The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-03-20
BENEFIT OF RAILWAY

ing districts you begin to see how
quickly the people have adopted the
new means of transit. Social inter
course is not shut off by haying or
blowing for the trolley rumbles and
sings its way far into the night. Fa-
Their himself grows socially inclined
when visit does not mean hitching
up and embarrassing.
Passing factory in the country, a
writer describes it thus: "There is a
new element in the crowd that comes
hurrying from the factory toward the
trolley. In it are young men and
women of American birth and educa
ton, laughing, chatting, apparently en-
ioying life to the full. Some are carry
ing books, reading all the way, they
leave the cars at farm houses three,
four, and five miles away. You know
that that old farm house will not be
deserted, for work and home are linked
by the trolley. The misit on the farm
finds his place in the factory.
Not until you travel by trolley do
you know the economical and social
advantages wrought by that magic cord
strung from pole to pole along the
highways of New England"
Another says, standing at the end
of the subway in Boston for n few
moments it seemed to me ] could get
car for every point on the map I
IL.
places | had never heard of. The city
dwellers may go far alield and find
much of interest between dawn and
dark Trolley parties are becoming
more and more popular. The house
trolley, clean and comfortable car
of several rooms will become fact,
safer than a steam yacht, less DEEPEN
dent than a house boat, cheaper clean
er and far more pleasant than pri-
vate ear; for pleasant touring and
cheap and irresponsible recreation, the
trolley is certainly the thing.
One writer waxing enthusiastic over
the prospect for rapid transportation
and the opportunity for people to live
business in the city, predicts that cities
will become more and more places for
business and special forms of amise-
ment while the country will be the
home of the people,. The whole land
will undergo transformations that VIII
make present methods of living in
adequate and unsatisfactory.
Another writing of the trolley as
moral agent says, "The rearing OF
children on city streets is not produc-
| tive as rule of creditable type OF
humanity. Cheap trolley trains to the
adjacent country gives to the man OF
moderate means that which has here
tofore been the exclusive property to
the rich. an opportunity to quit the
congested and more or less offensive
| sections of the city and rear his fam
ily in surroundings pure and sweet,
physically and climatically. The temp
| tations of the great city to such
family are no longer just outside the
doorway of the home. A better type OF
home, better, happier, more health
full children are the result.
Effect Upon the Steam Roads.
One of the most important effects
of the introduction Of electric inter-
nrban lines has been the cheapening OF
travelling. The fares have been great
lv reduced below those previously
charged by the steam roads. The aver
AGE passenger fare per mile on the
chief interurban lines is little less
than ~ cents. Broadly speaking the
steam railway fares average ABOUT
double those of the electric lines. ms
however, was before the day OF cent
fares.
This reduction in fares together with
other advantages of the electrics has
greatly affected the traffic of the steam
roads, especially in the short haul OF