184 CHAPTERS IN RURAL PROGRESS 



increased circulation of papers and magazines. 

 Thus the farmer is in closer touch with affairs 

 and much more alert to business opportunities, 

 to political activities, and to social movements. 

 The circulation of daily papers in country dis- 

 tricts has increased at a marvelous rate. The 

 amount of letter- writing has increased. Rural 

 delivery of mail arouses the spirit of " being in 

 the world." Its results have been almost 

 revolutionary. 



So, too, the rural telephone. Recent investi- 

 gation in the states of Ohio, Michigan, and 

 Indiana showed that out of 200,000 subscribers 

 to the independent telephone companies of those 

 states about one-sixth were in farm homes. A 

 few years ago, hardly a telephone could be found 

 in a farmer's family. This business is constantly 

 increasing. The established telephone com- 

 panies are pushing their work into the country 

 districts, small local exchanges are being formed, 

 and soon the farmers, in the North at least, will 

 be almost as well served by the telephone as are 

 people of the smaller cities. 



Interurban electric railways are being built 

 very rapidly and their advantage to the farmer 

 is obvious. It is doubtful if their effect has been 

 quite so far-reaching as some have suggested. 



