by Charles W. Bowman
Biographies
JACOB WEIL
Jacob Weil is a native of France, born in the town of Soultz-sons-Forets in 1842, where he resided until the fall of 1859, when he landed in the city of New York the day Abraham Lincoln was first elected President. He entered mercantile life young, commencing as a clerk in his native town. After arriving in America, in order that he might acquire the English language as rapidly as possible, he spent a few months selling goods about the county, making his headquarters at Wheeling, W. Va., where he resided six years, engaged in business. Having disposed of his interests in the latter place, he removed to Ohio, where he continued in the mercantile trade for two years. Finding his health rapidly failing, he sold out his business and went to Kansas and bought a ranch and a herd of cattle. There he remained for several years, but did not increase his property, having lost heavily in the winter of 1874, which was a severe one for all cattle men throughout Kansas. He left the State with the full determination of visiting Arizona. But in 1875, West Las Animas was having a boom. Business was good, with a large number of inhabitants, and two railroads running to the town. The place appeared to offer extraordinary inducements for Mr. Weil to locate, and he cast his lot in that place, where, for six years, he has been a member of the firm of Jones & Weil, who are conducting a thriving mercantile business. Mr. Weil enjoys a large acquaintance in the county of Bent, by whom he is held in high esteem as an honest and upright merchant. He was married, in Kansas, in August, 1874, to Miss Amanda Divelbess, and has two children, who are both living. He takes an active interest in stock-raising, though not largely engaged in it at present.
