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MILTON F. JONES, though one of the youngest stock breeders in the county, already stands among the foremost cattlemen in Sangamon County. He owns a large and finely equipped stock farm two miles south of Williamsville and twelve miles north of Springfield, where he and his brother S. T. Jones, are extensively engaged in breeding pure bred shorthorns under the firm name of Milton E. Jones & Bro.
Our subject was born on the old Walnut Grove Farm in Williams Township June 11, 1869. He is a son of the well-known John R. Jones, of whom a sketch appears in this volume. Mr. Jones laid the foundation of his education in the schools of Williamsville and completed it by a fine course of study in Springfield Business College, which he entered in September, 1888, remaining a student there till within a few weeks of graduation. He was reared on a farm and in his early youth developed a strong love for fine stock, especially for cattle. His father is a noted stock dealer, and of course our subject had splendid advantages and opportunities for informing himself as well as for perfecting of any plans he chose to form. In 1883, when he was fourteen years old, he began breeding shorthorn cattle. The first cow that he ever owned was Fourteenth Queen of Riverdale, a famous prize winner, and a remarkable animal in every particular.
About this time Mr. Jones became a member of the firm of J. R. Jones & Sons, and he had charge of the breeding of cattle, etc. The firm purchased of Luther Adams, a well known importer and breeder of shorthorn cattle of Boston, Miss Ramden Ninth, without doubt the most wonderful cow in America. She weighted two thousand one hundred and fifty pounds and won more prizes at State Fairs than any other cow of her day. She was imported from a famous royal herd in England.
Our subject has now a herd of more than one hundred pure-bred shorthorn cattle, and since giving his time to the breeding of stock has owned some of the best prize winners in the State. He is, without doubt, the youngest breeder in Illinois, and has probably bred more shorthorn cattle, for his age, than any other man in America. During the past seven years he has prepared and issued several large catalogues, giving full pedigrees of the cattle he has owned and bred. In 1890 he exhibited a herd of pure bred steers of his own breeding at several fairs, including the Iowa State Fair, at which place he won more prizes than all other competitors, including the sweepstakes, and also the grand sweepstakes over all breeds in the Fat Stock Show in Chicago. To his enthusiastic love of his work and devotion to business, his native county is already greatly indebted for raising the standard of the cattle bred within its limits. His fine stock farm comprises four hundred and fifty acres of choice land, well adapted to farming and stock raising, making it one of the most desirable farms in Williams Township.
Our subject is an ardent Republican in his political views, and religiously, both he and his amiable wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, contributing generously to its support. As we have seen, Mr. Jones is a young man of unusual business talent and enterprise, and he stands high in financial circles throughout the county.
Our subject and Miss May Price were united in marriage November 12, 1889. Mrs. Jones is a daughter of James R. and Ellen (Flagg) Price. Her father was born in Clarke County, Ohio, December 16, 1835. His father, also named James, was born in 1802 in Herefordshire, England. He emigrated to this country with his parents in 1818, and located among the pioneers of Ohio. He became a farmer and stock raiser and passed the remainder of his life near Springfield in that State. He was quite deaf and was accidentally killed by a train of cars when he was seventy years old. He was a man of fine constitution, was strong and robust physically, and was never sick a day in his life. He was a man of good mental capacity and was well educated. He early displayed a fondness for books and purchased a dictionary with the first money he ever earned as a boy. He was a peaceable, law abiding citizen, never sued a man and never was sued himself. He was a good man and for many years was a member of the Baptist church. He acquired wealth during a long and useful career and at his death left a large estate.