The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-09-07
BEST COUNTY IN THE STATE.
What the Rural Telephone is About
To Accomplish in Georgia.

county, Georgia, will be equipped with
q telephone when the plans Of the
Sparta, Ga, merchants are completed.
The farmers are cooperating with
their progressive city neighbors IN
bringing about this improvement. It
will be Of inestimable value, both to
the rural residents and to the mer-
chants. The universal spread Of the
rural telephone has perhaps never
shown a more striking result.
It will be the best Of phones, too,
that this up-to-date community Will
have installed. The central exchange
at Sparta is an adjunct Of the South
ern Bell Telephone Co., which like all
other Bell lines, isequipped withthe
la5estimproved appliances Of the West
ern Electric company, the largest man
ufaeturers Of telephonesand telephone
apparatus in the world. This com
pany has already equipped many rural
Zines in the country surrounding Spar
ia
The installation Of a countrywide
service means the annihilation Of all
distances in Hancock. A farmer may
have his home at the extreme end OF
the county, but he will be able to talk
TO his brother in Sparta with as little
trouble as if the two lived on oppo-
site sides of the same road. Business
men whose rural neighbors furnish
them trade will have every customer
practically at their fnger-tips. It IS
difficult t. estimate just how much this
Improvement will mean, expressed in
terms Of money, to Hancock county.
Tie Atlanta Constitution recently
commented editorially on the subject,
uader the heading "Getting into Com
munication," as follows:
"Hancock county ihas taken a step
in the direction Of progress which 9TH
ers will do we'll to employ as a pat
Be1n.
FsInstigated by the enterprsiing cit
liens of Sparta, there has been set IN
motion a project which will soon put
a telephone into practically every
farm house in Hancock.
"Realizing the Importance, not only
to the farmers, but to the business
Interests Of Sparta, Of such a system
Of communication, covering practical
ly the entire county, Sparta business
men raised fund for the purpose Of
building rural telephone lines and
5ringinguhem into communication
with the city system.
<sFrom this fund approximately
half Of the expense of constructing
the lines Will be paid, the farmers pay
ing the other half and cost of install
ing their telephones.
"It is therefore, purely local en-
terprise. which has for it's object IN
accommodation of the entire coun-
Sy in general, and centralzing the
ceuntv's business at the county seat,
IN particular.
1tBoth the citizens of Sparta and
the farmers of Hancock are making a
good investment; the farming inter
ests will do their trading at home ;
instead Of going into the adjoining
county.
but aside from that, the people
Of the whole county viii be brought,
socially and commercially, into closer
harmony and unity. They wall have
at hand means of rapid communlca-
ton, not only among themselves but
with the outside world.
1.-THE value Of the rural telephone
is not problematic; it has been dem
enstrated and its proven worth IS
vastly more than it's small cost.
"Hancock County has gone about
1t in the right way.
t'It will result not only IN material
advantage to the lndlVldual clIlzens
Of the county, but in broadening OF
view and of sphere Of activity which
are important community assets.
;'There should be no county IN the
4 State without its rural telephone SER
vice.
sEIt is not only an indication Of
progress. but it is a positive factor
IN continued advancement and
growth
Spartans are already boasting that
when the improvement is completed
hev Will have "the best county IN
Georgia"
A fnnd Of $500 has been raised to