Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1910-10-28
The Essentials OF Country Life

AA ASHiA1Cu, viii ROD the rural
districts OF their isolation ami place
The farm dweller upon a plane of
equality with the city man, and in
crease the desirability of the country
as place 10 live in at least fifty
per cent. These things are.
The rural free delivery system,
when thoroughly extended.
The parcels post extended along
all rural lines.
Good roads.
a complete rural telephone SER
vice connecting with the business
centers.
These things will come, and are
coming with the march of events.
If we can induce the members of
congress to stop voting such sums
as S29l,OOO,O00 for the support of
The army and navy, and divert some
of that money toward the extension
OF the rural mail routes, step In
the right direction will have been
taken.
lnasmuCh as Mississippi will send
a solid delegation to Washington
pledged to support and work for
the parcels post bill and three mil
lion five hundred thousand farmers
all over the south and west, belong
ing to the Farmers Union, are de-
handing of their congressman that
some definite action be taken in
su' port Of this measure, it Is reas-
enable to presume that the next
session Of congress will give US some
sort of results, as an experiment, il
nothing else.
AS regards good roads, all coun-
ties should abandon the old "coun-
! ty farm plaza barbarous survival
of archaic and repudiated convict
leasing days; concentrate all able
bodied conyicts upon the county
roads and make some serious, def
mite and intelligently directed effort
to build permanent highways. Where
gravel and stone is not available,
burnt clay is, or a combination of
clay and sand
Our present system is wasteful,
eXtrayagant and productive of no
permanent results. Better five miles
of permanent highway year, than
fifty miles run over once a year with
scraper, to be an attenuated mud
hole six months of the year, and a tire
cut agony to ride upon the other
six.
These things are largely in the flu
ture. They are things worked out in
the evolution of experience and
events.
The rural telephone line, however,
is a thing Immediately available.
Certain events have transpired to
check the development of the system,
which obstacles it is to be hoped will
soon be removed
If a farmer has a telephone con-
nection, he is Independent of loca-
ton He can save time. He can
call up the nearest reliable market
and ascertain the price of cotton. If
the price does not suit him, he is
not compelled to take the long trip to
town, hauling several bales, and lose
day. Probably he sells rather than
take his cotton back home with him,
if the price is not what he thinks
he ought to have. He can ascertain
over his phone the price Of corn, po-
tatoes, hay, oats-any and all of
his products.
He must learn to economic time,
as the city business man does. If,
on calling up the nearest market he
finds it unfavorable-by that five
minutes conversation he has saved
a day otherwise uselessly spent. That
day he puts in on some necessary
work-and the day saved is several
dollars made.
Aside from the practical time
saving and dollar-making features,
there is the social side and the COM
Portable feeling that the small in
strument on the wall puts him at
once in touch with the whole world,
if he so desires. If he, his wife, or
children are lonely, they may call a
neighbor and enjoy conversation.
If there is sickness-it beats go
ing out in the lot, catching the old
mare, saddling up and riding five
miles for a doctor. In three minutes
the message has flashed over the wire
and the man of medicine is on the
way. How many lives have been
lost by an hours delay? II the
doctor is not at home, it is the work
of few minutes to locate another
one.
The head of the family can go to
| his remote fields, or to town, and