268 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 



THE GREATEST LIVESTOCK AUCTIONEER OF THE 

 CLOSING CENTURY 



104. On the anniversary of the 65th State Fair at Springfield, 

 Illinois, there occurred the death of a man whose pioneer work 

 laid its foundations. CoL. James W. Judy was America's oldest 

 livestock auctioneer, a commanding figure in the pedigree stock 

 circles for many years. During the golden days of the Short- 

 horn trade he was a popular personality, performing at most 

 of the great auctions. 



He was born in a red, white and roan environment amid the 

 bluegrass pastures of Kentucky, May 8, 1822. He settled in 

 Illinois as a young man, but had conducted numerous auctions 

 of miscellaneous farm property before leaving Kentucky. He 

 acquired a large farm near Tallula, 111., not far from the home 

 of the well known Shorthorn breeder, J. H. Spears. Col. Judy 

 was a home loving man and a gentleman of the old school, his 

 heart was in his acres, and his highest ideal to make them as pro- 

 ductive and fruitful as they were charming in topography and 

 surroundings. 



Col. Judy reached the zenith of his career in the 70's, when 

 he made dozens of historical sales both in the Mississippi valley 

 and farther east. His first Shorthorn sale was cried at Jack- 

 sonville, 111., in August, 1856, for Judge Steven Dunlap, and 

 his career continued until he was nearly eighty years of age. 



Among the heroes of the Lake Front show, Col. Judy was an 

 influential figure, contributing largely to the foundation, organ- 

 ization an-d operation of the institution. Possessed of the quali- 

 ties of the sage he early foresaw the movement tending to 

 shorten the feeding life of the steer and was a lea-ding pro- 



