Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-12-20
ErHR TELEPHONE AND TIE FARM

THE present active development of tele-
phone lines throughout the United States
brings to mind the fact that 1t is compare
lively few years since the invention of the
telephone which was first publicly exhibited
at the Centennial Exposition in Phila1el-
phia, 1876. Since that time over 100000
telephones have been put In service.
Alexander Bell, the inventor, formed a
company for exploiting the device, which
was leased, not sold. to the users. The
general public Immediately realized the i'm
mense advantage of the telephone and
soon every large city had its exchange. The
"Belr' companies, however, did not care
to develop the smaller towns. and the vii
lage and rural communities were not con-
sidered at all. This was but natural, as
in large towns, high rentals could be
charged, short lines need only be built and
small investment brought large returns;
whereas, in the country, the lines were
longer and the subscribers fewer.
1t was not until the advent of the IN
DEPENDENT telephone movement about
ten years ago, when local home owned
companies were formed to supply service
where the. BELL" would not, that tele-
phones were placed in reach of the farmer,
this being rendered possible by the fact
that the original "Bell' patents had ex-
pired and that numerous concerns had In
vented improvements on the original idea,
thus placing in the hands of the great
American public, better telephone equip
ment than it>was possible to secure from
the monopoly, which did not sell, but only
rented its products.
The INDEPENDENTS turned their at.
f'tention to the great mass Of undevelOped
territory to be found in rural communi-
ties, and soon lines sprang up in every
direction. In Iowa and In the great North
west, the farmers in various communities
have combined and by each man buying
his own telephone and building the line,
which Is, after all, very simple process,
telephone service over an entire county or
state Is possible, and the actual cost OF
operating these systems amounts to only O
few cents per month for each phone.
The advantages Of having telephone are
many. First, is the advantage Of being
able to call o neighbor In case Of sickness
fire, danger from tramps or other sudden
calamities.
CtCOuu, COnt tuc SOCiui lcdtuIcS. lut
fact that appointments can be made oil
social affairs discussed by the women folks
who are thus enabled to visit the neighbors
and learn what Is taking place without 9
tiresome drive over dark and muddy roads
If there is a good musician I'm the neigh
borhood, the receiver is taken down, the
nefghbors all listen at their phones, and the
music can be heard In twenty different
homes many miles apart. thus enabling
many to enjoy what hitherto has only beer
,possible for a few.
Third, is the immense financial advantage
the farmer himself gains by being able to
call up the nearest town and find out the
market price of load of corn, cotton, etc..
before he brings same into town. 1t is also
possible with the phone to call I'D the
bank, or the hardware store In case q
piece of machinery Is broken, and duplicate
parts needed. or 1t Is possible to call up the
store and have them send something out by
a neighbor who is coming your way; In
other words, the telephone will monthly
save ten times what 1t costs to the farmer |
The county merchant soon realized that |
his business is more than doubled by the |
neighborhood phone line. People buy more |
when it is easy to ask for. He can buy
cotton quickly or can notify his customers |
of some special bargain. He gets In touch |
with his customers every day instead of
once or twice a week.
When the postoffice has q phone, think |
how easy to call up and ask If there is any |
mail, instead of having to drive in to find |
out.
1t Is certainly a protection to know that |
the telephone will call help in case Of need, |
and tramps carefully avoid farmhouses into |
which they see the wires running, as they \
know that even though the men are away, |
help Is in easy call, and they would have 4
no chance to commit n crime and get away |
undetected, as the whole county can be
notified of their whereabouts.
Putting up the telephone line Is a very
simple matter, the poles can easily be cut |
near the route of the line, and are easily |
placed in position. The wires should be
of a special grade sold for this purpose. or
binary fence wire will not do. The tele-
phone should be of the best possible grade.
One concern after ten years Of experience,
developed a line of instruments known as
Famous Farmer Fones," which are par.
suited to this service, as the parts
are few and their construction simple. This
concern also furnishes, upon request, com.
plete instructions telling how to put up the
line and connect the telephones. and how
to organize exchanges
Not only Is the telephone Of the greatest
possible use to the individual, but 1t Is
money making proposition for two or three
hustling men who will get together and
work up the proposition In good terri