by Charles W. Bowman
Biographies
JAMES C. JONES
The
name of James C. Jones is familiar to the stock-raising men of Colorado and
Texas, Mr. Jones having spent much of his life in the latter State. He was
born in Cannon County, in Middle Tennessee, August 12, 1841, where he lived
with his parents until he was ten years of age. He attended school in his
native town, when it was in session, and his physical condition would allow;
for, when a boy, Mr. Jones had the misfortune not to appear entirely
engrossed in storing up useful knowledge, and the schoolmaster spared not
the rod. His father's name was Erasmus Jones, born in Virginia in 1799. His
mother, before her marriage, was Miss Kiddie Bond, a native of North
Carolina, and born in 1805. From this union thirteen children were born, and
the subject of this sketch was the fifth son and eleventh child. While Mr.
Erasmus Jones resided in Tennessee, his house was always a hospitable one,
and many a poorly paid minister was filled to repletion at his table, while
frequently the meatless backbone of the chicken found its to James' plate.
In 1851, his parents moved to Red River County, Texas. He resided there six
years, attending school and working on a farm, preparing himself for the
hard but successful life he has since followed. From Red River County his
family moved to Park County, on the frontier of Texas. When the war of the
rebellion broke out, he joined the Confederate army, serving under Gen. Tom
Green until the close of the war. At this time he was without a dollar, and
none too many clothes. But the experience he had had in early life served
him to a good advantage. He had become familiar with the stock-raising
business. In company with three brothers, he commenced raising cattle on
shares in Texas, where he remained until 1870, though, in 1869, they brought
a portion of their herd, at this time numbering 4,200 head, into Nine Mile
Bottom, on the Purgatoire Creek, where he has remained until the present
time. With painstaking care and watchfulness, together with purchases, he
has increased his stock, until they now number 15,000 head or more. His
ranches comprise 8,000 acres of land. In 1875, he came to West Las Animas,
where a brother had opened a store in company with Mr. Weil. In 1878, he
traded a farm in Kansas for his brother's interest, and has since then
continued a partner in the firm. In 1868, he married Miss Lizzie Ham, a
daughter of B.L. Ham, a man well known throughout Texas, having taken an
active part in the war with Mexico, under Col. Ford. 
Mr.
Jones has four children � three boys and one girl � all living. For several
years, it has been his aim to improve his stock by crossing it with
thoroughbred short-horn cattle. His original stock came from Texas. He has
every prospect of being successful in his undertaking, and is very decided
in his opinion that the short-horn breed is the stock for this country. The
experiments he carried on during the winter of 1880-81, in feeding different
kinds of cattle, were highly satisfactory, convincing him that his opinion
is correct. To accomplish this end, he bought, in 1877, four thoroughbred
cows. In February, 1878, one of them dropped a bull calf that weighed, when
thirteen months old, nearly 1,200 pounds; when two years old, 1,650 pounds;
and when three years of age, he tipped the scales at 2,000 pounds. This
animal is a favorite with Mr. Jones, and justly so, for through him he is
rapidly improving his stock, getting larger frames, for which there is a
demand among Kansas cattle feeders. Mr. Jones is a hard-working man, and has
been eminently prosperous in his enterprises, and owes his success to the
thorough apprenticeship he served before entering business for himself.
