Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-08-14
From the COLUMBUS 20 State Journal
Jacob strswn, the Great Drover

The papers frequently mention this won
dcrfully successive farmer and drovcr, who
emigrated some time since, from Muskin
gum county. of this State to Illinois. In
letter TO the Tribuas q correspondent thus
tells Of him:
an the vicinity Of Jacksonville is the
most noted man in Illinois, not excepting
the little giant" | am told that he is a
native OF Muskingum county, Ohio. and thst
lie emnratea to the prairirs many years ago
with money enough TO buy quarter section
OF land. He is of medium stature, hut he
frame has been ofimmensc power and tough
ness. Some times " hen he hrs been pnr.
chasing cattle he has accomplished the al
most incredible feat Of riding on horseback
nine successive days and nights with no
sleep bat what hc got in the saddle. His
Judgment of cattle is almost iniallible. HI
will ride into drove OF cattle, glance over
il with incredible Guickncss, counting the
number singing out the average OK, com
putting from him the whole drove, n offer
prnr price for the whole more promptly
ihan many would for one OK. He has the
reputation Of b ing a fair dealer and will not
hargle with those who sell and buy for him.
n the customers like his terms that ends
the mat, n, and # not il certainly ends it,
He measures out his plans weeks ahead By
the half hour, never falling in his engage
ments and never forgving the laCg I'd who
keeps him waiting. HIS cattle business
enlarged enormously, until he purchased and
sold many thousands year. All the mo.
ncy not needed in his business was invested
in lands, and it is said that he has never
been known to sell an acre. His home
farm contains ten thousand acres, and a
gentleman told me that one field ofthlt farm,
planted year after year with corn, contains
three thousand acres, and another four thous
and. Near La Sale he has tract of some
six or seven thousand acres, and besides
these many smaller farms OF section. less
or more. His landed estate is said to be
worth million Of dollars.
His mode of dealing with tenants is char
acteristc. He assigns them certain trac s,
| and tells them he wants them to put in so
many acres Of corn, agreeing if they work
we'll, to paw them so much bushel for the
crop when ripe. In the fall he brings each
man his money, and then drives 10 each man
a certain number of cattle and hogs, and
I says:"I will pay you SO much head to feed
! these this winter all they can eat, and you
are To have them ut my house on the first
/ day OF May. oh thN epfSineu ddy HIS
! drovers are coming in from all directions,
aud buyers from the Eastern cities nre there,
! attending the greatest cattle market in the
I West, if not in America. The beet cattle
/ on the grounds amount to thousands, and
the drovers are able to get just what they
want. And what is singular. this man never
/ keeps book accounts, retaining the minutest
\ details OF his immense business in his men,
DRY, and filing up his engagements with
perfect exactness.
A few years since such protrac,ed taskiug
Of mind and body broke him down, ard am
told that he is showing too many signs OF
age for a man said not to be 60. In some
respects he is the most remarkable man in
Illinois, the like of whom will not soon be
seen again. His name is Jacob Strawn.