The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-03-15

"Uses the Farmers Can
Make Of Telephones"
President Patterson introduced H.
c. Hotaling, who spoke as follows:
81 can conceive Of no reason for
the assignment of the subject to
me, uses That the Farmer Can
Make of the Telephone" other than
the conclusions of the committee
that the country editor comes in
close contact with the farmer. lt
certainly was not because of any
personal experience upon my part
upon the farm. The subject, how.
ever, is one that would not have
been given out very many years
ago, as the farm telephone is. COM
paritively speaking, a recent innova-
| ton.
To-day the farm home, in Blue
Earth county, at least, without a
| telephone, is almost in the minority,
as the entire county is crossed and
recrossed with miles Of wire leading
| in every direction. These farm lines
in most instances connect with the
| toll boards of the Mankato Citizens
Telephone company, fifteen such
| lines coming on to the board in my
home village, and conditions at Ma
| pleton are not much different from
| what they are at other points in the
county where our lines come in
contact with the lines which the
farmers themselves have construct.
ed to secure communication with
the world outside. The uses which
the farmer can make of the tele-
phone are so many and so varied
| that it would take historian to
| record them all and a philosopher
to reason them out.
Uses of the Phone.
'The farm telephone not only
performs business functions but is
equally useful in social affairs. BY
the use of the telephone the farmer
Lis. kept abreast of business condi-
tions as we'll as il he were in the
marts of trade. Before starting out
with a load of wheat or a bunch
of stock he calls the telephone line
| into use and learns whether prices
are up or down. Farmers in Ster'
! ling township, this county, for in
stance, who geographically are so To-
Gated that they can take advantage
of the markets at MapletOn. Good
Thunder. Amboy, Vernon, Delavan
and even WinnebagO, if necessary.
find this plan of procedure especial
ly valuable. 1t makes little ODDS
| to them as far as distance is con-
cerned, which town they go to-,
hence a small variance in price on
any farm product may decide which
market they will take advantage of,
and this question is promptly settled
by calling into service the farm
telephone.
When the Roads Are impossible.
Then again when the roads are
very nigh impossible, a condition
we hope will soon be but a matter
of history owing to the good roads
agitation, the farmer by use of the
phone is enabled to transact bust
ness with his banker, lawyer or
merchant without leaving his home.
A representative of city daily
who was recently in my office said.
in speaking of the changed condi-
tons: "Since the advent of the farm
| telephone I have no difficulty in
collecting subscriptions in the rural
districts. When reach town, call
up the subscribers, and if they are
not coming to town they call up
the banker or some merchant and
tell them to settle with me, taking
my receipt, of course. In the old
days l simply had to let the sub
scriptions go, or else take a livery
and drive all day at an expense
| to the company of all there was in
the subscriptions.
"The farmer comes to town and
man-like, forgets or loses the long
list of articles he was to bring
home If he has telephone he
calls up his wife and has his men,
ory refreshed. If not he loses his
temper as we'll as the next day by
having to come back to town.
"In cases of fire help is secured
in less time than it takes to arous.
the average fire department. With
the ringing of the fire alarm-which
is the general ring on the line, the
husky farmer lad is soon on horse.
back Fastening to do what he can
to save the property of his neigh
Dor.
Call for the Physician.
"The family physician is wanted.
Instead of making a long drive to
town, only to learn perhaps that
the doctor is away, the telephone is
brought into requisition and he is
located very quickly. He may be
right near at hand. visiting some other
home in the community. II he. cam
not be found some other physician
is soon secured and is on the road
to the home of the afflicted before
a team could have fairly started for
town. Again, the home may be