Putnam patriot., 1913-05-02
Trolley Express is an Aid to the Farmer

New England, according to agricul- tural experts, ought to support herself from her farms, yet the figures show that their productivity has diminished rather than increased and that over S00,000 acres of New England farm lands were abandoned last year.
 The problem of keeping people on the farms is largely one of providing easy communication between agricul- tural communities and the more popu- lous centres, particularly such com- munities as are,not directly served by steam railroads. Let means be afford- ed for the farmer to get bis produce to the large market, and for both the farmer and the small storekeeper to obtain merchandise easily in return, and life in such places instantly be- comes more attractive and the sense of isolation to large extent removed.
 How the electric street railroad can contribute to the solution of this prob- lem is illustrated in the case of the Rhode Island Company, which was pioneer. in furnishing an express freight service between the farm and the city. The Rhode Island Company operates the street cars in Providence and in other parts of that State. For some years now it has had in operation fast freight lines to the farms and small communities within radius of forty miles of Providence. The result has been that farms which could have been bought some years ago for the amount of the taxes are now held for high figures, and but few are to be ob. tained at any price. This company has made profitable along one of these trolley freight lines covering thirty miles a large milk business where there was none at all before.
 Today it is possible for farmer liv- ing near one of these lines to order supplies by telephone in Providence in the morning and have them delivered in the afternoon. He can stop fast electric expres, car in front ot,his farm put on his load of apples or pota- toes right by the roadside and get in return bill of lading which he can turn into cash any time he wants to ride into town himself. What is more, the electric express car will stake his produce, if he so desires, put it into storage warehouse for him and give him receipt for 1t. The farmers make frequent use of this, sending ir their apples in the fall and selling them in the spring.
 One great advantage of the system as operated by the Rhode Island Com pany is that it has given to the farmer what is virtually fast express service at freight rates. Before the electric car brought goods to the door of the farmer he had to wait two or three days for goods to be shipped to him by freight to the nearest railroad sta tion. It meant then drive ;of from two to six miles. His charges were the same as he pays for the trolley ex- press today.
 Beginning back in 1901, when it be- gan operating few converted horse cars, the Rhode Island Company has extended this system until it now ope- rates eleven lines extending in all di- rections from Providence, and on these lines it runs from one to five cars day The longest line is that running from Providence to Putnam, travers- ing three counties.
 On this line one car makes no stop between Providence and the Connecti- cut line. Every day at eleven o'clock this car goes out loaded with general merchandise, groceries, mill supplies and variety of freight, consigned not alone to farmers but to general stores and mills near the line. It reaches Putnam, the terminus of the line, in four hours. On it's return trip the car picks up freight from Putnam to the Rhode Island line, spends the night at the power house at Rockland and reaches Providence early the next morning. Another car on the same line covers the distance between Prov idence and the Connecticut line.
 Farms that were on the point of abandonment five miles either side of this line to Putnam have in the last few years been made highly profitable. Formerly freight for these communi- mites had to go over the Willimantic to Plainfield, Conn, and thence over the Norwich and Worcester to Daniel son and Putnam.
 In regions such as this there was no express service to the farm. Goods shipped by express had to be called for at the nearest railroad station the same as freight. The electric car takes goods for either platform or roadside delivery. It speeds along over the roads to any point where the farmers team is drawn up and at suitable dis tances there are platforms which may be used if desired.
 Suppose that farmer wants to send his produce to New York. He may in- tercept this express car by the road side and bill it over the boat line, the charge to be adjusted and sent to him the following day. The agent on the car will accept freight in like manner for the South or West
 Before the electric express cars were put on between Providence and Narra. fiansett Pier there was no milk busi- ness in this region whatever due to the