The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-10-07

railroad WOulQ pass through tHe place.
Other influences prevailed and the rail-
road was carried 20 miles north of Phil
brook, to the great disappointment OF
the first settlers, among whom was Mr.
George Stone of this city, now resident
of Lewistown, Montana. Now we are
told that railroad has been built and
that Philbrook is booming with the pros
pect of becoming a city.
A New York firm has contracted for
more than $500, 900 worth of Oregon and
Washington apples for Eastern and Euro
pean trade, and it is expected that pur-
chases in Idaho and western Montana
will bring the total up to the million mark
The purchases in the Hood River district
aggregated more than 5000, 900, and as
high as 50. 50 a box, or five cents a pound,
was paid. In Washington $3.50, and in
several instances 81. rs a box, was paid
for apples of the first grade. 1t behooves
Maine orchardists to get busy.
''To Happiness by Trolley" is the cap
ton of an article in Success Magazine for
August, in which is told what the inter-
urban electric railway means to the
Middle West in prosperity, comfort and
JOY of living And what it means to the
Middle West it means to other sections
of the country, and may mean to us in
this city and county. The writer of this
article stopped off wherever fancy
dictated, talking to farmers, store-keep-
ers. professional men, traction officials
all sorts and conditions of people; but
keeping specially on the alert for an
experienced, intelligent and communica-
tive conductor He was not hard to find
What's your line doing for this part of
the State" | asked him. Doing" he
echoed. THE lines simply making it.
I've been running these interurbans
ever since Ohio first saw them, and
can tell you they have brought in a new
day for the city, and for the village, and
for the country Take this section of the
road When the company was securing
the right of way, four years ago, lots of
the farmers were afraid of the idea and
asked so much for the lease that the
company found it cheaper to buy their
whole farms outright and be done with
it. To-day many of the farmers are
coming and wanting to buy their farms
bact. again because they see what this
thing is doing for their neighbors.
In many places in Ohio the electric
roads parallel the steam roads, and, as
this conductor said, have simply knocked
the steam roads silly on short hauls. -
But it is found that what the steam roads
lose in this direction they make up in
the long hauls, and that the electric roads
with their short hauls feed people who
have not before been given to travelling
to the steam railroads for their long
hauls.
Some have opposed electric roads be-
cause Of fear that they would take trade
away from their town to some other
town or city But these are matters
that regulate themselves, and where cleo
trio roads develop and build up section
they create more trade, and it is up to
the dealers to offer such terms as to re-
tain what they have and gain their share
of the new trade. In Ohio it was found
that at first the trade of the small store !
keepers did fall off. ''But bit by bit |
they saw peoples wants increasing. So
village trade picked up. And then the
city folks began swarming out of town
and building houses 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 except the cloth
iers. -
Then as to the farmers it is said:
wherever an interurban line has gone
it has, for one thing, raised land values
from twenty-five to one hundred per
cent. 1t has brought the farmer in
touch with the business and system of
modern commerce, and taught him to use
business methods in his farming. 1t has
given MIN a wider choice of markets.
And ba na,, rra+ bic will oorrrc f,,,;+ o,J