The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-07-30
THE |NTERUR-
BAN RAILWAY
A Benefit to Any and Every
Community
SAYS ENGINEER ISAAC A. SMITH
In the Following Very Inter.
eSting Article

1t is no difficult matter to show the
great benefits a community of enter
prising people may derive by the con-
struction and operation of an inter
urban railway.
The farmer, perhaps is more
greatly benefited than anyone else
for the reason that he lives farther
away from any kind of transportation
facilities than any other class of citi-
zen.
Convenient and frequent train SER
vice increases the value of his land
the prospective buyer is: What rail-
road facilities have you got?' If it
takes the better part of day to drag
load of grain to market, or if your
stock must be driven long distances
before it can be loaded into cars for
market, or if your family must take
horses that are needed on the farm to
drive to town every few days, your
farm is net worth as much as it would
be If you had side track near your
barn or stock lot where you could
load your grain or stock and ship d.
rect to the city markets, and a COM
Portable interurban car passing every
few hours so that your family could
go to town and back before noon any
day, and your children go to- better
schools an do not have to board away
from home, they may be home every
night to help with the chores
Nearby and frequent transportation
facilities tends to increase production
The distance from shipping points,
in the country especially, governs the
tonnage produced per acre, and con-
sequently directly concerns the far.
mers profits. His revenues are in
creased by the possibility of his being
able to ship small fruit, eggs, butter,
milk and garden products daily with
comparative little trouble and expense
Interurban railway cars have special
arrangements for handling traffic of
this character Consequently farmers
whose distance from town now forbids
their engaging in this character of
cultivation, which is always in active
demand at cash prices, can, with the
aid of the interurban road greatly
increase the profits of his business
1t is an erroneous idea to imagine
that time is of no value to the far
mer. He realizes the fact that farms
must be conducted on business prin-
ciples, and that time is money to him.
He also considers the wear and tear
on his wagons, harness and horse
flesh, as we'll as the value Of his
own and his families time.
1t is just as important for the
farmer to have his wants promptly
supplied as it is for anyone else. He
wants his daily papers and his mail
without any unnecessary delay; he is
intimately concerned about the price
he may expect to get for his products.
The interurban road will give him his
papers before noon on the day they
are printed. He can take a passing
car, go to town, sell his stuff and be
back home without wasting any stime
money or horse flesh If any of his
farm implements break, he can get
the necessary parts for repairs with
out laying his work by and driving
miles and miles to do so. If he has
room to accommodate his city friends,
the merchants, lawyers and others,
they may send their families to board
at his place and visit them daily dur
ing their stay, this item alone means
a great deal, for the farmer does not
feel the value of the food he raises
and puts before his city boarders, yet
he can get good prices for such ac-
=. ,.commodations.
The farmer is in constant dread that
his big boys and girls will tire of their
farm lives and become dissatisfied be-
cause they cannot have the pleasures
of social life that their city or town
cousins enjoy and his fear along this
line is too often realized, frequently
to his great loss and sometimes to his
sorrow. The interurban road enables
his family to go to town, attend church
and social meetings and amusements,
returning home at night satisfied and
willing to stand by the old home,
since they can dc so and still have
town and city enjoyments. 1t is a
common thing on Sundays to see as
many country people at the churches
in the towns served by the interurban
road as there are city people; the
same is true of amusements and So