The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-07-15
STOCK RAISING A SPECULATION.
The Good, Old Times Compared
With the Present-Interestin
Facts and Figures.
minneapolis Tribune.)

A man of fine proportions and well pre-
served physique, Col. J. w. Judy, of Illi-
nois, has learned the secret of youth, which
Ponce de Leon once journeyed long d:st
tance to find. Col. Judy is the veteran
"Short horn" auctioneer, who has presided
over cattle sales from Canada to Texas,
from Minnesota to Florida. He has grown
gray in the business, not old, for no man
ever bore his 70 odd years with better
grace than this sturdy, broad-shouldered
son of Illinois.
81 can't tell you how old am,'' he says,
il the remark happens to be made in his
hearing, that he has seen many years of
service, II have been married 45 years, and
l was married when I was 49,"
Col. Judy arrived yesterday to conduct
Henry F. Browns seventeenth annual sale
of short horn cattle today, and went at
once to Mr.. Browns residence to be his
guest. He has oficiated in the same capa-
city for the owner of Browndale, IA sue
ces.ve years, and knows the Browndale
stock, and thoroughly admires it, as he
would his own. Col. Judy is a stock farm
er of some pretentions himself and speaks
OF his little farm of Lib, acres" with
conscious pride. He is probably one of the
best known auctioneers in the country, and
for 40 years has offered for bidders many
of the finest herds of cattle in the country.
Col. Judy talks readily and easily, but
he does not know how interesting are the
stories he can tell about sales and stock,
and kindred subjects, until he is given the
rem in his own hands, and then he drives
ahead impetuously, citing drop any num-
ber of entertaining facts, which he would
never have thought of II questioned. For
instance, he relates the circumstances OF
his sale Of heard of % head for H. M.
Corcoran, the Canada stock owner, the
total amount reaching $4,000, averaging
$4,000 per head, one of the biggest in his
tory. That was several years ago. He
tells the story of .the good old times"
when prices were high and sales quick.
Nothing like 1t now,'' he laments.
''That was the time when bid Of $4,000
was good starter. Bids came so fast
that it was rise of 500 at time, in
stead of smaller amounts, as fast as
one could look from side to side, until the
figures climbed high. remember a man
who fixed upon what he thought might
be a good milch cow, and he planned to
bid her in for $45 or $50; he was willing
to 20 that high. The first offer was one;
that was raised to two, three, four, first
on one hand, then the other, until it had
reached IA, Is, 16 The man had raised
two or three times, and finally, when it
stood at 18, he called out '25 and stopped.
I could have taken him up, but let him
down easy Instead Of $18 the bid had
been $1,000, and the animal was sold for
a figure of that description"
Col. Judy makes the interesting state
ment that stock raising is ..very largely
a matter OF speculation" that many men
who used to be well known breeders, are
out Of it now, just as they would drop
out Of wheat or stocks At one time Ken
lucky was one of the biggest stock raising
states in the country, but few herds Of
any value remain.