USA > Missouri > Bates County > History of Bates County, Missouri > Part 27
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The construction work was completed in 1909, except some rock work in the lower end which the contractor had sublet to A. V. Wills & Sons. Litigation over this matter is still pending in the Federal Court. The county court relet the rock work and it was removed.
Some long continued rainy spells had demonstrated to the land owners after the ditch was completed that its capacity was not suf- ficient to carry all floods and a second proceeding was taken through the county court and an additional sum of one hundred seventy-one thousand dollars was raised to dig the ditch ten feet deeper and to cut off four big bends in the old channel. This was done and the second work was completed in 1911. This work has so reduced the flood hazard that large acreages of this rich land are producing heavy crops of wheat and corn. The wheat crop of the valley in 1917 alone would pay for the last assessment against the land to deepen the ditch. There is not a doubt but this work and supplementary work that will follow by individuals will ultimately entirely reclaim all these lands, and the "History of Bates County" would not be complete without the history of this, the biggest and most important work ever done in and for Bates county. There are forty-one thousand acres in this drainage district and when producing the added wealth to the county together with
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added conveniences and improved health conditions will make this dis- trict a real Bates county Egypt.
Many of the land owners did much to help put this great work through to completion, but to the untiring push, energy and stick-to- itiveness of J. F. Kern, the chief promoter and originator, belongs the credit of its completion.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE GRASSHOPPER PLAGUE. (By Lucien Green.)
IN KANSAS-THE GRANGERS-POOR CROP YEARS-INVASION-J. C. TAYLOR- SMALL DAMAGE-THE "JUANITA OF THE WEST"-JOURNEY TO BATES COUNTY-DESTINATION-RECEPTION-JOHN McCONNELL-CAPTAIN JOHN W. HANNAH-THE ATTACK-LEAVE TAKING-GOOD FEELING -- CROPS.
Our recollections of the invasion of the grasshoppers began in Coffey county, Kansas where we located in 1873. Lest the inquisitive inquire why any one should leave Ohio for Kansas will explain: We were looking for health and more acres of land. We did not find health and acres grew less. Was a charter member of Hampden Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry. No more intelligent, helpful and sociable peo- ple can be found anywhere than were those grangers of the community. The years 1873 and 1874 were poor years for crops except on the Neosho bottoms where wheat was very good. The invasion of the grasshoppers in August, 1874, together with the great financial panic added to our discontent. When the hoppers came farmers hurried to put their nub- biny corn in shock, and the hoppers hurried to crawl into the shocks and eat the green blades and shucks. Other hoppers ate the green blades and shucks from the standing corn. The hoppers did not observe usual rules of travel; when a house or barn was in their path they climbed over. They ate all green and succulent vegetation except milk weed. They tried their teeth on hoe, pitch-fork, axe and shovel handles and left them rough as files or rasps. Muskmelons were their choicest food. When a ripe melon was covered several deep they tried to pull each other aside to get a place at the feast. In the spring of 1873. J. C. Taylor, now of Adrian, Bates county, became a member of our family. Esquire Taylor, Jim's father, was an early Bates county pio- neer and died on the farm later owned by Fred Cobb who was here before the Civil War. Jim's mother died early in 1873. His step- father was not good to him and Jim had no place to call home. We
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met and stayed together. Jim had staked buffalo hides and fried buf- falo steaks over a fire of buffalo chips, on the plains of central Kansas. He could break a bronc and milk a wild Texas cow and was the most helpful and dependable sixteen-year-old boy we have met in the West. We can't follow the grasshoppers without using Jim, so "more anon."
The hoppers did not do much damage in Coffey county. The long drouth with hot winds had made prairie grass too dry and tough to be palatable and most garden vegetation had perished. Early in January, 1875, we sold our surplus effects-except two large fat hogs, which Jacob Menzie, the big jolly Burlington butcher, would not buy at a fair price; so we butchered them and put meat, lard and sausage in a box for future use. Before leaving Kansas we wish to commend the' people of Coffey county, the rich soil, the beautiful Neosho river- the Juanita of the West-to all homeseekers.
On our journey to Bates county we saw piles of ice at most farm houses. The summer and fall of 1874 had been very dry and early winter very cold, with but little snow, and small branches and creeks were dry and larger ones frozen with ice a foot thick. Our first stop in Bates county was at the home of C. W. Wolf east of Trading Post. Mr. Wolf was raised in Athens county, Ohio, and was and is yet the prince of good fellows. Don't know where Mrs. Wolf was raised but evidently in a Christian community where good housekeeping and entertaining sociability were the rule. As we neared our new home Jim frequently hopped out of the wagon for pieces of dry wood with the remark, "We'll need that pretty soon." After crossing the Miami Jim frequently said, "My, but ain't that dirt black. Guess it will raise corn if the hopper's don't eat it up." We finally got to the place we called home for seven years on what was later known as the Hartwell farm. Wagons unloaded, stove set up and fire started, we went to the Miami for a load of ice, and then to the woods for a load of seasoned, knotty double and twisted water oak tops at forty cents. Wire was not much used for fencing and farmers were saving of their timber. The soil about our home was black and in places when disturbed revealed many little white eggs, glistening in the sun like little drops of sleet. Our neighbors were kind and communicative but none of them could tell us where we could get work, or buy feed for our team. The hoppers were discussed from every angle. "When will they hatch? How long will they stay and will they destroy the corn, gardens, etc?"
John McConnell, from Illinois, who owned the Judge B. F. Thorn- ton farm south of the Tripp school house, went to Illinois and returned
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with fifty bushels of corn, a part of which he divided among his neigh- bors. Mr. McConnell was a splendid citizen, intelligent, a good farmer, and sympathetic to the unfortunate. His son, Lemuel, has been an honored and influential citizen of Hume for more than forty years and he and his wife with the presence of many friends celebrated their golden wedding some time last year, so we were informed.
Capt. John W. Hannah got a lot of corn from somewhere which he divided among the farmers who were not able to buy corn for seed. Notes were given but never presented for payment. Some corn was brought to Butler from Cass county and sold at one dollar a bushel straight, or one and a quarter sorted for seed. We divided our land and Jim prepared twenty acres for corn and planted early, a rule he always followed as long as he was on a farm. After corn and potatoes were planted and gardens made farmers were in the condition of an army of soldiers who "lay on their arms" expecting an attack by the enemy-the hoppers-at any time. Finally after a spell of warm weather early in May the word went over the neighborhood, "The hoppers are hatching!" We went to our garden but could not see either onions or lettuce, but a lot of little wingless hoppers who had caten the onions off below the surface. Jim returned from his corn- field and exclaimed, "The hoppers have caten off every blade of corn and I am going to look for a job." Many farmers replanted their corn while others waited. East of Butler the corn was not badly damaged. Early in June the hoppers first hatched were almost full-grown and a few of the largest seemed to be uneasy; they would hop about with wings stretched as though learning to fly or teaching the young to fly. About the middle of June the hoppers, at what seemed to be a precon- certed signal like a wireless message, arose like a cloud as big as a county and drifted to the northwest. Gloom gave way to joy and an era of good feeling prevailed among the people. Men and boys who had not puckered their lips for months, whistled and sang as they fol- lowed the cultivators through the rank corn. Neighbors who had been estranged met, shook hands, and said, "Do come and see us." They put off the frown and put on the smile. The corn crop of 1875 broke all previous records. Theo. Shaw and Captain Hannah built large cribs in town and filled them with corn at sixteen to twenty-five cents per bushel to feed their big herd of steers on Mound branch. The season was just right for corn and rains came when needed. Many of the best showers came Saturday night or on Sunday allowing the farmers
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to work six days in the week. How about that box of meat and lard and sausage? We sold sixty dollars worth and by eating many meat- less meals had enough for home use. We took two forty-pound hams to Butler to trade for flour and groceries. The merchants were sus- picious. Mr. Rafter looked at us with an eye and countenance of a detective and inquired, "Where did you get those hams?" We pointed to the pile of thin bacon on the counter and replied, "You know they were not made in Bates county, and we assure you they were not stolen." We sold them on the west side at thirteen cents a pound. The year 1875 will be remembered as the year of the big corn crop ; also for the great immigration to Bates county and western Missouri.
And what became of Jim? He worked by the month for John H. Williams, Sherman Humphrey, and others for several years. He had a good time, dressed well and was respected and trusted by all who knew him. He finally met a fine girl, Miss Laura Rosamond, a sister to Frank, the painter, and they married. After about twenty years of hard work, economy and good management they sold their one hun- dred-acre farm, made a sale and with seven thousand dollars went to Adrian, and are respected and influential citizens of that little city. Their son. Jimmy, was assistant postmaster under our old friend War- ren Parrish. Mattie, their daughter, married a good man and all are happy and contented.
We think it was Professor Wiley who twenty or twenty-five years ago ate a dinner of grasshoppers at Lawrence, Kansas and found them palatable.
CHAPTER XXV.
REMINISCENCES.
OLD SETTLERS AND EARLY INCIDENTS-INTERESTING FACTS-RECOLLECTIONS OF HARMONY MISSION-BATES COUNTY IN THE FIFTIES-SIXTY-EIGHT # YEARS AGO-EVENTS OF LONG AGO-TALKS AND TALES OF OLDEN TIMES.
Old Settlers and Early Incidents.
The recollection of a conversation with Mr. William Harkins on the porch at his home near old Rich Hill in the summer of 1887 leads the writer to think that possibly others may be interested in simple incidents and folk lore of former days. Mr. Harkins had been a soldier of the War of 1812 his home at that time being in the wilds of western New York state. A typical pioneer he soon found that the environ- ments of that vicinity were changing too fast for him and he gradually drifted with the tide of emigration west until he reached his last abid- ing place near Rich Hill when Bates county was still in the wilds. He loved to tell of the incidents of the early settlements of the country from New York state west to Bates county, Missouri. He died near Rich Hill about 1886, one of the last survivors of the War of 1812. He was a type of the first settlers, honest because it was natural to be so, he wore his rough side out, and what would have appeared to the refinement of the present day, as bruskness was simply the influence of surroundings that called for positive actions and resolutions to meet conditions ; and under the hardened exterior there glowed a kindly dis- position that had none of the cultivated exuberance bred by hope of gain. He was neither rich nor poor as we term it today. When the conversation turned to acquiring property he would say, "I have always been careful and have succeeded in keeping enough property to be independent." That sentiment prevailed largely with the early settlers. To him "independent" meant the having of enough to eat and wear and be comfortable in his home and sufficient land and stock to rea- sonably assure the continuance of that condition. I use him as a type because he was one of the most typical of the type that formed the better element of the first settlers.
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Mr. James Rand, another old settler, typified another class of old settlers in that he occupied a position between the real pioneer class and the modern settler. Mr. Rand and Mr. H. P. Robinson entered land early, in the vicinity of where Rich Hill now stands, and soon after the war settled on this land. Mr. Rand took great interest in the development of the country and had much to do with the making of the present west road between Rich Hill and Butler and superin- tended the making of a dirt grade across the bottom, much of the work yet remaining after more than forty years of use. W. H. Ratekin, another pioneer, should be mentioned in this article as he was the mov- ing spirit in securing the establishment of the postoffice of Rich Hill. Mr. Ratekin was a carpenter and farmer and not only built many of the first houses built in the neighborhood but also made many of the coffins in which the dead were buried. He had traveled quite exten- sively and being a great reader, being one of the very few who regularly took metropolitan papers, he was a man much sought in the country postoffice gatherings because of his knowledge of events. To disabuse the mind of any who have it in mind that "carpenter" did not sig- nify a workman as applied to pioneers I will just add that just prior to his settling at Rich Hill, Mr. Ratekin had personally fitted and superin- tended the fitting of every door and window in the finest hotel then building that St. Louis had at that time. I mention this because it is a fact that younger people too frequently form an idea that everything *pioneer was on crude or ignorant lines while the facts are that many of the men whom we now call pioneers were familiar with college curriculum or were skillful in their lines. It may sound strange to many when I say that I took lessons in vocal music in a country school house from the same teacher who taught Ira D. Sankey in a musical con- servatory, but such is the fact. Many men of experience and standing in their lines in older settled countries tired of the confinement or limited opportunities in their country and came West for greater oppor- tunities. Such a one was the late H. Philbrick who settled near Rich Hill soon after the war. He was a college-bred engineer and a man of affairs. Few men had a larger acquaintance in Bates county and none knew the county better than he. He was county surveyor for many years.
In about the year 1867 or 1868 the Missouri, Kansas & Texas rail- road was projected and it being generally assumed that it would follow near the old Booneville-Fort Scott road by way of Papinsville, W. A.
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Newton thought he saw that it would be necessary for shippers of stock to have a feeding station between Denison and Hannibal and he determined in his mind that this station could well be located near where the road would come out of the Marais des Cygnes river bottom onto the high land. Following this conclusion to the practical point he purchased several thousand acres of land southeast of where Rich Hill now stands and proceeded to get ready to carry out his well laid plans, but he did not reckon with Nevada's money and influence and the railroad missed him in its route. He then set about making a stock farm of his land which later came to be known as the "McGinnis Ranch." Mr. Newton being disappointed in his first plans did not show the white feather and give up but on the other hand he pushed on and became one of the most influential men in Bates county and when the railroads were built into Rich Hill he sold his holdings to good advan- tage and died at the ripe old age of nearly ninety-one years one of the wealthiest men in the county.
O. Spencer was another old settler that requires more than pass- ing mention. He was a well educated man and a minister by profes- sion. He settled near Rich Hill in an early day and divided his time between farming and preaching. Later in life he was largely engaged in coal business and breeding fine horses, many of his horses taking high rank on the great tracks of the country. Mr. Spencer engaged in the horse business purely from his love of fine horses. He was largely instrumental in the establishing of the Rich Hill track which became one of the best known tracks in the state. Mr. Spencer died at his home adjoining the city of Rich Hill in 1916.
Among the old settlers, few were better or more favorably known than William Wears, in whose home the postoffice of Rich Hill came into actual working condition under the administration of Mr. Rate- kin, the first postmaster. It was at the home of Mr. Wears that most of the railroad promoters and coal prospectors made their headquar- ters. Here the engineers stopped when in 1887 a road was proposed from a point near LaCygne to Springfield, the proposed route being between Brushy Mound and the lake of the same name, thence south- easterly along the first high land along the river past where old Rich Hill was located. Mr. Wears kept abreast of the times in those days and was wide awake to the opportunities that the building of a rail- road would give to the people here. While the road proposed at that time did not get further than a paper road Mr. Wears lived to enter-
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tain the road builders when both the present roads were projected and built. For many years after realizing the ambition he had of living near a live town, he lived in peace and plenty.
Considering the high standing of the class of people who early settled here it is not difficult to see why Rich Hill school was one of the best in Bates county. While the three R's were the basis of the rudiments taught, it is still a question which is best. Here the pupils learned to spell and the higher classes would soon put down the best high school team of today. They also learned to "figger" and sought, rather than evaded difficult "sums." And write, yes, they learned to write a neat, smooth hand, writing that would pass anywhere. It would not be correct to say that all who went to school did these things but the per centage of those who left school prepared for future schools or for actual life, would compare favorably with our most enlightened com- munities of the present day. The very surroundings bred an inde- pendence of action and thought that produced results. The annual school "exhibition" was the great event of the year in the neighborhood.
It would be too much to assume that there were not many ludi- crous situations, many arising from ignorance and others bred by the independent happy-go-lucky surroundings of new countries. While as a rule people "got along" with each other amicably there were excep- tions to the rule and one of the principal methods of expressing one's dissatisfaction or contenipt of another was "not to speak" to the offender. The custom of the country being to speak to every one you met, it was a sure sign of enmity when one person would meet another and not speak.
Speaking of ludicrous situations this story, a fact, will illustrate one such case. Names omitted. T. and W. lived on adjoining farms. T. raised corn in summer and taught school in winter. W. raised hogs and had somewhat of contempt for his neighbors. W.'s hogs got into T.'s corn too often to keep up good feeling of friendship. With the aid of dogs and clubs T. was making it unpleasant for W.'s hogs when W. took a shot at long range with bird shot into mixture of hogs, dogs and Mr. T. Mr. T. proceeded at once to get out a "state war- rant" for W. W. H. Cotten, who still lives near Rich Hill, then a young man, held the exalted position of constable. The warrant being delivered to him he forthwith arrested Mr. W. and brought him before the "squire," who instructed the officer to take the prisoner to Butler (20)
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jail. Mr. Cotten seeing the humorous side of the question protested that the offense was a bailable one and stated that the prisoner was ready to give bond, whereupon Mr. T. rose and addressed the court in this manner: "May it please your honor this is not a bailable case, it is murder in the first degree and I object to prisoner being released on bond." At this the "squire" said he did not know what was best to do and told the constable to take the prisoner. Mr. Cotten took the prisoner and laughingly told him to go home till he was called for.
Coming now to the city of Rich Hill, proper, Col. Ed Brown has been, and properly, too, called the "Father of Rich Hill." A graduate of an Eastern college, an officer in the army in the Civil War, a promoter of rare ability, he it was who succeeded in enlisting capital to build the Missouri Pacific railway from Pleasant Hill to Joplin. It is said that he went to New York and called on Jay Gould and informed him that he was going to build a railroad through the Rich Hill coal fields and after showing the advantages of such a route to Mr. Gould he told him that if he would furnish the money to build the road it could be made a part of the Missouri Pacific system, but if he did not care to consider it, then it would be an independent line. The result was that the road was built. The Kansas City, Ft. Scott & Gulf Railway Company had long had an eye on the coal fields here and as soon as it was known that another road would be built they set to work to build in from Miami, now Linton, Kansas, hence both roads came in the same year. As stated above, Colonel Brown was a high-class man in his line. He planned well, possessing the energy of a dynamo he inspired those around him with the same spirit and everything went with a rush under his guiding hand. Having secured the financial aid to build the railroad, he proceeded to secure coal lands and organized a coal company and the land for a town site and laid out the town, so that while the rail- road was building the coal fields were being opened up and the town was building up all in the Colonel's own way, with a rush that sur- prised everyone. It was said of him that he seldom slept, and then with one eye open. He would work all day in his office in Rich Hill and then drive forty or fifty miles to other work during the night so as to be on the job at the other place when business started for the day. Like so many other men of ability, he did not possess that equili- brium that make men permanently successful for it was not long before the quarter of a million dollars made in the venture had faded and a few years ago he died in comfortable poverty.
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Before the railroads were built John Greenhalge and J. S. Craig were farming and stock raising just east of Rich Hill. Soon after the town was laid out they started a brickyard in the southeast part of the city, which soon. grew into a large manufacturing enterprise under the name of Craig & Greenhalge, and for many years they manufactured large quantities of brick which were not only used in buildings in Rich Hill but were shipped in large numbers to Kansas City, Wichita and other places and through their effort Rich Hill came to be known as one of the large brick manufacturing centers. This enterprise had a large pay roll and in many ways contributed to the upbuilding of the city. Mr. Greenhalge died a few years ago on his farm on the Rich Hill-Butler road. Mr. Craig still lives in Rich Hill.
About the year 1890 Maj. D. H. Wilson, T. B. Farmer and Ben. Evans, all pioneers of Rich Hill, started manufacturing paving brick and drain tile on a limited scale. While the product of the plant proved to be of fine quality it was, from lack of finance, closed down and finally sold to Mr. H. M. Booth, who interested Mr. James Hedges, of Spring- field, in the enterprise and after operating the plant for some time they sold to W. S. Dickey at Kansas City and the plant is now being extensively operated by the Dickey Clay Manufacturing Company of Rich Hill.
Interesting Facts. (By John H. Thomas.)
The founders of Harmony Mission came from New York in 1861, as missionaries to the Indians. There are none of them now living. The Mission was abandoned in 1837 when the Indians were moved West. The government paid $8,000 for the property and the money went to the society which had sent out the missionaries. The first postoffice established in the county was at the Mission, but was called Bates- ville. It was afterwards moved to Papinsville. Harmony Mission was also the first county seat, so established in 1841, but moved to Papins- ville, in 1848. The first court house was at Papinsville, completed in 1855. When the county seat was moved in 1856, the court house was sold to Philip Ceal. It was burned in 1862. The first bridge across the river was built at Papinsville in 1853 or 1854, and was burned in 1861 by General Price's men. A commission appointed by the General Assembly located the county seat at Butler, in 1856, and a court house was built there in 1857. This was burned during the war, and a frame
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