The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1919-09-18
Col. Tom Irish Greets Old Settlers.

$OA' l oIA At1ou SIeStS OAu oSSSSA'
The following interesting lette
from Col. Thos. Irish, formerly ed
tor of the Rich Hill Review was re
ceived too late to be read to the Oh
Settlers, and Mr.. Atkeson has passe
it to The Times:
| To the Old Settlers of Bates Coun
ty, Greeting:
| Your committees invitation
through Brother Atkeson, to atten'
you annual gathering at Butler is re
ceived and appreciated, and inasmucl
as | was a resident of your Count,
about twenty years, beginning il
1880, yet l may not be considered a
one of the pioneers. However, mos
of the citizens living in Bates during
these two decades knew Tom Irisl
was. amo ng them, and while | was no.
personally acquainted with all o.
them. most of them knew me.
| first visited Bates County in the
fall of 1860 passing through, almost
as the crow would fly, from the north
east to the southwest, coming from
Chicago by team and carriage
crossed the Mississippi at Quincy and
the Missouri river at Boonville OH
ferry boats--l believe there was no
bridge over the Missouri at that time
except at Kansas City,, passed be-
tween the twin mounds northeast Of
Butler. and must have passed through
New Home to the southwest, but
don't recall of having met Two of the
earlier settlers, Seth, the third son
OF Adam and John Quincy Adams
Cope, who had a ranch near there, or
| should certainly canlpcd near their
melon patch and taken chance of
coping with them in case of discov-
cry
Butler was then a typical frontier
village Of small frame buildings,
erected subsequent to the Civil War.
There was a small frame Court
House inside the public square and
the business houses were fronting the
square, if | remember, mostly on the
north and west.
"A younger brother was my only
companion and we simply passed
through the town, Fort Scott being
our point of destination.
On the old Fort Gibson Trail
which we followed through the coun-
tv and through the northwestern part
OF Vernon county, where large oak
tree with d heavy branch reaching
out over the road, was pointed out to
us as having been the scene of many
a horse thief hanging by members OF
the Anti-Ilorsc TRiei Society which
was engaged in business in those
Gays, i'll the border tier OF counties.
l would like very much to say
interesting in this com
of incidents and expert
ences while living among you people
md were ] personally present, might
oe inspired to do so, and again |
night stray away into forbidden
of thought out and beyond
ny old stamping grounds or events,
historical or otherwise. Of the years
hat are gone, for these are troub-
Gus times. and every turn of the po-
itlcal wheel Of not only this but of
III Nations, is making history; hiss
DRY that future generations will
cad and look back to as strange oc-
,urrences for peoples and nations
tanning civilization far exceeding
nat OF any previous era of the world.
Trough any record coming down to
S from the early ages. Yet great
atoms have flourished, empires,
'nsdoms and republics with civil
alton past finding out, yet have their {
nghty cities, their tombs, their mon
lnents and every vestige of their
'v1llzation crumbled into dust. Is it 5
1erefore the part OF wisdom to go t
owly,. be not too high headed, with s
'pirations greater than existing S
'eans to carry them to successful c
uition. a
These are troublous times. say i
hat you will Not only our own c
'untry is undergoing an upheayal. I
iss'ng through nebula, the out b
'me of which cannot be satisfactor- t
anticipated. Our wisest states a
en- are at loss to devise ways and o
cans to bring about an adjustment S
conditions caused by the world r.
ar. d
IT l. were present with you-mind's
splration is unlimited,-I might saw +
ings that would be better unsaid, b
r this is the time for people to h
lin anu iot talk. Our country. TN G.
r present conditions is possessed fs
too much freedom, hence there is
large population of non-citizens. L
en- from every corner OF the earth, S,
'm every tribe and nation under the W
n, many of them enjoying our lib
ty and freedom for no good pur- S
Sc and ought to be deported with te
t ceremony. Trifling with unde- ia
able non-citizens is a standing dis ii
ace to our country The entire in
rid is. apparently, like a mountain Ct
eruption. the lava of discomfort fe
q revolution, butchery and blood til
ed seems to be in the very air and m
,athed into the human system. W
cry nation is apparently ambitious of
every citizen thereof is following re
t unmindful of what may. be the
tcome. We speak Of civilized ma G.
MS. 1t is questionable if any such | Y,
ion exists, when the question Of
at civilization ought to be consid- m
d to be. It seems so easy to drop ye
* into standardization if not
wright sayasfx Hunism has not tn