded the march of progress
for while, but they have never
yet been strong enough to stop it.
That which has bid, fairest to be
useful in its way, has often met with
the most violent opposition. Many
good thing are often least appreci-
ated by those who are most bene
fted~Bt them
The Trolley car and Its develop
!ment has not been an exception.
When America gave to the world the
telegraph and then the telephone as
Its first great contribution to the
age of electricity, through hailed
with delight by the few, 1t was re-
ceived by the great mass of people
with considerable doubt and mis-
giving, and their progress and de-
velop ment was indeed slow, at first.
It was a new era and marked the
greatest advancement in progress, in
all time.
ADVENT, OF ELECTRIC RAiLwAiLwAY
Following the telegraph and tele-
phone came the electric railway
opening the eyes of the world to
things they had never dreamed of
before. But like the telegraph and
telephone it had to prove its claim
to usefuless. With tne introduction
of the suburban electric car, especi-
ally, came lamentations and pro-
testatious fram these whom it sought
most to benefit. The farmer and
suburbanite could see in it nothing
but a menace to the people and the
public safety. They predicted that
their peace, safety and comfort
would be forever destroyed by this
method of transportation. They
didynot. of course, realize or ap-
probate the advantages and con-
vepiences it would bring them.
THHv SAW AND WERE CONQUERED
But when they saw the "day's
journey" give way to the "hour's
ride and their secluded life re-
lieved under the influence of cheap
and easy access to their feqlowmen,
all objections vanished and to-
day there us scarcely "a sect
ion of the couatry that is not seek
Ssmg the advantages these trolley
fines bring. Their gro~tn during
the past few years has been rapid.
indeed, that electric transportation
has become, perhaps, the most dis
distinctive feature of our every day
life. And within the next decade
they will spread with a rapidity
never before equalled by any new
institution.
GLAD OF THEIR OPPORTUNITY
As they grow, farmers and people
ges/e orally living in the country and
villages, wiz lose no time in making
the best of opportunity. In some
of the most enterprising agricultural
and mercantile communities. the
farmers have aided in every possible
way to secure the advantages of an |
electrical railway through their COM
munity, even to the extent of donat-
ing several thousand dol
lars per mile to the enterprise, be-
sides granting the free private
right OF way. When they did this,
they did well, for. themselves,-bet-
ter than they knew. For besides
the iunumerable advantages and
&C veniences it brought them, it
adds to the wealth of the COM
munity, SO that properties doubled
and even trebled in value.
Huron county, Ohio, has num-
Der of electric roads, -one running
froh Norwalk west, one from Nor
vain east, one from Norwalk north
East, and one to the northwest.