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

II. C. HoTALINe.
quarantined. By the use of the
telephone communication is at hand
with the outside world and the
weary watchers cheered by words of
encouragement from friends who
would have no other avenue open
to them of communication. Supplies
are ordered and instructions secured
from the medical adviser
"The old binder may break down,
an extra is wanted. 1t is the midst
of harvest and every minute counts.
Word is telephoned to town and it
is sent out by the hardware man
or ordered from the distant factory
without the loss of time incidental
to driving to the village and order
ing by letter.
Stock May Go Astray.
Horses and stock may go astray.
Neighbors are called up and the
same. quickly located, as usual
thing, when without the telephone
days OF driving might have been
necessary TO find the missing ami
mails. Even children when lost are
found. The past summer near Ma
pleton we had two such cases. One
little boy, was missing from his
home. His father hunted for him
nearly all night. In the morning a
general call was sent out over the
various farm lines. The lad was
described, but it was not until the
last line had been reached that
trace of the little fellow was found.
On this line one woman called
back she had seen such a boy pass
their place the afternoon before, a
little further on some one else had
seen him and before half hour
had passed by the boy was not only
located, but his anxious parents no.
titled as to his whereabouts.
Then there are the pleasures
which are to be derived from the
farm telephone. Mothers who feel
that they have not the time to dress
up and go over to the neighbors.
simply call them up and in a short
time learn whether the baby in the
community has a new tooth, whether
the children are over the measles,
whether Mrs. So and Sos incubator
is working and whether as many
chicks were secured as expected.
The visit over the line is an In
spiration, it relieves the monotony
of every day life upon the farm.
When the day is over some other
good neighbor who possesses a
photograph announces that he has
some new records and will give a
concert. The music ring is given
and receivers all along the line come
down to hear Sousa's latest.
Reduces Number of Insane Gases.
Strange as it may seem to some
of you, it is undoubtedly a fact,
that the farm telephone has been
an important factor in reducing the
number of insanity cases coming
from the farm. Before the advent
of the farm telephone the life of
the housewife was in many cases
one of solitude and foreboding.
Closely confined at home. the team
being busy in the field when posi-
BILE for her to go to call, she was
compelled to walk or remain at
home. to grieve over her condition.
With the coming of the telephone,
the establishment Of the rural
routes and improved roads, condi-
tons have changed to remarkable
degree. The encouraging voice OF
neighbor is heard over the line, they
talk of matters of general interest
with the result that the dropping
heart is buoyed up and encouraged
and in place of foreboding there ia
good cheer and joy.
There Are Some Misuses.
"But with all its uses there are
some misuses of the farm telephone.
especially on new lines. Among them
might be mentioned the listening to
other people who are talking, giving
frequent rings while others are con-
versing, the placing of receiver and
transmitter together, thus causing an
unearthly whistle. Talking nonsense
and refusing to give up the line
WHEN SOME one ueCuS IL III dA
emergency call, such as sending for
physician. Why the telephone
girl says people have been known
to hold up cats to the transmitter
that their yowling might annoy
some one else who is endeavoring
to carry on conversation" There
are many other misuses, but on the
whole most people have come to a
recognition of the value Of the tele-
phone, Of it's necessity as a means
of communication and treat it as a
business institution.
"One thing is certain, business
conditions are entirely changed from
the old days when wealthy mer-
chant, because of poor health, was
advised to go into the country and
take a months absolute rest, away
from the daily paper, away from the
telegraph. Today he might get away
from the daily paper and the tele-
graph, but hardly from the tele-
phone. In this instance he took the
doctors advice and was absent
from his beautiful home for
month. On his return he was met