Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-07-29

Immediately after dinner is generally
conceded to be the women folks .
hour at the phone They will stand
and visit. often dozen Of them at a
time. until the proverbal loneliness of
farm life is entirely forgotten
The principal use OF the telephone is
for business The modern farmer re-
lies upon his telephone as much as
does the business man Most of the
telephone lines are connected with the
central switchboard In town. so that
a toll call will get any one in the coun-
ty or in the state. Market and wealth
er reports are s.'ni our over the rural
lines at certain hours each day. II the
market Is especially good the farmer
can call up the local buyer ana con-
tract his hogs ut once. or II he prefers
be can call up the railway freight Of
Gee and arrange TO have a stock car
ready for him the next morning. In
most communities the practice of
"changing work" at thrashing time Is
still followed This used to necessitate
q days work notifying the neighbors,
and then frequently it all had to be
d, ne over again on account Of a break
down to the machine or bad weather.
Now the notifying Is all done in Il few
moments by phone.
On many occasions prompt tele-
phone call has brought the nearest
doctor to the bedside of sick child
who would not have lived until trip
could be made to town for the doctor.
This is one OF the reasons that tele-
phone is seldom taken out after 1t has
once been put in. In hundred minor
ways the telephone has become neces-
sary to the farm folk. Often after the
farmer has left for town his wife will
think of something she wants him to
get All she has to do is to call up the
store where he does his trading and
leave message for him. When the
young folks want to give a party the
telephone will quickly bring in every
one in the neighborhood. A stray
horse is soon located and brought back
home. In weather too bad for the mail
carrier to get through important let
tiers can be received over the tele-
phone.
One other step is necessary to enable
the farmer to make the greatest use of
the rural free delivery and the tele-
phone. 1t is the parcels post Local
have objected to parcels
post on the ground that 1t would favor
the mail order houses at their expense.
This can be overcome by giving low
er rate to packages that 80 over rural
route only. A parcels post of this kind
has been recommended by the post.
master general. He figures that It
would prove profitable for the govern
ment. turning the postal deficit into q
surplus. With cheap parcels post In
operation on the free rural delivery
routes the connection of the farmer
with the town will be complete. He
ran order parcels from town and have
them delivered at his door few hours
later. Things which he cannot get In
his local town he can procure from a
mail order house in two or three days.
The farmers are united In demanding
this convenience. and It ia bound to
come before long.
The final step. In the emancipation
Of the farmer was taken when the troll
ley line and the automobile came into
general use. The trolley has meant
better schooling for his children 1t
has brought theaters. lectures and bet
ter churches within reach Of the farm
er's family. Best Of all, the competi
ton with the cities has brought about
a much needed awakening Of the coun-
try schools and the country churches.
The trolley is great convenience in
taking produce to market. Most OF
the cars will stop at any farmhouse
or crossroads to pick up can of
cream. crate Of chickens or pas
senger. Trolley lines are great fac
tor In Fastening the "back to tho
land" movement The farmer who
lives near a trolley line has no desire
to go to town because he has all the
Of both town and coun-
try.
Wherever trolley line puncturcs 4
city the crowded population spreads out
into the country. At first the city peO-
pie move into the country only to have
4 pleasanter place to live while still
on their business In the city.
Once in the country few of them ever
regret the change. Most Of them say
hat they would not go back to the
.ity to live under any consideration.
What the trolley lines are doing for
he more thickly settled districts. good
.oads. automobiles and driving horses
ire doing for those communities which
ire not yet densely enough populated
o support trolley line The good
'oads movement started with the ad-