USA > Missouri > Bates County > The old settlers' history of Bates County, Missouri : from its first settlement to the first day of January, 1900 > Part 11
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and has passed the ninty-fifth mile stone on life's journey. and is hale and hearty. John D. Myres, also afterwards elected Circuit and County Ciork. Col. George Dougless, George Rains, Widow Blevins and family. mother of Judge ( :. I. Robards: hors was the first house I saw the inside of in Bates county. and I have greatly held in rememberance their kindness, and also the cup of cold coffee they gave me. for I was very thirsty as well as weary. and was greatly re- freshed by it. The next settlement north of Panther Creck was on Deepwater, among whom I might mention Hiram Snodgrass and his sons, Isaac. Richard. William and James V .. the latter of whom and two sisters. Mrs. White and Mrs. Jennings, are still living in Bates, widow Lutsenhizer's fam- ily, two of whom, T. B. Lutsenhizer and Mrs. Simpson, wife of J. R. Simpson, are still living here. George Ludwick and family of whom John L. and Mrs. Vanhoy are living in this county, and William is temporarily staying in Colorado, Oliv- er Drake, Poter Gutridge. W. B. Price. Samuel Scott and Joseph Beatty.
On North Deepwater at Johnstown and vicinity, were liv- ing John Harbort and family: John Hull lived in the town; R. L. Pettus. J. B. Pettu , Samuel Pyle, James McCool and others.
In the north part of the county on Peter Creek, Elk Fork and Grand River there were settlements, among others whou I remember. Martin Hackler. J. Leakey. Alexander Erhart. Austin Reeder. Josoph Rorder. J. C. Gragg, Joseph Highly, George Sears, William Crawford, Martin Owens, Hiram Ed- wards. William France. R. DeJarnott, Lewis C. Haggard, John Pardes. John Evans. John S. M.Craw. the last two of whom are still living at the same place they were then. Enoch Rolling. George L. Smith. Barton Holderman, Alex- andor Feely, Frank R. Borry. Joseph Clymer, Vincent John- son and John Green.
On the Miami, Mulberry and Maries des Cygnes there were a number of settlers, among whom were Samuel Dob- bins, Clark Vermillion, Oliver Elswick. H. B. Francis, Bluf- ord Merchant, Messrs. Ramsy. Jackson and J. Rogers.
On Mound Branch lived Major Glass and widow Hersell and family and probably others.
About Pleasant Gap and Double Branches the following
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names are remembered: James Ridge. Joseph Wix. William Deweere and sons Jesse. Evan and Elijah. Livy Bethol. Peter Trimble, Dr. McNeil, Cornelius Nafus, Hugh Campbell. John Dillion, Dr. William Requa, William, George and Aaron Thomas, John, Lindsey and Thomas Wine. James Coe, Enoch Humphrey, George Requa and family including Austin, James, George and Cyrus, Jesse Rinehart, J O. Starr and John Hartman.
On Mission Branch and Sycamore I remember George Wed- dle, Abraham Goodwin, Widow Zimmerman and family, Mrs. Charette and family, also an Osage Indian half breed named Gesso Chateau, who had been educated at Harmony Mission, but who still retained the Indian characteristics of shiftless- ness and laziness and was fond of whisky, and while possess- ing a fairly good education, gave little evidence of it except when his tongue got limbered up with liquor.
Of those who were living on the south side of the Maries des Cygnes river I remember M. Parks, Jeremiah Burnett, William, Thomas and B. F. Jennings, O. H. P. Miller, Wid- ow West and family, Edmund Bartlett, Jason and A. H. Wood:in.
In the foregoing list of names I have intended to include only those who were living in the county at the time of my coming to the county, but as it is written from memory it is possible it may contain names of some few who came to the county after 1853.
There are many left off for the reason that their names have escaped my memory at the time of writing. but whom I formerly was well acquainted with.
GROWTH OF THE COUNTY FROM 1833 TO 1861.
From this time (1853) on the county settled up very fast. Many immigrants came from other states every year, aside from those who came from other counties within the state. New farms were opened up, new houses built and improve-
LORENZO D. WIMSATT.
The subject of this sketch was born in Wilson county, Kentucky, in 1847, and moved with his parents to Indiana in 1854. He was raised on a farni and educated in the common schools. He came to Missouri in 1878 and engaged in farming and stock raising in Jackson county. The following year he was married to Miss Lemora B. Goe. He moved his family to Bates county in 1890 and engaged in the mercantile business in Adrian. After conducting this business successfully for several years he sold out and moved on his farm near that town, in Mound township, where he now resides. He was a member of the Adrian School Board when the High School building was erected and was re-elected by unanimous vote of the district. Served two terms as city councilman. Elected associate Judge of the Bates County Court, for the north district in 1898. He is a member of the Baptist church, and is a member of the Masonic Fraternity. He was nominated and elected as a Democrat.
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ments of all kinds were added. New settlements were made out on the prairie, miles away from timber, which was a sur- prise to some of the old settlers most of whom came from sections of country heavily timbered, and I have heard more than one of them sagely assert that the wide open prairies of Bates County would always remain so, as people could not settle them up and live upon them so far away from timber: and furthermore there was not enough to support more than a small area near the streams. How greatly those first set- tlers were mistaken in the capability of the county for the support and maintenance of a large population we can now realize when we see some of the finest and bost improved farms miles away from timber and the owners not caring to possess any timber land. It has been abundantly demon- strated that much less timber is needed than the carly set- tler supposed was the case. Hodges and barbed wire sup- ply the place of rails for fences, and the rail roads bring in building material for other improvements, thereby lessening the demand for nativo timber.
From 1:53 to 156) the county continued to increase rapid- Jy in population and wealth. By the end of Is57 practically all government land had been entered, and mostly by actual settlers.
The Border Troubles between Missouri and Kansas which commenced in 1556 over the question of slavery in Kansas, retarded the growth of the country somewhat but probably not to a great extent, but when the war commenced in 1861, the people began to move away from the border on the west, som, going south and some north. while others further away from Kansas into the interior of the state: the movement gaining impetus as the war progressed. until the promulga- tion of General Thomas Ewing's celebrated "Order No. 11" which was on August 25. 1863, then all went, and stood not on the order of their going. Such property as they were not able to take with thwun was left behind, and the amount so loft was neither small in bulk or insignificant in valce and most of which was an utter loss to the owners. it afterwards lwing either stolen or destroyed. In the fall of 1:63 there was not a single family left within the confines of Bates County which three short years before contained thousands of contented. prosperous and happy people .. As a proof of
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the number of citizens in the county at that time. I will men- tion that more than 1200 votes were cast at the general elex- tion in 1860.
Having in the foregoing hastily written a very imperfect sketch of my recollections of the earlier years of my residence in Bates county, I shall not attempt to write about the re- turn to and re-settlement of the county after the war was over. by those who had been compelled to leave their homes by reason of the war, to find in a majority of cases that their houses were burned or destroyed together with the other im- provements on their places, finding a waste and desolation in place of any of the comforts or conveniences of. the hom" they had left behind them when they were compelled to abandon the county: nor do I propose to mention the name; of the many hundreds of worthy, industrious and valuable citizens who had settled in our county since the war: this is within the recollection of many others as well as myself.
CHARACTER. HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS.
They were generally honest, industrious. frugal and con- tented. They were also very free hearted, charitable and always willing and ready to assist their neighbors or others needing assistance such as they were able to give. There were very few of great wealth but nearly all in circumstances to live comfortably according to the customs of the country. Nearly all had some education, there being some highly ed- ucated, while there were others whose educational advantag- es barely enabled them to read and write.
Newspaperss were not so plentiful or cheap as at present. Neither were mail facilities equal to those we now enjoy. The mails were carried on horseback and once each werk only, but quite a number of pipers were taken, and those who received none got the news from their neighbors. and the people were generally well informed about the world's doings. Generally a goodly number of the people went to town on Saturday, for the purpose of trading at the stores.
GEO. W. STITH
was born near Mt. Sterling, Montgomery county, Kentucky, February 27, 1843. Received a common school education. Removed to Johnson county, Mo., in 1868, thence to Bates county in 18SI. He has held the office of Treasurer and Justice of the Peace in Deepwater township, Bates county, Mo. He enlisted in the Confederate army in September, 1861, and served three and a half years, in the First Kentucky, mounted, and in the Eighth Kentucky Cavalry, under General John Morgan, and captured during his raid into Ohio in July, 1863.
He was married in Johnson county, Mo., in 1870, and has two children. In 1898 he was nominated by the democrats and elected Associate Judge of the County Court, and is now serv- ing the people acceptably in that capacity. He is a consistent member of the Christian church.
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to get their mail. have their plows sharpened or work done. hear the news. meet their neighbors and some went on gen- eral principals and to have a good time.
As there were no means of transporting farm products to market there was no inducement to open up large farms and raise large crops as there is at present. in consequence of which. the people had more leisure for visiting and hunt- ing: and game. such as doer. turkey and waterfowl. was abundant. and fish were plentiful in the streams and lakes. Visiting was indulged in as if it was a duty as well as a pleas. ure. Neighbors living ten or fifteen miles apart would oft. on exchange visits. while those who lived from three to five miles from each other would go still more often. frequently spending'a day and night or a longer time with their neigh- bor. House raisings, corn shuckings and such like occas- ions called out the neighbors for miles around, and after the work was done. usually a dance would follow, when all, both young and old, participated if they chose to do so. and usu- ally kept it up all night.
Shooting matches were frequently arranged when the peo- ple for miles around would meet and contest for the cham- pionship. sometimes a .bref would be contested for, with first, second. third. fourth and fifth choice. the hide being fifth. Occasionally one person would win all five parts and could drive his animal home if he chose to do 80.
EDUCATION.
Education for their children soms to have been car, ly looked after and provided for by the early settlers. Schools were established in each district, where from three to six months school was held each year. Subscription schools were frequently provided for when the public funds were inadequate. While the public schools of that day were probably not up to the high standard of the present. yet they were sufficient to furnish a really good and useful com- mon school education, quite as helpful and practical as that obtained in our more modern schools; and very fow children
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were permitted to grow up without having at least the rudi- ments of an education.
The interest taken by the early settlers in education has continued to grow and increase with those who came after them until at the present time I think it no exageration to say that no county in the state has better public schools, or where the people more liberally and earnestly support them, materially and otherwise, than in Bates county, and her citi- zens all feel proud of them and the excellent public school system of the state, and no fears need be felt but that they will be kept at their present high standard.
MIRTHFUL OR AMUSING.
There was among the people a delightfully free and easy abandon when it came to joking or fun making. yet it was seldom that exception was taken or anger shown by the vic- tim. who usually joined in the mirth and sought an oppor- tunity to return the compliment in kind. I might remark here that while it was customary for the people to drink, there being very few tee-totalers. there was no great number of drunkards, but when neighbors met in town treating was common and an offer to do so was seldom declined by the recipient. It would be impossible for me to enumerate the number of jokes perpetrated or pranks played. to which I wi; witness, many of which have long since passed out of my memory, but a few of which I still remember. and some of which I relate here for the entertainment or amusement the reader according as he may view them. I am well .re that most jokes and amusing incidents lose much by telling. and in relating the following I cannot hope to con- vey to the understanding of the reader all the conditions and peculiarities which attended and surrounded them at the time.
Myself and a number of others were sitting in one of the business houses at Papinville one day soon after I came here. Among the number was Stephen D-, a carpenter by trade. A man who lived in the country, whose name we will call Mr. Hook for short, stepped into the store and inquired if
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the saddler was in: (there was not a harness shop in the county at that time.) Sam L -, who loved a joke, pointed to Stephen. saying. "yes, there he is." Mr. Hook stopped up to him and asked if he could get some repairs for his saddle. Stephen told him he was not a saddler, and every one in the room began to laugh. Mr. H. at once perceived that he was the victim of a joke. Looking at Stephen, who by the way was a very stoop shouldered man. not to say crooked. be. af- ter a moment. turned to the crowd which had been laughing at him and said: He looked so much like a saddle-tree him- If that I thought he ought to be a saddler." At this sally "very one laughed more immoderately than before and. some- what to my surprise. Stephen joined in as heartily as any of the others. He evidently did not approve of spoiling a joke by showing resentment where no offense was intended.
One pleasant Sunday evening several persons. myself among the muuber, were sitting in the shelter of a shade when we noticed a man, riding on a horse, coming into town. He rode up to a little group of persons, but very shortly left and came riding toward us. When he stopped in front of our party he was not in a pleasant frame of mind. Without addressing any one in particular, or making any preliminary . remarks he. with evident heat. blurted out. "That man up there. " pointing toward the group he had just left. "must think I am a d- fool!" None of us had the least idea of what had transpired to put him in ill Iumor. but one of the crowd answered promptly. "Yes, yes, that is what he thinks." This was almost too much for the gravity of some of us and we laughed at the evident desire of the party who answered to agree with the stranger. The man looked at us with a sort of puzzled expression on his countenance and then in evident disgust turned his horse and rode out of town in the opposite direction from which he came. I am ignorant to thi- day as to what he got offended at.
I happened one day to step up to where a group of several persons wore listening to a man who was usually called Bob Me. He was talking about some one who had failed to do something, which he thought was the proper thing to do and ought to have been done under the circumstances. Af- ter dwelling on the subject at considerable length and hay-
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ing expressed his opinion fully. as if in palliation of the party's shortcomings, made the remark that he wasa d - fool and would get drunk like all Virginians: (Me. was from one of the eastern states:) About this time he happened to look around and saw standing in the crowd Frank -, a native of Virginia, and at once asked his pardon for the remark. Frank assured him that no apology was necessary. asevers- one knew that a Virginian would get drunk, and that a d ---- Yankee would steal! At this sally everybody laughed. in- cluding the principals. Finally some one in the crowd caught his breath long enough to propose that an adjournment ixe taken to where all could liquidate, or liquor up, or some- thing of the kind. The motion carried unanimously and I passed on.
The forgoing calls to mind another incident which afforded unbounded amusement to those who witnessed it, and the more so owing to the peculiar habits and characteristics of at least one of the principals. and which of course can not be imparted in telling it. Col. H. was a Virginian by birth. a jolly, genial kind hearted old gentleman as the county af- forded. well educated and well informed, and with whom I have passed many pleasant moments and for whom I still cherish the most kindly remembrance. The Col. unfortu- nately posessed the weakness spoken of by Bob Me. in a moderate degree. At one time the Col. and a man whom we will now call Haie, were opposing candidates for election 1: the office of Representative of Bates County. The Col. fail- ed to get votes enough, so was defeated. He charged his de- feat largely to reports derogatory to him as a sober, orderly citizen. put in circulation by his opponent and his friends. Some time after the election the Col. and his late opponent met in F. F. Eddy's store at Papinsville, and as the former had been imbibing somewhat liberally. the sight of Hale re- minded bim of his defeat and of the alleged cause of it. The Col. folt decidedly belligerant, and approaching Hale charg- ed him with telling yarns on him during the campaign. This Hale denied and attempted to reason with him and quiet his evidently excited condition: but the Col. had his war paint on and refused to be pacified. Waiting his opportunity he suddenly let fly with his fist. but did not disable or damage his opponent to any great extent: Hale caught him. threw
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bim to the floor and proceeded to shut off his wind. The Col. had scarcely touched the floor when he began to call to the bystanders to take him off. This was done, and the Col. arose but was not pacitied and again began the quarrel, presently striking at Hale again. when the same performance wasgone through with. For the third time the Col. renewed the quar- rel. winding up by striking at Hale and then shouting. "Take him off. take him off!" But this time the bystanders were not so prompt to do so. but let Hale choke him awhile. then they helped him to his feet. He did not renew the fight, but left the hou: « shortly afterwards. A few minutes afterwards someone who was present at the difficulty met the Col. on the street and asked him why he had not hit Hale again when he got up the last time. The Col. straightened himself up as well as his condition would allow. looked straight in the fare of his questioner for a moment. then shutting one eye. answered. "They were too d -- long taking him off the last time!" It is perhaps needless to add that the trouble was never renewed, or that Hale had any intention of doing the Col. any serions harm.
Going to my work one morning I met Isaac Wine, a young man who was employed by F. F. Eddy, as hostler, general utility man and helper about the place, who, in cutting sheaf oats. got his finger too far through and cut about half an inch off the fore finger of his left hand. He hunted around among the cut outs until he found the severed portion of his - tinger. then taking it in his right hand he started towards the house. Noticing the blood I halted and made inquiry of him as to what had happened. He both told and showed me what had befallen his finger. I asked if it was causing him much pain? Looking first at the stub, ho hold the sovered piece in his other hand and looked at that: then looking at me he answered as he presented the piece of finger, "This end does not hurt a bit, but. (holding out the stub, ) this end hurts like the devil:" As much as I sympathized with him this was too much for my gravity and I laughed beartily at the singular and quaint reply. He looked at me in a sort of puzzled manner. then laughed himself, but evidently merely because I did. not because he realized that there was any- thing in his reply to my question that was laughable. I doubt if he over understood what I was laughing at.
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OLD SETTLERS HISTORY
Elihu 1 --. after having imbibed a considerable quantity of tanglefoot. strolled into the okl log court house at Papins- ville.where Judge B- was hokling Probate Court, and as he was feeling rather salubrious himself. wanted to amuse and entertain those around him by joking with and talking to them. apparently oblivious of the fact that court was in ces- sion for the purpose of transacting business. The Judge spoke to him asking him to keep quiet, but without any per- ceptable effect on Elihu: finally the judge. after having spoken to him several times. told him that he should fine him ten dollars for contempt of court. At this Elihu at first look- « surprised-and then apparently became indignant. Strug- gling to his feet and steadying himself as well as he was able he looked at the Court as he replied. -. W.H-hic-Judge. I reckon, by G -: you will find me the money to pay it with. woat you? He presently walked out of the house with as much dignity as he could command. This episode caused considerable amusement among the spectators and there was a quiet twinkle in the eyes of the Judge and a perceptible relaxation of the muscles of his mouth, but the dignity of the court was preserved. As Elihu's earthly possessions consisted of the clothes he wore at the time, and as there was no jail in which to confine any one. the Court could not well enforce the payment of the fine had he earnestly desir- ed to do so. but I am of the opinion that the judge accom- plished his object by getting rid of the disturbing element. thereby restoring order in court, and probably entered a wen- tal remittal of the fine.
Having already occupied more space than I intended, and not wishing to weary any reader of the History of Bates Co. or discourage the publisher by unnecessary prolixity. I take leave of the subject. feeling that if the reader derives the pleasure in reading that I have experienced in recalling the past. I shall be rewarded for any contributions I have been able to make to the county's history.
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CHAS. A. DENTON.
Charles A. Denton was born in Adams County, Illinois, September 25, 1854. His father's name is E. P. Denton, a farmer of Hancock County, Illinois; his mother's maiden name was Jemima Whitney, and both were natives of Kentucky. Charles led the average uneventful life of a boy on a farm. He was educated at the Carthage Lutheran College, and the In- dustrial University at Champaign. He taught school for several terms. He read law with the firm of Mccrary, Hagerman & McCrary at Keokuk, Iowa, and was admitted to the bar Feb. ruary 28, 1880, and began the practice of his profession at Keokuk, but shortly afterwards removed his family to Rich Hill, Mo. In 1888 he moved to Butler where he now resides, and is devoted to his professional duties, being the junior member of the firm of Smith & Denton, one of the strongest law firms in the city. He has a wife and two children, lives in a commodious home and enjoys the confidence and respect of the people.
Politically Mr. Denton has always affiliated with the Re- publican party, and has been repeatedly honored by his party with important offices, and although defeated he has always run ahead of his ticket. In 1898 he was nominated for Judge of the 29th Judicial Circuit, and made a creditable race against overwhelming odds. He is a member of the Republican State Central Committee for this congressional district, and is in the way of political preferment.
He is a clean, conservative man: and in his profession careful, faithful and successful.
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