AGRICULTURE: Big Deal in Bates County

In Bates County—870 square miles of farm land on Missouri’s western boundary —the name Scully lost its magic power last week, though its fabulous ring lingers on. William Scully was a wealthy, austere Irishman who arrived in the county in 1894. Muffled in a plaid shawl and a cap pulled down over his eyes, he drove his surrey about the countryside, bought farms right & left, never sold an acre because he believed it was wrong to give up land. Soon he owned nearly a tenth of the county and 300 of its residents were his tenants. Bates County called him Lord Scully. In 1918 his land went to his Oxford-educated, pipe-smoking son, Thomas Scully, who spent most of his time in Europe, seldom set foot in Bates County.

Last week Absentee Landlord Thomas Scully was back to break up his estate. Down the main street of Butler, the county seat, baking in 100° temperature, he marched in coat & vest—only man in Bates County not in shirt sleeves that day. In the courthouse waited a Farm Security Administration check for $1,078,151, which FSA Manager Ulysses Norris described to curious citizens as “an impressive sight.” By week’s end the deal was completed and FSA took over Mr. Scully’s 41,844 acres.

To the present tenants will be added about 150 Missouri families whose farms have been bought up for defense projects (notably the Army’s new Fort Leonard Wood at Rolla). FSA will build additional houses, barns and fences, sell or lease the farms at 3% interest. Henceforth the Scully estate will be known as Oswego Farms.