A HERALD OF THE NEW ORDER 



Means of Communication 



Gibson County has three railroads, the Illinois Central giving it an 

 outlet to Chicago, the Mobile & Ohio to St. Louis and the Nashville, 

 Chattanooga & St. Louis to Memphis and Nashville. The most inacces- 

 sible farm is not more than ten miles from some railroad station. 



There are no graveled or macadamized roads in the county, and there 

 is no stone with which such roads could be built. There are, however, 

 no bad grades and dragging and scraping helps to keep them in fair shape. 



Telephone lines run through the county, but only 208 out of 503 white 

 families had telephones. None of the negro families has a telephone. 



There are 80 rural routes in the county and 90 per cent, of the 

 farmers have free delivery. 



POPULATION 



According to the census reports, the population of Gibson County in 

 I9I0 was 41,629, in 1900, 39,408. There has been, therefore, an increase 

 of 2,221 during the last ten years. The increase was shared alike by 

 town and country. The total population of the towns increased from 

 10,600 in 1900 to 11,429 in 1910, a net gain of 829, or 7.8 per cent., that 

 of the country districts from 28,800 in 1900 to 30,200 in 1910, a net gain 

 of 1,400, or 4.8 per cent. 



The town population includes eleven towns ranging in size from 

 3,600 to 200. Six towns have over 800 inhabitants. The density of 



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