The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1906-08-30
A Story Of the Settlement Of
Bates County.
BY w r Marsh.
Continued from last week.


tracted the attention Of the rail
roads, and surveys for new lines
were made into the county.
Again it seemed that Papins-
vile was directly in the path of a
line to be built by the Missouri
Pacific railroad. The people OF
| Papinsville. however did not get
excited. In a quiet way they set
forth the advantages Of Papins-
vile as a point on the line and ex-
! pressed a willingness to welcome
its advent. 1t was labor lost.
! The road was located and built
I just nine miles west of the town.
New towns built up along the
line of the road and again a large
trade territory was cut of from
Papinsville. The building Of the
Missouri Pacific road left Papins-
vile with a very limited local
trade Many of the citizens left,
including the leading merchants
I and shop workers of the town.
About this time the Ft. Scott,
Gulf and Memphis railroad (now
the Frisco built a branch line
through the western part of the
county, designed to reach the
coal fields in the immediate vicin-
ity of Papinsyille The line was
pointed directly towards the
town, and there was an implied
+ promise on the part of the pro
jectors OF the road that in a short
time 10 should be extended into
Papinsyille and far beyond.
Twenty-Five years have passed
since the building of this line
and its loose end is now two
streaks of iron rust lost in the
woods and still seven miles from
Pauiusyille Three years ago
the Rock Island system survey.
+ ed line through Papinsyille
without enthusiasm on the part of
the citizens. The road has never
gotten beyond the survey.
When rural routes were estab.
lished in southern Bates county,
three years ago, and Papinsyille
discontinued as a post office, it
seemed that the towns cup Of
bitterness was full, and that the
last kick a cruel world could give
had been administered. How
ever the town still survives.
A few days ago the writer of
this story visited Papinsyille and
the site Of old Harmony Mission,
/ But for the aid Of an old settler
who had often visited the Mission
u the latter years OF It's exist.
lance its location would have been
difficult There is little TO indl.
cate whore the buildings OF the
mission stood. A few clumps OF
bluck locust trees, the seed of
which were originally brought
from the east by the Mission
fathers, alone mark the spots,
Not even q stone or brick ap.
pears 20 show the site of an an.
cient chimney; nothing 10 indi,
cate that streets or town lots
ever existed. The site is cover.
ed with a thick turf of grass,
scattering trees and underbrush.
where cattle feed and grow fat.
The famous old apple orchard
Iof the Mission is all gone, Not a
tree Is LETT, the last remaining
one dying a few years ago Of
hoary old age. The ancien,
grave yard, containing some for.
lty or fifty graves, is almost oblit-
Grated. 10 was originally located
in the open ground near the Mis-
sion but is now covered by a
dense and heavy growth of tim.
Der and underbrush, which has
encroached upon the prairie
Even the old settler who accom-,
|panied me had di6oulty in find
ing the grave yard. one grave
alone was marked by head and
foot stones. ON the rough head.