Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-10-23
AcoUxUxIAUr,



EsB Rs<trie-A Modal Fam and
Last Friday and saturday in company
with W. agreeabie young friend Il. L.
Haynes. Esa-, Ne nsdsl . extended tour
through the: county. 8wG I'm Lexington
shout 10 o'clock Friday morning, and aner
dssious zig-zag wandsrings, taking in our
route Greenton, with its lovely and .plctur-l
esque landscape Of hill and valley, We found
ourselves 1t n,ghtfaa knocking for snight,s
lodging n the mansion OF our hospitsble
frtsnd. Mr.. Theodore Bsfes Of Texas Prairie.
We were sh%eerfully admitted aud enter
tanned With such unaffected kindness n to
make US feel more like members Of the hmi-
~ than accidental guests.
In the morning from the front door Of Mr..
Bates residence. we had q beautiful and ex-
tensive view Of thec country around. Texas
Prairie is about nine miles in length from
north 70 south, with an average width Of
about three miles from east TO west.
The surface ofthe country is gently unduis-
ating. and the soil, though not quite SO
rich a. some other portions OF the county, is
well adapted TO the growth o fgrsin andgr.ss.
The advantages for stock-raising are not
surpassed in this section Of the State. To
this business many of the farmers are deSo-
ting exclusive attention. Fine cattle seem to
be the special pride OF the Prairie, and the
more wealthy farmers have shown a com-
menLable spirit in Introducing the best blood
from the thoroughbred herds of Kentucky
and Ohio. The names of Sparks, Bates,
Kelly aad others who reside on this Prairie
are familiar to stock men throughout Che
State. The entire prairie, with the excep-
ton of tour hundred acres belonging to a
widow lady in Massachusetts,, is under fence
and dotted over with neat. substantial farm-
houses. There are other interesting features
of the country which we might notice, but
our object in this sketch Is to notice more
particularly Mr.. Bates farm; hoping that his
example aud enterprise may be of some ser
vice In encouraging and stimulating the
farming class throughout the county.
Five years ago Mr. Bates settled in this
county and bought the land on which he
resides from X. e Keene, ESQ, of this
vicinity. He paid Mr.. Keene $2l 900 for
the tract Of 1000 acres. or twenty one dollars
per acre. Since that time ne has added some
timber land. and the tract now contains lf7<
acres. At the time of his purchase there was
only an old, ordinary one-story frame build
ing on the place with no out-houses and
very little fencing. At present he has about
600 acres in cultivation. and has spent some
thing like 90. 900 for fencing. He has adorned
the place with an elegant residence. built or
u beautiful eminence one half mile wet o.
8 .i.l-bar creek, and commanding an cxten
sive prospect Of the surrounding country
The house is q half cottage frame. q story
and q half In height. containing twelve
rooms. with a basement under the l.. Tn,
walls are filed in with brick, and the whole
structure Is of the NEST substantial character
The arrangement OF the rooms Is rather un
ique. hut in ever thing an eye was had no
10 much to sl.ow as 10 comfort and c nve
nience. 1T was built to suit old man Bate
and nobody else," as our host humorousl.
remarked.
In one lot he has a large barn. including
stable room for horses, arranged in the mos
convenient inner A few yards from this
IL a feed granary, the rooms Of which ar
built OF pine lumber. rat and mice proof
Not far from this building. lin the same lot.i
. house 4Sx20 used for o work shop. an
affording besides ample room for all til
farming implements. In all the diferen
lots are pine sheds for the protection
of horses. cattle AMI hogs during the winter
These lots are also we'll supplied with els
terms and wells.
! Among the improvements added this year
is II two story sranary .huilt OF pine lumber
and having q capacity for four thousanl
bushels of grain. Near this building. in tn
same lot is u newly erected sheep-house
OF shelter,ng 200 head of sheep. In the cen
ter Is a close room for the benefit of til
ewes in "lambing time"
Mr.. Bates ia al present engaged in the con
struction Of large barn for the accommodu
ton OF his thoroughbred cattle. Thu d
mansions OF the barn are 120X62 feet, with
! hall extending through it IL feet in width
and with two rows of stalls on each sid
furnishing stable room for 50 head of cattle
In one end OF the building room is cut off ia
two cribs. and two ~cisterns on each side wi
supply the stock with water. One hundre
tons of hay can he storeI away in the lof
The floor of the hall will be closely ceiled 8
as to save all the seed. The building wi
cost about s. 1000. and when finished til
farm will he the most complete in all it's Al
engagements in the county. Other building
on the farm consist Of u neat frame house fG
the hands and n comfortable school house 8
which MIR. Bates is educating his younge
rhildren.T There are on the premises an orchar
of 500 fruit trees md a flourishing vinegar
of one and one fourth acres, which yielded IL:
year 800 gallons of WINE.
MIR. Bates has on hand ut present 26 tho
ough-brrd cattle, besides n large number
'.high grades'' and 'trading stock" II
will shortly make large additions to his flu
herd. He has over one hundred horses M
mules. and fattens this year $50 head OF hog
He has 20 head of Southdown and Cotswol
sheep. aud intends increasing the number
two hundred.
This splendid home which. with the in
pro. -msnt> put upon it, has cost Mr.. Bat.
ut The rate of SAG per acre. with all that h
has around him aud whatever other propc
ty he may possess, Is the result OF hard wor
and honest enterprise. Tlirty-three veal
ago II stranger and a foreigner. he landed
Gasc"na,e rounty. and went into the NJ
souri, bottom with an AK on his shoulder al
$50 in his pocket. He afterwards starte
: an extensive wood yard in Franklin count
= but the fruits OF his first i've years lab,
were swept away by the lood Of 1874. n
,dauntcd h! misfortune, but self reliant nj
o brave, lie went To work again, and aft
twenty-eigi.t years more of honest toll,
| find. him>rll in afilucnce and In p0>se,sit
= OF the elegant home and turn which we hs'
, attempted to describe.
RAIL TO KANSAS CITY. - I'll
Kaisas City fines Of Saturday has the Il
4 lowing: 1.-The recent Nalnp set by. III,
. aud Kaw townships In the matter OF voti,
:. Jointly s25U.8O0 TO u narrow guagc ruiiro,
from tins. city to the coal fields. has alrea,
commenced to bear fruit. Lafayette coun
has the coal, and Lafayette county wan
just such II railroad us is proposed to BE- hui
Yesterday MIR. VIM. White. n promine
itiiizrn of Dover- was In rh. cify so.k;,