Omaha daily bee., 1910-07-31
MOTOR CARS ON THE FARM

Transition of Family PhaetOn Into
Touring Cars I'm Iowa.
In the old shack on the farm where they
kept the rattletrap family pheaton and the
chickens were wont TO roost upon the axles
a complete Transformation has come to
pass. A cement floor has been put in, four
large windows have been made from the
tops OF hotbeds, there L. lock on the door
and large family automobile stands in
the middle OF the homespun garage. II Is
the monument marking a new era in the
life OF the farmer; II is the wall that is
stemming the tide of sons of farmers TAX
ing their leave once they arrive at an age
Of usefulness; 1t il the commercial alarm
clock which has awakened the lethargiu
farmer to a life OF activity and made An
impulsive business man OF him. and, above
all, 1t is a comic, ting balm to the farmers
wives and daughters; their dull, lonesome,
uneveutful days are over.
A few years ago the wise farmer baited
his home with either an organ, phono-
graph. piano player or something equally
attractive for his daughters, and bought
the best bicycle. road wagon or fine buggy
and high bred horse he could find for his
sons. But the girls and boys-especially
the boys-continued to leave for new field
of endeavor, often leaving the father and
mother in the lurch for help, but now, ac-
cording to estimates made from April as
sessment lists. more than 5000 automobiles
are owned by farmers, and with the "gaso-
line institution" has come notable change.
One farmer In Iowa, speaking before
farmers institute recently, cleverly char
acterized the automobile as the tie that
binds"
An automobile agent that cannot close
with prospective farmer customer had
better give up the ghost and take UP
manual labor. Not since the day Of the
oily tongued lightning rod agent has the
farmer lent eur to so much argument The
man who attacks him from the right angle
can easily convince him that an automo-
bile purchase ID not luxury but a neces-
sity, and withal an investment.
The automobile vogue has brought many
changes to them. Sister now has a card
in the town library and father is only
too glad to take her to town once or
twice week early In the morning, with
out breaking into their regular days work
The boys take delight Ia cranking UP
the car and whizzlng away early Sunday
morning to see or play in the game of
ball between the "Clodhoppers" and Corn
field Sailors" four miles over In the next
township, and be back In time for the rest
OF the folks to use 1t going to meeting"
Sunday afternoon father and mother-and
sometimes the girls, of courss-visit around
the neighborhoOd, which is now extended
to about ten square miles, instead OF one,
and In the evening the boys can go to
town and shy their oastors into the camp
of the town girls.
OF course, Mr. Farmer now buys a ticket
for the town lecture course and the entire
family loads the machine down when a
show holds the boards at the town hall
The innumerable bucolic statesmen-town-
ship trustees, road supervisors and the like
'-press an automobile into good account
along about electioneering time. In some
instances, where a farmer does not have
small house for a tenant and It Is Inn
practicable to employ farm hand, he
hauls his help to and from their town
home during the season they are most
needed. The farmer no longer enters into
yearly contracts with them, but employs
man whenever he desires, like the small
building contractor or factory owner in
the small town. One farmer in Dakota
who is extremely fond OF hunting, but
lives forty miles from the game district
often takes his son with him during the
season and comes back with a deer or
two In the tonneau.-Des Moines Letter In
New York Herald.