The Butler weekly times., 1897-07-15
Bates Comfy and Adrian

Crisp for the best essay Oh the Occa-
sion of 4th of July celebration in
Adrian.
Bates county is situated in the west
ern part of Missouri. 1t is bounded
on the north by Cass county, on the
east by St. Clair and Henry, on the
south by Vernon county, and on the
west 10y Linn and Miami counties,
Kansas. But fifty-tiye years have
passed since Bates Co, had its birth,
vet great have been the changes
wrought within this time and mighty
have been events and revolutions,
the discoveries and inventions that
have occurred and have been made
in this county of ours. Bates county
was named in honor of Edwai d Bates
by the General Assembly Of Missouri
in 1S41. MIR. Bates was native of
Virginia. In 1914 he came to Missouri
with his brother, he then commenced
the practice of law and became emf
nent at the bar. He was q leading
member of the legislature of Missouri
for many years. About the year 1920
a delegate arrived from the Usage
Indians being in Washington on
business expressed a desire 10 have
missionaries sent to his people, who
were then occupying the southwest
ern portion of what is now known as
Bates Co. The American Board of
Commissioners for Foreign Missions
determined to comply with this re-
quest and in 1921 a party was made
up for that purpose and settled in Old
Harmony, Missouri, on the Marias
des Cygnes river, where they estab-
lished a school and farmed. The area
of this county is about S13 square
miles. Bates Co. has very fertile soil,
and is famous for its large corn, hay
and wheat crops. A large amount of
corn is used for feeding stock. Bates
county has many eminent men and is
we'll represented in Congress by Hon.
d. A. DeArmond. The school system
of the county is excellent, there are
everywhere good schools; the towns
have graded schools, and the un-
graded schools are those of the coun-
try. Mr.. ]. p. Thurman has had the
management Of our school system for
past four years, and they have now
reached the point where they are
excellent. Mr.. Arthur Boron has the
management of our schools at present
and he also is filling the office entirely
satisfactorily. Throuhout the greater
portion of the county the very best
apples are grown of every kind men
tionable, the fruit maturing well
during the long season. The pears
though not so large as those from the
Pacific coast are more delicately iia-
vored. Peaches are also found in this
county which are of the finest kind.
Cherries, grapes and plums seldom
fail. While of the smaller fruits
black berries, gooseberries and straw
berries are plentiful. Among the
miscellaneous agricultural products
which receive considerable attention
and grow wellin this climate are flax,
buckwheat and broom
corn. Peas, beans, turnips, water
melons, pumpkins and squashes yield
bountiful crops, the value of which
each year amounts to a large sum.
The potato yields well, producing
the abundance requisite for home
supplies with large amount for
shipment elsewhere. The sweet potato
is also largely cultivated. There are
many different kinds of forest trees
found in the county; the oak, ash,
maple, poplar, cypress, sycamore,
chestnut, mulberry, elm and hickory
are few Of the many trees. No Ian
guage can describe the beauty and
grandeur, nor can words sufficiently
express the regret that should be felt
at their destruction within the last
few years. In many places extensive
groves still remain and in them are
found every species of wood necessary
to human comfort and need. Many
of the large farms have their well
kept fields protected by hedges of
Usage orange. Bates Co. has de-
lightful climate, the long cold winters
with the heavy snow storms and the
jolly sleigh rides, then comes the
spring with its fresh grass, then the
summer comes its full blown flowers
and the waving fields of tall grass and
grain on the hill sides are seen every
where and in every direction. The
rain comes and refreshes everything.
The trees are dressed in their summer
suit, while the merry birds sit among
the boughs of the trees and sing
blithely hidden by the leaves. The
autumn comes, robbing the world of
its brightness by taking the flowers,
casting the leaves to the ground and
driving the birds to a warm climate.
lie TdtiTOduS VI tifiS County dEe M n
Il Il, Missouri Pacific and Pittsburg Il
Gulf. They connect all the important
points of the county. There are sew
eral small streams in Bates county,
of these the Usage, Marias des Cygne
and Grand River are the most i'm
portant. There is no prettier town in
western Missouri than Butler, the
county seat of Bates county. The
country surrounding it is gently roll
ing and may be seen for many miles
in every direction. In the distance
seven or eight miles southwest of
town can be seen the outline of tim
Der which skirts the Marias des
Cygne, while to the southeast, but
nearer the town, flows Mound Creek
a tributary of the Marias des Cygne.
Wherever we may look, we are de-
lighted with the beauties of prairie
landscape dotted over with farm
houses, cultivated fields and bearing
orchards. There are many beautiful
residences and bushes houses, which
show that Butler is supplied with
many skilled workmen. The court
house yard is the center of attraction
where blue grass and tall trees grow.