The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-03-18
GOOD ROADS; PRONT MAIL;
TELEPHONES EASE COUNTRY LIFE.

a different scene.
He comes stained with the cleanly
soil of Mother Earth and beaded
, with the perspiration Of healthful
. toll. He enters the road and stops
| at his mail box at the telephone pole.
He takes therefrom his daily paper,
his weekly paper, his agricultural
journal. He reads the markets first.
He glances at the news Of the world.
His pockets are bulging with mag
azines for his wife.
The magazines contain for her
many suggestions Of healthful and
scientific cooking, of the care and
training Of children, oh house and
Jfarmyard sanitation, of dress and
dressmaking.
These things are too important to
keep. They must be discussed with
the wife at the neighboring farm.
The telephone bell jingles and there
follows as gossipy and as interesting
a conversation with the neighbor on
the next farm or the farm two, three
or four miles away, as ever delight
ed the feminine heart.
Not much monotony about this.
Do you know what a Telephone
party' is? If not, you have never
visited a farm house where there is
a telephone. 1t takes place in the
early evening when the duties of
the day are over and when the busi-
ness conversations on the exchange
have ceased. "Central' connects
all the subscribers on the switch
board or such as may be invited to
the party. And everybody talks at
once, as do people at other parties,
and as the voice Of each is known to
the other, no difficulty is experienced
I'M following the conversation.
The hostess, with her piano near
the telephone plays. Some one sings
and some one breads" ;" Oh, yes,
that's what they call it on the farm
when some one recites something.
When the performers have finished
there is a crash of applause from
farmhouses within a radius Of SIX
miles, and many are the exclama-
tions Of "Oh, how sweet" "PleaSe
play some more. -
The hostess who has a phonograph
is very popular, and each new rec
ord is hailed with delight.
And "Central," instead Of being
a person to be sworn at, becomes a
social arbiter.
If there is one thing more than
another that will put new life into a
sleeping rural community, it is the
institution Of farmers telephone
exchange.
With the coming Of the automo-
bile to the farm, preceded by the
graded and paved highway, the
farmers children can be whisked to
and from the village school. Per-
ishable products can be hurried into
the city to take advantage Of the
days market. And at some future
time on the occasion Of a "sure
enough" party in the country, the
beamirg headlights Of automobiles
VII be clustered about farmhouse
as about city theatre on the first
night Of a popular play.
We have not considered the mon
eiE-making features Of the farm.
That is already being done better
than we can do it in fruit, stock,
poultry and general farm periodi-
Gals. But this may be said: The
farmer is not worried over the pres
ent unusual high price of eggs, but
ter, chickens and vegetables. He
smiles about it. He likes it. He
has these things for sale.
This vision Of country life does
not see a establishment Of the
magnificent and luxurious estates of
the old world-merely ornamental
Or useless or oppressive-but it sees
thousands Of prosperous and happy
farm homes lining smooth, white
roads into the cities.