The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-09-14
The Cattle King,

A correspondent of the Quincy Wing
writes as follows Of Mr.. John L. Alex
ander, widely known as the "Great
Cattle King Of the Mississippi Valley"
who died recently in Jacksonville, Ill.
Mr.. Alexander was in his fifty fifth
year, and few men have done more to
advance the interests of the West. He
was Virginian by birth, but spent his
earl, years in Ohio, and assisted his
father in driving cattle from that State
over the Allegbary mountains to the
Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York aud
Boston markets. He was thus brought
MP in the cattle trade, and when, Mt the
ago of twenty, his father suffered n
severe financial reverse, young Alex
audor came West to try his own luck
He came to st. Louis aud afterward
travelled through coutral Illinois, from
which region ho collected and drove, on
foot, his first venture in Western cattle
to tho East. After trading for three or
four years, he begun, in 1S4S, to open
his farm in this country, now on the
Toledo, Wabash and Western railroad,
near the station known by his name.
These lands were brought to state OF
excellent pasturage, and then Mr..
Alexander started out on his venture,
which was one of tho very first of the
kind, dealing in Texas cattle. Although
it was then necessary to drive them to
Logansport, Ind, the nearest railroad
terminus, thence ship by rail to Toledo,
and thence again by steamer and rail to
New York, he fast accumulated a
fortune. He continued to ship from
| 1000 to $4,000 head yearly, but with
little further gain, till the breaking ont
of the war, when be launched out ut full
| length in the mule trade, making his
purchases mostly in Missouri, where
prices were for time remarkably easy.
Not to dwell on the exigencies OF this
enterprise, it is enough to say that 10y
the time the war was over he had settled
off large amount of debts in which he
had been involved by previous transac.
| tions in Texas cattle, was out of debt
entirely, had 1900 acres of land, valued
at S75 an acre, and had deposit oi
over 500, 900 in bank. 1t would appear
that such an accumulation of means
could hardly meet with q reverse; but
such was not the case. He purchased
the farm known as the " Broad Lands, y
near the Toledo, Wabash and Western
railroad, in Champaign county, trac
of twenty-six thousand acres, and begun
its Improvement. About the same time
he suffered heavy losses by the repudia
tion of contracts with certain railroad
companies, so that his entire loss in thu
space of a year and half amounted t.
near two hundred ard fifty Thousand
dollars, and he stood apparently face t,
face with crisis in his affairs. He fouur
what seemed to be way out of tn,
trouble by a sale which he negotiated
IN effect, with Canadian company fo
the purchase of the Broad Lands farm
for 1925, 900; but the company failed II
ratify the purchase, and he turned hi
entire estate into the hands of three as
signees for the benefit of his creditors
It was estimated that at this time hi
liabilities We're about 81 200, 600, but hi
estate was ample to pay it dollar TO
dollar, and he was determined it sboul
be done, and it is believed that it wa
done, and that by his own exertion
several thousand acres of laud were left
IL 1873 he begun to recover from thes
reverses, and has grown in wealth an
influence year by year. His energy ha
had its influence on the cattle raising c
the region for miles and miles around
and among the great cattle dealers {
the West he hoo eoarools- equal on
, never a superior as man Of energy, il
tegrity and perseverance.