The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1911-06-29
RURAL TELEPHONES
An Editorial From the Bolton, South
Carolina, Times.

Theirs is always something being
said about good roads: there is al.
ways some movement on foot to pro.
mote the good roads of the state,
and we would not for moment dis.
count the value of good roads, but
there are other things we ought to
talk more about and devote more OF
our time to than we do, and one OF
these things is the rural telephone.
OF course, good roads help, but two
hundred rural telephones connected
with the homes of two hundred farm.
ers out from Bolton would do more
to promote the prosperity of the sec
ton OF country surrounding this town,
and would more closely unite the peo-
pie of this section than a hundred
miles of macadam road bed built out
from Bolton, 1t is broad assertion
to make and we give you the right
to disagree with us until we have
had chance to prove to you that il
Is fact and not merely theory adj
vanced by the editor of the Bolton
Times; but once you see the matter
in the light that we see it, and in it's
true light, then you will recognize the
advantage Of the rural telephone.
Let the farmers of the state build
up their farms and improve their
residences, and good roads are GER
tain to follow. The farmers will rec
nize the value to them of having
good public highways running by
their farms and they will go to work
to build the good roads. Give us
a progressive section and as certain
as the night follows the day, good
roads are going to find beaten path
way into that section of country We
admit that good roads are essential
to a progressive people, but they just
as naturally follow the lead Of the
progressive spirit We have good
roads and lots of them, and the real
ly interesting and encouraging part
Of it Is that they are growing better
as the years go by. Paths and narrow
road beds of decade ago are now
public highways and the public high
ways of ten years ago are now be-
coming smooth boulevards.
We are, as yet, cut off from each
other, in a sense, though, because we
have not stressed enough the build
ing of rural telephone lines. Let one
hundred farmers of this section con-
meet their homes with the exchange
here in Bolton and there will be one
hundred farmers who have, in great
measure, become citizens of the town.
They have joined themselves to the
town, and they have become inter-
ested in the growth and development
of the place. They naturally feel
deeper interest in Bolton than they
did before. They can telephone their
friends in town, and we who have
heretofore been mere acquaintance
become neighbors and close friends.
They telephone into town for what
ever information they want and have
not GOETHE rural telephone will bind
to the town of Bolton the farmers OF
this entire section, if we will develop
the lines running out from this ex-
change. This is something we have
not heretofore given the attention
that it has really been due. Let's get
busy; think Of what we have said in
this article, and see for yourself if it
isn't worth your while Every farmer
ought to have his home connected
with the town nearest him by tele-
phone, and they will do it, if they are
shown the advantage that such a con-
nection would be to them. Person
ally, we would rather see the farms
of this section connected with the
telephone exchange here than the
stores and business places in town.
Do you agree with same? If not, say
so, and at the time, give your reasons
for disagreeing with us. Our columns
are always open for letters from peo-
pie who are interested in the things
that ought to interest the entire neigh
borhood.
Every farmer can have a telephone
in his home and connection with the
Universal Bell System at very low
cost We are ready to cooperate with
farmers and with communities to de-
velop this service. For full information
address nearest Bell Telephone man.
ager, or Southern Bell Telephone and
Telegraph Company, 218 South Pryor
Street, Atlanta, Ga.