The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-08-12
THE INTERURBAN
TROLLEY LINES
What the Trolley Lines Are Doing for the Farmer the
Village and the City

the City. |
trade picked up. And then the city
folks began swarming out of town and
building homes along the trolley line.
They were awful glad to get into the
country. and grew loyal to their new
homes and traded with the local
stores. The upshot Is that the trolley
has helped all village tradesmen ex-
cept the clothiers."
Let me tell you" he went on, re-
joining me in twenty minutes, we're
doing more for the farmer than just
to increase his wants; we're putting
money in his pocket. Wherever an IN
terurban line has gone it has. for one
thing, raised land values from twenty.
five to one hundred per cent. It has
brought the farmer in touch with the
briskness and system Of modern COM
merce, and taught him to use business
methods in his farming. 1t has given
him wider choice of markets. And
he can get his milk. eggs. fruit and
vegetables to town fresher. He re.
ceives his market quotations by rural
free delivery and phone and takes
quicker advantage of high prices by
means Of US"
What it Means to the Farmer.
Here's an example, right here.
When we first came through this was
pretty down-at-the-heel place. Now
look The buildings are well painted.
the lawns carefully kept. the fences
and lands in bang-up condition. and
there are lot of new cement side
walks
We stopped at crossroads, and a
well-dressed, happy looking couple got
on. greeting my conductor Familiarity.
The latter nudged me, as they came
aboard.
See them? Before we came, Josh
Bergen. there. used to spend couple
of days in and out, driving his load OF
produce to market. leaving his wife be-
hind drudging. Today he puts his
stuff into one of our big express cars
at his door, after 'phoning his mer-
| chant about it, dresses up in store
| clothes, and comes in on the next pas
senger car with his wife. When he
| gets to town he'll probably sell his
stuff at a nice figure, then they'll do
| their shopping. go to good restau-
rant, attend the matinee. and get back
home in time for her to prepare sup
per. And she can get off for all this
because there's more money. now, to
/ keep more help with. and fit out the
house with labor-saving appliances "
! $50" / queried. "the farmers from
around here go to the theater good
deal?"
II guess" he returned, glancine
over the car, that know every one
aboard but you They're all farming
folks bound for The Merry Widow,
/ except promoter OF gold mines, ur
!. there In the far end of the smoker
that horse dealer behind the stove
and yonder lady in the red hat, wife
of big surbanite lawyer who's get
ting after the Standard Oil"
The interurban freight business I.
growing like Alice In Wonderland
when she aibbled the other mushroom
; From November 1, 1908. to March !
1909, one division of the Ohio Electro
railway increased its freight business
, seventy-five per cent. Here the freigh
| cars are strikingly like those of tn,
/ steam roads, and are handled with
. facility that steam can not compet
( with. Elevators and factories ar
/ springing up along the tracks, and II
J. places where steam is rival, the fac
s tories often connect. by preference
J, with the trolley tracks. In 1908, tn
, Detroit United Railway handled NOR
s than five million gallons of milk an
L cream.
l. Some companies have. recently, BIZ
It gun to manage funerals. with strikin
>, success They take contracts for mo,
ing families and firms from place t
J" place, and are undaunted. even, b
u such things as bank safe.
y The other day party of people
n Greenville, small town forty-fiv
o miles from Dayton. decided that the
o wanted to go to the theater. and d
8 the thing up brown. So they simpl
d 'phoned the Ohio Electric. That ente
% prising corporation sent speci;
m chair car, fitted with card-tables
" brought them to town in sixty-fiy
2, minutes. had their theater ticke
1t ready for them; ordered their afte
theater supper; whisked them back (
Greenville the moment they wei
ready to go-and charged them sir
lie ply twenty-five dollars for the car.
d. Such traction companies seem
Id have the genuine spirit of service.
n. 1t pays. Of course.
IL But it is the spirit that will II an
W thing will. realize for us the visio,
se OF the prophets.