oor.7g pnopLcciG or the couth cnu hill 4. g ?z&. n i aiiii aiiu iiunic vv cciviy tut nuiui uuui f south Carolina, Virginia, iennessee, and ueorgia Vol XXV. No. 37. RALEIGH, N. C, SEPTEMBER 17, 1910. Weekly: $1 a YcJ. Why Not Build a Telephone Line For Your Neighborhood? W HOW THE BRANCH LINE RUNS OFF FROM THE MAIN LINE. E have said so truch about the convenience and the satisfaction which result from having a telephone in the house that we scarci ty think it necessary to discuss that feature of the matter again. But we do wish to call your attention to the fact that ycu can build your own telephone line at a comparatively small cost a wonderfully small cost compared to its value to you- and that this is a splendid season for you and y cur neighbors to get together and establish a ieUphone system of your own. You can then connect it with other liner , and be right in touch with the business and social activities of the world. The Western Electric Co., issues a free booklet telling just how to go about this work, and the following details of construction are taken from it: i., "A telephone line should run past -or as hear as possible to the buildings in which' telephones are to be placed. It is not necessary, however, Yo run the main line past each of these buildings,Ms bran ch wires may extend from the (main line to eat h building, saving wire and simplifying consti uction. ; ..' ''T ...... ;V; , ' r t'i. :-7 "For "substantial and economical line construction po Us of goo d stock, such as chestnut or cedar, are best on account of their lasting qualities. For a line of light construction a pole tweniy-six feet in length and five or six inches in diameter 'at the top represents gold practice and allows for re-setting if it becomes necessary through de cay below the surface of the ground. ; - The cross-arms familiar on all long distance lines are not necessary when one is considering the first principles of rural construction. Only two strands of wire are needed by such a system, and these Lre usually supported by twelve-inch painted oak brackets nailed securely Jo the pole before it is set into the ground. On each bracket should be screwed a glass insulator for attaching the wir?, with a view to preventing leakage of current down the pole or from one side of the circuit to the other "Galvanized iron wire of No. 12 B. B. gaugeis most suitable for rural lines on account of its tough ness and ability to withstand the action of the weather. "The pictures show the method of. attaching wires to the house and leading them in for connection to the instrument inside, and the method of connection from main line to house. "Provided that the line is kept free from tree limbs and maintained in good condition, a large number of instruments may be connected on one pair of wires. It must be remembered, however, that the greater the number of telephones connected the less available they are at certain busy times. If calls are too fre quent and the wires become heavily loaded especi cally if there , is a prospect of obtaining more sub scribers it may be advisable to run another pair of wires on the same set of poles. This not only lessens the call on the one wire, but it provides facilities for development and the handling of an increase of the number of subscribers. In case two sets of lines are used, a small switching station, located in some cen tral house, must then be arranged, to allow for con nection of one line with the other. "The cost of one mile of tine con struction, exclusive of poles and labor, for a grounded system approximately twelve miles long and using thirty poles to the mile is about $7. For a fell metallic system the cost is approximately $14. The cost of each subscriber's in struments and incidental equipment is approximately $13 more." It will thus be seen that a telephone is easily within your reach, and once w ing it you will not be without it. Why not get buy and establish ytur line this fall? mmi 5 ground rd HOW THE WIRES ARE FASTENED TO THE HOUSE. FEATURES OF THIS ISSUE BUILDING A RURAL TELEPHONE LINE. A Farmer Boy's Problems II a. A New Method of Curing Cowpea nay. . : . 7 Feeding Children From One to Six. ....... 8 How to Get Rid of the Cattle Tick. la How to Secure Better Seeds 3 If You Need Help, Ask for It. . . 10, Lighting Systems for Farm Homes. . . North Carolina Farmers Convention Packing Apples for Fancy Prices Problems of the Southern Hill Country. Round the World Travel Letters II. ...... south Carolina Farmers' Congress 10. What Farmers Want to Know q. a. IT