The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-01-27
HOW
HELP FARMERS
VALUE OF TELEPHONE LINES TO
COUNTRY.
SAVE MONEY AND TIME
AS WELL AS BEING A SOURCE OF
PLEASURE TO FAMILIES.

The farmer OF today Is One Of the
most progressive citizens Of this pro.
gressiye country. Whenever he is
thoroughly convinced that a certain
tool or piece Of machinery will do his
work better, do more of 1t, or increase
his income, II isn't very long before
he owns that tool or machine. That
this enterprise HIS proven beneficial
TO himself and to his calling is
demonstrated by the wonderful strides
agriculture has taken, and the improv-
ed methods employed on the average
farm. But he must be convinced. He
is a careful, prudent man, not quick
to jump at conclusions. The first
thought that must have come to
the minds Of the majority Of farm
ers upon the advent OF the rural
telephone line was. cor what good TO
the farmer Is the te%lephone?" This
was but a very nftural question. The
farmer above ell Is a practical man.
and the value Of the telephone had
not yet been demonstrated He
couldn't see the utility of It. It
would not milk the cows, dig the
potatoes, or make the crops grow.
What practical benefit then could the
farmer derive from the telephone? He
could understand how It might be just
the thing for the CAPT alist who hadn't
anything to do but ,njoy himself. But
the farmer didn't have the time to stay
around the house talking over the
telephone. Some farmers argued that
they had gotten along so far In life
without the telephone, why not the
rest of their days? This same argu-
ment, If carried out, would have kept
hundreds of other improvements, now
considered absolute necessities, Off
the farm, and would thus have retard-
cd the marvellous march Of progress
that has made the modern farmer OF
America the model of the world.
Because a man might walk from New
York to Chicago Is no reason why 1t
would not be cheaper and more sens
ible to ride, as well as being quicker
and easier. Thousands of farmers,
however, were quick to recognize the
value of the telephone to the rural res
ident. They foresaw the improved
conditions that It's adoption would
bring to them and their families, and
the consequence Is that the building
of farm lines, which began a long
time ago. is going on at a livelier rate
thar aver today. In spite Of this fact,
ONE farmers even yet are undecided
~ to the wisdom of this universal
movement, They fear it Is a needless
waste ii h~ard-earned money. But the
farmer who has had a telephone for
a year or more knows why so many
farm lines are being built. To him
the reason Is plain. 1t Is because the
telephone is n money-saving, time-sav-
ing, ~labor-saving addition to the farm
that pays It's own way and leaves "a
nice profit besides every year. The
farm telephone has come to be
recognized as a necessity. No one
questions the statement that time Is
money. and very few will question the
statement that as n time saver the tel
ephone has no equal. Time Is an i'm
portant item on the farm. The need
Of a telephone connection Is far more
urgent to the farmer than to the city
man. Every errand mems a trip to
town, Or to the neighbors', involving a
loss of time at every step. Lost time
means lost money and lost opportu-
nifty. Suppose In the rush of the busy
season, when every hour Is precious,
a piece OF machinery breaks down.
What Is the result? To get repairs
means a trip to town. Lost time. Per-
haps a wasted crop. With the tele.
phone at hand. the new part may be
ordered In a moment and on its way
by rural delivery before the boy
could saddle his pony and get started
after It, often reducing the delay from
an hour to q day. The product of
the average farm In the United States
Is worth $3.50. But the progressive
business farmer who uses the most
improved implements and machines
produces so to 100 per cent. more than
the q average. There are only about 200
good working days In the year ON the
farm. Therefore evry day counts.
When a corn field is getting weedy.
q days work with the cultivator will
make q difference of $25 in the value
of the crop. When q field Of wheat is
ripe. the delay Of . day may cost more.
The successful farmer has to consider
all these things and he cannot afford
the time to run errandE when nature
, u calling him to the nelds. Help ON
the farm u scarce. and is more difkc-