The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1882-03-01
JUDGE JOSEPH WIX.
A Biographical Sketch of his
Early Life.
Some Interesting Notes of the Settle
ment of Pleasant Gap.

One of the oldest of the yet living
pioneers of Bates county, is Judge
Joseph Wix of Pleasant Gap town
ship. An interview with him at hi.
home, put us in possession of the
following facts. He was born II
Overton County Tennisee, IN 1890
While this makes him twenty five
years younger than DIR. Requa, YET
the DR.. has been resident OF this
county, only two years longer than
the Judge. AT about the age oi
eight years, hew was taken to Hamil-
ton county Ill. where his fathers fam
lly settled. Seven years afterward
they removed to western Illinois,
his father dying with cholera upon
the road. In the fall Of 1883, being
then eighteen years of age, he made
a trip to south west Missouri, and
Indian erritory. Notwithstanding
his youth and inexpcrience, he gave
careful attention to the natural fea-
lures and capacities of the various
sections through which he travelled,
with view of finally selecting To-
cation for himself which should
eventually be in wealthy, prosper
Gus and every way desirable neigh-
borhood for home for life. In the
spring of 1889 he worked along back
to Polk county, Missouri, and in a
tavern (they did not call them hotels
in those days) he chanced to hear
man remark that the country in the
vicinity of Harmony Mission was
the best he ever carried chain over.
Entering into conversation with him,
he found him to be a Government
Surveyor, and as the result of the
conversation he turned his course
towards the Mission, arriving there
the first days OF August 1889. Found
two French traders (Colloe & Papin)
established at Collee's ford 8 miles
below where Papinville now stands.
The Indians having reccded west
ward they that fall moved their ira
ding post to what is now Lynn coun-
ty Kansas. Have net been able to
ascertain when these traders first es-
tablishsd themselves in the county
The Harmony Mission having been
disbanded. and the government
having bought the improvements
made by the missionaries they were
under lease to Col. James Allen Ga
son Of this man was the Allen that
married the eldest daughter of DIR.
Tones. Another son was Robert
Allen who lately died in Clinton.
After Aliens lease the property
vent to waste, and the Government
never received further benefit from
the $1,000 paid the A. b. c. F. NJ.
for the improvements. The land
was held as reservation by the
Government tor some years, but fin
ally disposed of, and much trouble
and litigation arose about the title
that was not finally settled till since
the civil war. After Il careful sur
vey of the locality the subject OF
our sketch decided, that he had
found that for which he had been
seeking and (there being ample
room for picking) selected what
is now i'll sec. tip. 80 range 80
which has ever since been his home.
The land was not then in market,
not having been sectionized, al
though the range lines had
been run. Northeast of where WiN
settled, what is now Deepwater TIP,
was sectionizcd and put into market
about that time. But west of range
line between 20 and 80 in what is
now is first-class agricultural
country the land remained unsur-
veyed for years, the surveyors hav-
ing reported it not worth the eN
pense of surveying. But after
many settlers had located upon it, 1t
was decided to be worth something
and was sectionizcd and put in mar
ket. At the time the Judge settled
there We're not to eNcede ISo acres
or land in cultivation within radius
OF five miles.
MIR. Wix never gave much atten-
ton to hunting but could always
easily procure what game was need
ed for food, sometimes killing ! or 5
deer iii one day. In the timber along
the larger streams were plenty OF
wild hogs, supposed to be descended
from hogs escaped long before from
the early French settlers in the eastern
part OF the State. They were some
times killed for food but after doules-
ticated hogs We're introduced. the wild
ones were driven off 70 prevent them
from eaticing them away The set
tiers all went long distances to house
ralsings, the houses being mostly log