The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-07-30

buying a big stock of goods to ave
freight and keeping a large per cent
OF it on his shelves till it gets stale
and out of date, thus tying up his
capital and diminishing his profits, car
ries a small, fresh attractive line OF
stuff that appeals favorably to his
customers and renews it frequently.
He can do this because he can tele-
phone his supply house in the morn
ing and have his order delivered at
his door by the interurban road in
the afternoon. Instead of using his
capital over two or three times a year
as he was formerly compelled to do,
ne may use it owe two or three times
a month. Instead of his credit &C
counts running along for a year or so,
he sells for cash, when his goods goes
out his money m in, for the far
mer, who Is his best customer, brings
milk, eggs, butter, chickens, garden
stuff, berries and fruits, in on the
iiterurban and sells to his town friends
for cash, so he is always supplied with
money for his current necessities.
Gillespie is not the only town that
has been awakened from a Rip Van
Wrinkle sleep by the noise of the in
terurban railway, and it don't make
much noise either. Some time ago
a gentleman interested in interurban
railways sent the following question
to the mayors Of some two hundred
towns situated about twenty miles,
more or less, from large trade and
commercial centers. These small
towns were connected with the larger
ones by an interurban railway running
ten to twenty trains a day where the
lcal steam roads had been running
two or three trains before, and the
interurban roads charged less than
one half the fare that the people paid
the steam roads. The question was:
DO you know of any increase or de-
crease of trade over that of former
years prior to the operation of the
interurban roads, More than one
hundred answers were received, some
of them are quoted, they are all in
the same general tone:
Mayors Opinions Regarding Benefits
Brought by lnt%erurbans.
Bowling Green, Ohio; pop. 5000; Fl
miles from city of 100000 pop.-Trade
has increased to all merchants since
the incoming of electric roads. We
have two railroads-north and south,
east and west. Don't kick about cleo
trio railways-they are a help to any
city or town. We were against the
railway almost to a man, but now we
would not be without them.
B%elvidere, Illinois; pop. 1000; II
miles from city of $4,000 pop.-Dry
goods men lost some trade at first,
but put in a better line of goods, and
business has now increased. Electric
railroads has helped our town in gen
eral.
Lebanon, indiana; 1000 pop; 20
miles from city Of 100000 pop.-Busi-
ness has increased. We notice great
improvement. Electric lines are good
things for all towns.
Huntington, Indiana; pop. 1880; "a
miles from city of $4,000 pop.-In-
crease of business 20 to- 80 per cent.
Upton, Indiana; pop. 5000; 40 miles
from city Of 100000 pop-Our mer-
chants here claim an increased from
% to 40 per cent. Some of our mer-
chants objected very strongly and
there were all kinds Of arguments
used against it, / do not know of one
who would want to be placed where
we were before. There has been a
small increase in buildings and popu-
lation. If another company wanted to
build a railroad through in another d.
rection, the farmers, would give a
right of way and some of them a bonus.
Springfield, Ohio; pop. $4,000; As
miles from Columbus (150,000) and "a
miles from Dayton Carbohydrate
has increased in this city constantly,
as well as building and population.
We would gladly grant admission to
the city of other interurban railroads,
although we now have six electric
roads running into Springfield. The
only trading done in Columbus and
Dayton, cities twice and three times
our population, is done by parties who
would go away from the city even If
we did not have electric roads.
Chicago Heights, iiIinois; pop. a.
600; &c miles from Chicaeo.-This is
the best year we have eve had. Elec-
trio railroads bring a great many peo-
pie into our town to do their trading.
Versailles, Kentucky; pop. 5000; IL
miles from a city of 100000 pop
Electric railroads have not made any