The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-05-08
RURAL PHONES
IN ESCAMBIA 60.
Plan Under Which Every
Farmers House May
Have One.

The Southern Bell Telephone Co. is
at work encouraging the building of
farmers telephone lines throughout
the south. No section needs these
lines more than does EsCambia cOun-
ty and West Florida The following
special from Sparta, Ga. details the
plan under which these lines Z are
built:
Telephone in Country Homes.
Realizing the commercial value and
social advantage of enabling the bust
ness men and other residents of Spar
ia, Ga, to communicate promptly and
constantly with farmers and other
rural residents. the business men OF
Sparta have successfully launched a
movement which will eventually place
telephone in the home of every
farmer and rural resident of Hancock
cCuntf.
\ fund of $500 has been raised to
aid farmers in purchasing the nccps-
Sary equipment for telephone lines. to
be built TO the city limits and connect
with the telephone exchange here.
The committee in charge of raising
the fund met with every possible en-
cOuragemcnt. and an additional $500
can be easily raised when it is need
given such an enthusiastic reception
the farmers in the section around
Sparta are equally intense in their
desire to secure telephone service in
the home and eliminate the burden of
isolation. The result Will be mutual
y beneficial to the farmer and the
resident OF the city.
In less than a month since the fund
was raised plans have been made for
the construction of several telephone
lines, and almost 100 telephones will
be added 10 the system. Inquiries
have come to the committee from all
sections of the county. and the move
mCnt is yet in its infancy.
Taken UP BY City
The matter was taken up by the
city early in March. when a number
of enteTprising citizens realized that
if the farmers homes were connected
with Sparta by telephone it would re
suit in Ceutraliziug their interests
here and would insure business that
might otherwise go to other cities 1t
meant d great deal to the business
men in the city and TO the farmers.
\ mass meeting was called. and 4
committee appointed TO secure sub
scriptiOns to the fund. In the course
of few hours $500 was raised 4
-
the following action taken:
The committee, consisting of
Mayor J. ID. Bennett, W. H. BurweII..
NJ. l.. Duggan. George White, Robert
Holmes and r. r. Wheeler appointed
to solicit subscriptions from the bust
ness houses of Sparta and TO be col
Iected as needed. having reported that
they had raised $500. il was ordered
that said sum be paid out on approval
of said committee TO encourage and
aid in the construction of farmers
telephone lines. TO be connected with
the central exchange at Sparta. and
leading along approved routes in the
county at the rate OF $40 per mile.
II is understood that amounts so paid
out on lines approved by said com
mittee. are to be in the nature of a
bonus to such lines for the purpose
of encouraging d systematic rural
telephone system centcring AT Spar
ia
Farmers telephone lines rarely cost
more than SO per mile. so that the
bonus of $40 per mile is an important
item \ prominent citizen in discuss
ing the matter declared that the ac-
ton of the city marked an epoch in
Georgia. and was one of the most pro-
Cressive steps ever taken by a south
err cit
Essential to tho Farmer
The telephone is as essential to
the farmer as TO the business man in
the CITY he said. The lines in rural
districts are sign of progress and
prosperity. The tipe when 1t was
necessary for the farmer 10 vast,
time driving TO the city to attend to
trifiinE matters, and when the farm
er's wife was isolated from her neigh
borS and friends. Is past Modern
science has made il possible for the
farmer TO have efficient telephone ser
vice in his home at such low cost
that there Is 40 reason why every
progressive farmer should not have a
telephone in his home
NJ. l. Duggan, editor of the Sparta
IshmaeIite. is one of the leaders in
the movement. and the following ex-
tract from the Ishmaelite indicates
the enthusiasm
One of the most earnest. enthus-
iastic and business like mass meet
ings witnessed IN a long time was