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. Cot. James W. Jupy 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, Il., not far from the home 
of the well known Shorthorn breeder, J. H. Spears. Cox. Jupy 
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. 
Cot. Jupy 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, Ill., in August, 1856, for JupcE Steven DuNLap, and 
his career continued until he was nearly eighty years of age. 
Among the heroes of the Lake Front show, Cot. Jupy was an 
influential figure, contributing largely to the foundation, organ- 
ization and 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 leading pro- 
