The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-05-04
telephone lines are connected with the

telephone lines are connected with the
central switchboard In town. so THAT
toll cali will get any one In the coun
ty or in the state Market and wealth
er reports are sent out over the rurai
lines at certain hours each day. lf the
market is especially good the farmer
can call up the local buyer and con-
tract his hogs at once. or II be prefers
he can call up the railway freight Of
tice and arrange to have u 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
a days work notifying the neighbors,
and then frequently 1t all had to be
down to the machine or bad weather
Now the notifying is all done in few
moments by phone.
On many occasions a prompt tele-
phoie call has brought the nearest
doctor to the bedside of a sick child
who would not have lived until trip
could be made to town for the doctor
This is one of the reasons that q teie
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 bis wife will
think of something she wants him to
get All she has to do is to call up the
leave message for him. When the
young folks want to give party the
telephone will quickly bring in every
one in the neighhorhOod stray
horse is soon located and brought hac
home. In weather too bad for the mail
carrier to get through importan, let
terS can be received over the teie
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
merchants have objected to parcels
POST on the ground that IT would favor
the mail order houses at their expense
This can be overcome by giving a low
er rate to packages that go over Il rural
route only. A parcels post of this kind
has been recommended by the post
master general He figures that II
would prove profitable for the govern
ment. turning the postal deficit into a
surplus. With cheap parcels post In
operation on the free rural delivery
routes the connection of the farmer
with the town will be complete III
can order parcels from town and hav.
them delivered at his door a few hour.
later. Things which be cannot get II
his local town he can procure from 3
mail order house in two or three days
The farmers are united In demandin,
this convenience. and It IL bound Il
come before long.
The final step in the emancipatio,
of the farmer was taken when the troll
ley line and the automobile came int,
general use The trolley has mean
better schooling for his children 1
has brought theaters. lectures and bet
ter churches within reach of the farm
cr's family Best Of all. the competi
tion with the cities has brought abou
much needed awakening of the coun
try schools and the country churches
The trolley is great convenience II
| taking produce to market Most o
the cars will stop at any farmhous
or crossroads to pick up can o
cream. a crate Of chickens or pas
senger Trolley lines are great fac
tor in Fastening the back to tn
land" movement The farmer VIII
lives near trolley line has no desir
conveniences Of both town and coun
| try
Wherever a trolley line -puncturcs
city the crowded population spreads ou
into the country. At first the city pee
pie move into the country only to hav
a pleasanter place to live while still
carrying on their business in the city
Once in the country few of them eve
regret the change Most Of them sa
that they would not go back to th
city to live under any consideration
What the trolley lines are doing fn
the more thickly settled districts. goo
roads. automobiles and driving horse
are doing for those communities whic
are not yet densely enough populate
to support a trolley line The goo
roads movement started with the aG