The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-05-12

OF three letters or parcels apiece was
enough to have one person visit them
at every hour in the day and night
passing from house to house without
doubling back to the post office from
every door. But some of the waste
time could not be capitalized, for II
was done by the children who want
ed to be on the move anyway. But
Sam is good sport and he took
chance. He put on q rural mail
carrier and took their letters and
parcels to their front gates and did
business there for cash. That gave
people time to stay at home or work
ON the roads or raise more produce
to send to town by the mail carrier.
This created demand for the parcels
post and it is already in the max
ing. Now fellow. stop your medita-
lions and get back to crossroads. Do
a little thinking.
Every farmer wants something
from the store, but he dislikes to take
a team out of the field 1t costs money
to go with the auto, and the boy
on a pony is not very satisfactory.
The motor truck stands in front OF
the store at the cross roads, clerk
is at the phone booking orders and
two others are tying up goods and
placing them in the motor truck to
go out along the country roads.
Every farmer having,Na phone can
ring for what he needs, go on with
his work and find the goods delivered
before dinner. The man on the
motor truck sounds the claxon as he
approaches each farm house and out
comes somebody to the front gate
to bring the money, or produce and
receive the packages. The truck
makes big circuit, loaded both ways
and trade is stimulated while produc-
ton among the farms is increased.
Farmers will get along so much bet
ter that Cross Roads Bill wakes fat
on their patronage and all of them
are happy and prosperous. On Sun
day morning the fellows from the
towns speed out into the country to
get drink of buttermilk, and ber-
ries right off of the vines, and the
back to the farm" movement at
tracts the attention of writer's and
public speakers who predict dire re-
suits if it isn't checked, Ministers
will feel it keenly, for between the
farms and the automobiles they will
lose their congregations in summer,
and the Edison musical device and
the Edison speaking device will be
able to sing and preach at all hours
in the homes and where will be the
need of having churches at all! This
in turn will eliminate the church
choir, the ladies aid, the woman's
auxiliary, the deacons and trustees
and then it will be said that this
conditions fits in well with what min
listers have been raying about
namely SO few students are
taking the ministerial course now
days. All of these conditions date
back to the cross roads store, and
the sin of it all rests with the country
merchant, who, by the way, Is
pleased with the distinction and
prestige it gives him; especially the
prestige.
But we are depressing; we started
to tell you about Firth. Firth has
one of the up-to-date blacksmith
shops of the valley. 1t isn't so long
ago that a trip hammer was only
to be found in the machine shops of
the big cities and railroad shops
William Knudsen, of Firth, has a
trip hammer to do his heavy beating;
he has the power drills and the
that is needed to,
his strength and wipe out
element that the busy
farmer wants to save, is ready to go
at the turn of the belt.
C. ]. Wernette is in the implement
and vehicle business in a small way,
and uses building that for the past
decade had been operating as sa-
loon or pool hall or bootlegging
Joint, rendezvous for all the toughs
Of the community, and now they
have no place to hang out, Sd they
have scattered out and are working
for joy. They used to predict that
the country would go to the dogs
when such joints were closed up,
but it is just the reversible dogs
have gone to the country.
w. j. Ramsey has store at Firth.
He came from Abiline, Kansas, a
few years ago and believes in the
commission form of government
where they have one good man in
own who is willing to run the pub
lie business. He says they don't even
need that in Firth, for everybody
ooks after his own business and be-
raves we'll. Mr.. Ramsey came from
lost river to Firth and says he came
o very good place. He sometimes
,oes to church in Blackfoot or Idaho
alls, thus disproving to some extent
What we said about the waning of
he churches. But Mr.. Ramsey owns
big car and that is why he can go
o church.
Firth has United States post Of
Ice presided over by Mrs. Rogers,
ind stamps never sell below par,
leither do they go above it. Firth
las a pool hall or two, it has pro-
luce commission house, a branch of
he Idaho Lumber COMPANY. who al