Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-17
FARMERS IN j. s.
OWN $4,000 AUTOS
AgriCulturiSts Shown to Be the
Men Most in Need of
Motor Cars
ARE EXPERT AT REPAIRING
Monotony of Life in Country Is
Broken by Pleasure OF
Joy Riding

Careful estimate of the number OF
automobiles owned by farmers In the
entire United States is 10000
Why does the farmer want an auro?
IT'S interesting. The farmer has
more good reasons for having an auto
than any other man. 1t is commonly
said now that many city men are puy-
ing autos who cannot afford thein.
Garage and chauffeur costs are largely
responsible for this condition.
But the farmer takes to an automo-
bile quite like the proverbial duck to
water. In the first place, he KNOWS
machinery. He handles 1t all day long
and has to be his own repair man. AS
a result he is his own best chauf1euI
and so is his son.
The auto fits into the farm work
as If made for it. 1t doesn't replace
the horse-not bit of 1t. The morse
goes into the field in the morning ana
the auto runs the milk to town, or
makes a quick dash to the machine
shop in town for part to repair the
binder or the threshing machine. 1t
saves the time in many instances Gas
many farmers testify of a big gang
of men in the field in an emergency. IL
pays for itself in real service by the
end of a year or two.
And then comes the extra measure OF
value IL gives, in the pleasure sense.
writer after writer has told of the
dreariness of farm life-the loneliness.
ofttimes leading to insanity. 1t Is wei
known that a great percentage or IN
sanity is among farm women Ihe
horses are needed in the fields every
dav of good weather, and on Sunday
they need rest. The farm wife ana
family, therefore, are practically prls-
oners for large part of the year. Iney
are at the mercy of distance. Such a
condition cramps them, stunts them
and drives the children to the cities In
search of more life and companionship.
II has been the sad cry OF the farrn
and the village for fifteen years tnat
its best young men were going 10 tne
cities-that they refused to stay on the
farm because of lack of pleasure as
we'll as lack of opportunity
Nowadays there is no more cry ABOUT
lack of opportunity on the farm. SIX
teen automobile makers are advertising
autos to- the farmers in the 400 farm
papers of the country, and most OF
them are arguing that the automoplle
will keep the boy on the farm and
make life more livable for the wife,
whose dreary round of labor has been
the pity of the country.
Now the farmer with an auto can
take MS ldIllly lOl Oh N--'
or lecture, without using his horses.
He can go to church on Sunday more
regularly; he can visit distant relatives
and friends more frequently; he can
go TO town oftener and more quickly.
one Dakota farmer who is extremely
fond of hunting, but lives forty miles
from the game district, takes his son
with him on Saturday during the sea
son and comes back Saturday night
with a deer or two slung across the
radiator, and bubbling over with tales
OF his trip.
farms and in towns Of less than 4O0C
in this country. This means hat over
half of our population is practically In
the country About 25.000,0O0 of these
are Young people, and they are just as
keen for pleasure as young people any
where else. That is one big reason fol
the automobile on the farm. Ten OF
ff.eeen years ago farmers bought or
gans for their daughters and Duggle'
for their sons A great many OF them
are today buying autos for the wnole
family. An entirely new meaning has
beoen given to the village social life II
consequence.
IN fact the farmers themselves are
the best champions of the auto.-Les'
lies Weekly.