Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-29
FRIGHTENING RURAL LIFE
Agencies that Have Taken from Farm
Life Most Depressing Drawback.
FOUR FACTORS EACH PLAY PART
Eject of the Trolley, Telephone
Motor Car and Rural Free
D-eIivery-Bis HcHp. at
Moderate Cost.

AIhA ZIG IhAAAAR ~ @RthNA AaN
These are the irterurban trolley system.
the telephone, the automobile and the rural
free mail delivery. When one contrasts
the difficulties and sem~i-stagnation which
so long held sway over the rural districts,
with the marvellous changes which have
come within comparatively a few years,
the vast Transformation is evident. II Is,
in fact, a revolution of the first import
ance. It has already obliterated. or is fast
obliterating, the narrowness OF action and
movement which fer innumerable ages has
hemmed in both rural and urban popula-
lions. II is making the pure, ~salutary
reaches Of country and forest, seashore and
mountains, adjuncts of the cities. On the
other hand, it Is bringing the advantages
of the city and town within easy distancs
OF. the country. Thus all Of our population
partakes of its benefits.
The Adventurous Trolley.
The trolley was at first confined to the
cities. Then II began reaching out eau
tiously, into the country. Presently It
whizzed over the country roads and carried
with it such advantages and was so sue
cessful that everywhere was seen the rapid
building OF lnterurban trolley roads. II
was in Ohio and Indiane that these electric
railways were first operated, and in those
states they have their initial highest de-
velopnnent. Conditions in Ohio were pecull-
arly favorable for the project. Ohio is a
large manufacturing state and has a thrtv-
ing agricultural population. So the trolley
lines began shooting out Of the cities and
Increased so rapidly that there are now
about 1000 miles of trolley lines in the
country districts alone. The network
spreads all over the state, ~effacing isola-
ftop uhorayar 40 raackaa USt,yo 80 tbaea
limos radiate from Cleveland. six from CO.
lumbus, seven from Dayton and four from
Toledo. There are six others which do not
enter any Of the great cities. One line has
1877 Of its $50 miles running through the
agricultural districts. From Toledo and
Cleveland you can go through all of the
intermediate country-to Lorain, Elyria,
~Sandusky, Norwalk, fremont and other
places. 1t is now possible to traverse the
whole length and breadth OF the state on
the trolley.
indian soon followed Ohlo's example and
most Of the other states were equally
eager and enterprising. Some Of the trolley
lines branching out from Chicago and In
dlanapolis run 100 miles or more. But while
interurban trolleys were first developed best
In Ohio, there are other states which now
have longer systems of roads. Along with
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New
York, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Rhode
Island, New Hampshire, New Jersey and
Virginia are some of the states which are
foremost in their trolley services linking
the rural regions with the cities and towns.
In Massachusetts particularly 1t has been
a very feasible undertaking to spread the
trolley over the whole state. The cities
lie so near one another that 1t has been a
natural process to reach out from them
and make long extensions. There is scarcely
a populated spot in Massachusetts, which
cannot be reached on the trolley. This is
largely true of Connecticut. Rhode Island
and New Jersey and partially so of parts
of New Hampshire and Maine. In New
York the first interurban trolley lines were
chiefly in the upper Hudson valley, in the
Mohawk valley and in the vicinity Of Buff
falo, But more recently great extensions
have been made in many other parts of
the state. One line runs a distance OF
nearly 100 miles-from Hudson to Albany.
thence north through Saratoga and Glens
Falls to .Warrensburg. Plans have been
under way to connect the whole Of the
country from Albany to Buffalo with a
trolley line.
Thousands of Miles.
~ ~ q ANFVVu HlAlG OI
trolley lines which run purely in country
districts in the United States. or course
additions are constantly being made. These
lines are phenomenally successful and
hugely profitable. On many of them are
different styles Of cars. There is the ordl-
nary passenger car, and there are the
luxurious limited and buffet cars. BY
means of the freight and express cars the
farmer can send much Of his produce TO
town at short intervals and get back with
out delay articles that he sends for. The
i~nterurban trolley system taps the country
through which 1t passes for miles back on
each side and has cut dow the profits and
traffic OF the steam railroads to such an
extent that in many cases the railroads, as
a policy Of self-preservation, have bought
up competing trolley lines.
The importance OF these trolley railways
to the rural population is enormous. THE
farmer and his family can go to the neigh
boring village or to the nearest city at
the time most convenient for them, and
can make the trip far more quickly.
cheaply, and comfortably than they could
by team. The contact with town and city
life contributes greatly to their breadth Of
view. culture, comfort and happiness. The
wearing isolation of the old days, with all
"a iS accompanying eIIeClss Is at least
partly removed.
The Telephone.
Such other facilities which the trolley
does not afford are made up by the tele-
phone. The trolley line passes along a set
route; and a country dweller that wanted
to have a talk or communicate with neigh
bors some miles back from the line would
have to walk or drive there, were 1t not
for the telephone. By means of this in
dispensable instrument he can now COM
fortably ensconce himself in his house,
laugh at weather conditions, and commu-
nicate to his hearts content for a radius
Of many miles and frequently with dis
tant places.
TIL spread OF the telephone in the rural
districts is comparatively new, Until the
expiration OF the fundamental Bell Tele-
phone patents some years ago, the tele-
phone industry was virtually under tie con-
troll OF one corporation with one central
lied management. During the hst few
years, however, many independent and mu-
tual lines nave been established. In the
rural districts there are generally two
kinds of telephone systems. either or both
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