Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-04-06
1ACOR STRAWN.

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JACOB STRAWN.
A. S,rswn Is man Of about hve feet
,,a sir inches in stature, siOu'ly built,
with chest Of great capacity, measuring
h.. .ho ,-s,st as we are told, tisiy-two
;nsbss in rirth. He isnow ifty-four years
ofare little upon the down hill side Of
lie. with hair turning grey; aud; as he
himself says, getting a little "l'zyj that
is obliged to sleep as many as about iour
hours every night. He has large anu
,,s,s,nt face, and is m7n Vt g'od ap-
pearance HI, farm is ol two tracts
of land, lying, firstly, "a The heart of Nor
gar county, aud next IN tn '"u,y OF
Sangamon. The first consists of 800
acres, in one body being six miles N
length by three and half in breadth !;
tie other, of $500 acres or together
something over 10000 acres, Of as good
land as the sun aal the noon ever shine
upon. These lands with all their i'm
rrovcments, stock, AMI fixtures, are his
individual earnings being the product Of
no speculation, either in lands, stocks, or
other matters and the result of 10 rise
in real estate = for we have not been able
TO learn that Mr. StIawn ever sold an acre
of land since he came to the State. Nor
has he bought lands for the sake of mono
POLLING, or "ho.Iing Oh" or for traffsa
in reality Lis purchases have been for
use, and when obtained have been and are
used
Jacob Strawn was born in Somerset
county, Pennsylvania. His parents We
infer to have been either poor, or in such
circumstances as to leave Lin to shirk
pretty much for himself His mothcr,wc
learn. was a "tcrrLlc" worker, and the
boy Jacob was taught in her ways. We
hear Of his cndeayors at clearinga farm
after his first marriage, which took place
at home in Pcpnsy ylvania; Of his chopin:
till far into the night, by the light Of fire.
lindled by his wife from the fallen trees,
and after short sleep, beng at 1t again,
after the same fashion, BY the same aid
At an carly day Le left Pennsylvania fvl
Licking county, Ohio, where he remained
eleven years, and then pulling up stake.
ugain, be came to Illinois, arriving ii
1881, and pitching upon small tract q
about 800 acres, where his house nov
stands
The great business of his life had, how
ever, tcen long commenced. Indeed, IL
his own words, he "began it at tcn year:
Of age, and has driven it to this time, witt
allthc wind and credit lie could command
The great passion Of his life was and is
eteers-cattle to drive them, feed them
buy them, sell them and then own cthe
steers to 90 through the like process ; thi
was to him and is yet, what books were t
Kirke White, or armies to Napoleon. II
pursued it eleven years in Ohio, and a
the end had cash enough TO purchase th'
aforesaid 800 and odd acres in Norsa'
county, three miles from jacksonville, III
He got him up small log house, good a
those of his ncighbors, aud which stand
yet, where lie resided till 1888, when hi
present dwelling was erected. The part
ner of his early life died, however, abou
one year after his arrival in Illinois, lcav
ing him three soIs, who still survive
Twenty years since his present wife wa!
joined to him, and five living children ar,
the result Of this marriage From tha
day t. tLis, AS life .as b,c- FL. ualevia
ting pursuit OF his sCrJinr iea. Iii
were the FIRST steers T.. inMor-an county
nnd he has probably fed rasc since tha
time than all other men iii the county to
gether. The industry with which thi
business has been pursued by him, i
wholly without parallel in all the his
tories Of business ever pursued or heard o
tyus. Mr Sirawn is MT and never ha
been In any proper sense Of the term,
breeder Of cattle. lie Juys them, feed
them till fattened, and then sells them
AS hls business increased he increased hi
farm, until it has grown to its presen
size. He has low upon it 1900 acres o
corn, 1000 head Of calt!c-hayinr ius
sold 100 whose place must soon be arair
hiled-!00 hogs to follow aud f.,,cn afto
his cattle, about 50 horses, and from 30 t.
lVo mules. OF other stock be has little
Ills only experience in sheep he gave a
follows; ole once bought aG head
the dogs killed lG Of them, and the bal
anee he sold to a butcher, who has no
9,' paii him" For turkeys, hens, 0
Other poultry, he cares little or nothing
.ie raises a few steers yearly, and one G
these, one year and La!f Old, sold tb
present season, weighed 1850 lbs.
Ills sales Of stock tie present scaso
nave a amounted 10 something over 800
0Vp OF cattle alone exceeding SOC, 900.
ine style Of farming pursued by NJ
Nuahn may easily be gathered from I'll