Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-03-12
THAT RURAL ROUTES
WOULD COAX TRADE TO LARGE
CITIES DOESN'T COME TRUE.
BUSY DAYS IN VILLAGES
SURROUNDED BY ROUTES
New Towns Without Routes Have
Sprung Up and Prospered-Rurai
Delivery Handicapped by Snow
Banks and Less Prompt Than Under
Old System-Wiiso Observations.
al to Times Republican

Coulter, March 12.-About a dozen
years ago there was much discussion,
it Will be remembered. in regard to the
effect On local trade resulting from the
establishment of rural mail routes
from small towns Business men often
told each otile:' that If routes We're es-
tabl!shed it would mean the end OF the
frequent and reg ular trips TO the near
est town for mai. and the consequent
incidental trade ard that the material
needs Of the farmer would henceforth
De supplied from the distant mail order
mouse or the courtyseat town while
the local trading poi1; would dw!rdle
to q collection of a few res dences, a
pesto.fice building and a railroad sta
ton. In a recent issue Of i popular
weekly periodical a writer shows that
the number of small retailers the coun-
try over is increasing instead OF grow
ing less and observation ;lclines one
to the belief that the journalist is right
and that rot even will the lateS, forms
Of rerace, the operation Of a parcels
post delivery and the automobile sue
coed in the total humiliation of the
small town.
Last Friday was cream cay" in the
town OF Lati,ner. The htching places
Were lined from 10 a n. 10 !: p m. with
teams Of farmers who had brought in
their cream. Less than two miles
away IS the town Of Coulter and here
again the driver found Il difficult TO
find q place 70 hitch his team A mar
ke- day sale was in progress The n7er-
chants were busy and the hotel mar
had 70 POSTPONE his usual Friday aoor
scIubbinr because of the i,lnunerahle
orGers gwen hin, by hungry custom
ers. It's rot like this every day" he
explained. but there are a lot az reople
III town every DAY ard he was stating
a fact that any one who spends a few
weeks in winter time trying 10 frd
farmers At their homes is ready to
corroborate There IS no doubt that
the trend Of trade 3 70 the lar-er
towns but the establishment of rural
routes ror anything else has prevented
farmers from visiting their local trad
ing point with the old time frequency,
especially in the time between the
months OF September and the follow
ing May.
In distinct class from the towns
that deliberately permitted neighbor
ing points TO monopo!ize the mail route
business are the few here and there
which have come into existence since
the esta Dlishnent of the service. The
town of Coulter is an illustration. Situ-
ated on main line of railway with a
first class mail service II Is surrounded
by routes from other towns. 4 route
from Hampton reaching nearly thirteen
miles from tina, town traverses point
hardly two miles from here and when
roads are blocked and carriers can not
make the long trips for two or three
days at a time the man in such places
as this who wants his mail and would
be glad TO go TO the nearby postoffce
for il himself. must wait and receive
it from town six times as far away.
One man living half a mile from here
is located on a route from Latimer
which II IS said cid not see a single
mail train for FIVE DAVIS at a time in
one instance during the past winter.
II seems pity that such conditions
can not be relieved without working
an Injustice 10 existing arrangements
If indeed such really be the case.
Last year did not 60 down II history
as a potato raising season in this state
but that fact doesn't seem to prevent
the falling OF some big potato stories
in this vicinity On a little patch bare
" quarter Of an acre in extent on
the H Fransfaw farm east of Latimer
eighty bushels OF potatoes -c-c grown
in a tiled out pond. One Of these was
placed for time in the window OF a
local bank and weighed two and three
quarters pounds. Twenty-Five such
tubers would weigh a bushel and an
ordinary family of FIVE or six persons
might have warmed up potato for sup
per after having a single one boiled
for dinner.
C F. WILSON.
Wilson Gets County.
Manchester March II -Denocrsts of