ohn F. Judy, standing at the head and front of a most unique system or series of business enterprises whose inception and successful operation are the result of his own distinct individuality, subtle discernment, original methods and mature judgment, Mr. Judy has gained an almost phenomenal prestige and is known far and wide as a most advanced type of American genius, progressiveness and alert mentality. His reputation has far transcended the limitations of Warren and contiguous counties, and among the able and aggressive businessmen of the state he must be accorded a distinct and unique position. Capacity undeveloped is but an organized daydream, and in the composition of the subject of this sketch there is found no nucleus for idle dreams. Absolute capability often exists in specific instances, but is never brought into the clear light of the utilitarian and practical life. Hope is of the valley, while effort stands upon the mountaintop; so that advancement comes not to the one who hopes alone, but to the one whose hope and faith are those of action. Then we may well hold in high regard the results of individual effort and personal accomplishment, for cause and effect here maintain their functions in full force.

It is with marked satisfaction that we take into consideration the life and labors of that energetic, shrewd and talented farmer and man of affairs, John F. Judy, of Judyville, who has contributed in a large degree to the industrial and commercial activities of Warren County. In an attractive little advertising brochure recently issued, Mr. Judy states succinctly that he is a "FARMER," while his incidental reference to the important business enterprises which he has established and built up is to the effect that they are "side lines." While he has many able assistants in carrying on his far-reaching operations in varied lines, he personally controls and guides the entire system of enterprises and assumes the responsibilities without fear of results, confident of his powers, which have so fully withstood the test, and with full appreciation of the dignity and the intrinsic value of honest toil and indefatigable energy. He is proprietor of the Grand Prairie Horse and Mule Market, in which connection he is the owner and founder of what may well be designated a village, -- an industrial village located on his farm, eight miles from a railroad, -- and this stands as unique and original in its way as does the far-famed town of Pullman. In addition to conducting his extensive business as a dealer in horses and mules, Mr. Judy handles other livestock, vehicles of all descriptions, harness, farming implements and farm product, paints and oils, dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, hardware, furniture; conducts shops for blacksmithing, buggy and wagon repairing; manufactures and repairs harnesses; owns and operates a grain elevator; handles real-estate, owning hundreds of acres of farm lands, and has well equipped livery stables and conducts an undertaking business. The province of a compilation of this nature is such that detailed reference can not consistently be made to the manifold details of Mr. Judy's gigantic business operations, but even the list given above will suggest somewhat the extent of his enterprises and bear evidence to his masterly abilities. In the little pamphlet to which reference has been made are many gems of epigrammatic wisdom, while as an original type of advertising the booklet is worthy of all praise, but must be read to be appreciated. Mr. Judy wrote the pamphlet, and we cannot do better at this point than to quote form the same, making our extracts somewhat at random. In his introduction Mr. Judy gives the following information as to what he has done: "I have sold more horses, buggies, wagons and harness than any concern in the world, and have built the largest business of the kind. All originated and started on a farm, without money, eight miles from a railroad, on the prairie, where I did not own a foot of land. Have drawn a large patronage from twenty counties, besides a good business from other counties and several states." Have established fifteen branch offices and repositories in ten counties." Continuing, he thus describes what he is doing: "Living in a good house on my own farm, surrounded by my own town, enjoying an increase of business, and building elevators, stores, barns and houses to take care of my help and stock, and building brains to take care of the business, and keeping up the effort to so systematize my business, that everyone who patronizes Judyville or any of its branches will reap an advantage by so doing." Managers employed by the proprietor conduct the branch establishments, and to facilitate business operations a different firm name is given in the several instances. Thus at Williamsport, Indiana, which is Mr. Judy's post office address, business in conducted under the style of Judy & Titus, the lines handled being furniture, buggies and wagons and harnesses. In the same village the other enterprises conducted are here noted: Judy & Messner, livery; Judy & Smith, livery; Judy and Darling, groceries; Judy and Bertrand, paint supplies. Judy-Lief Buggy Company, Goodland, Indiana, repair shop, buggies, wagons, harnesses and farm implements; Judy & Irons, Crawfordsville, Indiana, horses, buggies, wagons and harnesses; Judy & Judy, Carbondale, post office and general merchandise; Judy & Wood, Parr, Indiana, grain elevator, livery, general merchandise, horses, buggies, wagons and harnesses; Judy & Deslaurie, Morocco, Indiana, Harnesses; Judy & Largent, Judyville, buggy-repair shop; Judy & Bunch, Judyville, general blacksmithing; Judy & Leming, Judyville, harness shop; Judy, Clayton & Judy, Judyville, real-estate; Judy & Hicks, Milford, Illinois, horses, buggies, wagons and harnesses; Judy & Landon, Rossville, Illinois, buggies, wagons and harnesses. On the farm, known as Judyville, there are six barns, one of them being the largest in Warren County, thirteen dwelling houses, a hotel, an office building and numerous outbuildings, -- all of modern design and equipped with necessary conveniences. The various departments are provided with telephonic communication, there being ten distinct lines in operation. The residence of the proprietor is a beautiful cottage of modern architectural design and supplied with hot and cold water and other metropolitan facilities. The entire place is a marvel in one sense, and yet it but represents the result of the keen discernment, ambitious energy and resolute purpose of the proprietor, who started without capital eighteen years ago and is today financially rated at two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. The principles that animate Mr. Judy may be realized by any one who reads his little pamphlet, We can not forbear to quote a few of his epigrams before turning to the more purely biographical record which will conclude this sketch:

"Whatever takes us from the path of least resistance is work. While we work we are doing good. This is enough to ennoble the meanest toil, and raises the poorest mechanic and the humblest tiller of the soil to be the envy of the idler.

"I taught school several years. I liked my bad boys. Bad pups make good dogs. I have had more trouble with the weakness of men, and always will have, than with their dishonesty. I would rather undertake to reverse the force of a bad man than loan my force to a weak one. I would rather have a runaway horse than a dead one. I can change a runaway horse to a dead one or a good horse. In a dead one I have no choice.

"A man whose dignity will not let him do that part of his calling which appears low drudgery fails to put all the links into his chain, and he soon finds success breaking away form him, leaving him alone with his assumed dignity. A man of false dignity is compound matter trying to be supported by a simple mind."

John F. Judy, proprietor of Judyville, Liberty Township, Warren County, Indiana, is a native of the Buckeye State, having been born at Plattsburg, near Columbus, Ohio, on the 18th of March 1856. When he was about twelve years of age, in the year 1867, he accompanied his parents upon their removal to Warren County, Indiana, the family and their worldly effects being transported hither through the medium of one team and a wagon. The father, Skillman Judy, devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits and continued to reside in Warren County until his death, which occurred in 1890, at which time he had attained the venerable age of seventy-two years. The mother, whose maiden name was Sarah J. Hunter, still survives and continues her residence in Warren County. To this worthy couple eight children were born, and all are living at the present time, death having invaded the home only on the occasion when the venerable father was summoned into eternal rest.

The immediate subject of this review secured his preliminary educational discipline in the common schools, completing a course in the high school at Attica, Indiana. It is interesting to revert to the fact that the first individual efforts of this successful man of affairs after leaving school were along the line which has been followed for a time by so many of the able and representative men of the Union, - he turned his attention to teaching school, thus putting his acquirements to a practical test, and continued to devote his attention to pedagogic effort for a period of five years. It is needless to say that a man of so forceful individuality as he has been shown to possess was successful in this line of endeavor, as he has been in others. The young man was ambitious, and his ambition was not one of vacillation or uncertain definition. The money that he earned as a teacher he invested in cattle, and his successful business career had its inception in the year 1881. He was encouraged to start in business upon his own responsibility through the timely advice and counsel of James Goodwine, one of the most able and successful businessmen that Warren County has produced. Mr. Judy had the prescience to realize that material prosperity is a matter of consecutive growth, and, while bending every energy to the winning of success, he had full recognition of the essential value of details, and his advancement came as a natural result, tough by regular graduations. Step by step he moved forward to the goal, and no further evidence of his industry and his ability is demanded than that shown in his valuable property holdings and appreciable increase and broadening of scope. John F. Judy and Judyville are familiar names in Indiana and surrounding states. With the many departments of his business, there is little reason to doubt that he conducts the most extensive retail trade in the state, taken in its aggregate.

Mr. Judy attributes his success largely to the novel system of advertising, which he has devised and employed, and this, with his scrupulous integrity and fairness, had enabled him to stand as sponsor for the remarkable industrial problem that he has so efficiently solved. His methods are liberal in the extreme, and he handles every department of his business according to strict principles, employing only those whose capabilities is unmistakable. He well merits the prestige and success which are his, and with so active a mind and wise a judgment, this success is certain to be cumulative in character.

Mr. Judy is most pleasantly placed in the matter of his domestic relations. In December 1877, he was united in marriage to Miss Matilda Hunter, daughter of John P. Hunter, on of Warren County's wealthy and influential citizens, and the happy union has been blessed with four children, -- three daughters and one son. Valera is the wife of Frederick R. Letcher, proprietor and publisher of the "Home Journal," at Lafayette, this being the oldest and largest home and farm weekly in the state of Indiana.

The only son, Ole R., was born October 28, 1880, and is already prominently identified with his father's business affairs, being a young man of exceptional ability.

He is the manager of the horse sales for the Grand Prairie Horse and Mule Market. He borrowed one thousand six hundred dollars from his father when nine years old and paid it back in a few weeks, and made seven hundred dollars out of a lunch counter at the Horse Market before he was thirteen years old, without help except board and clothes. He graduated in the common schools when thirteen years old, learned shorthand in a few weeks, went to the high school a few weeks, and quit school for practice before it spoiled him for execution. Though he is only eighteen years old he can trade horses with ten men and once, keeping in mind all their propositions and all of his own. Has never been accused of lying, nor by an employee of bad treatment. Though he gives many double-quick orders and positive commands, the employees at Judyville like to execute his orders. He has the confidence of all who know him, and of his father, who gives him unrestricted right to sign "John F. Judy" to checks, drafts, deeds or mortgage release. He has also a recorded power of an attorney to make all of the signatures legal and binding. He buys and sells the horses, more than two thousand yearly, and he is capable of doing any part of the business or of managing any of the branches of the business successfully, or superintending the whole business. A portrait of him accompanies this sketch.

Elsie and Esta, who are twins, were born in September 1886, and both add brightness to the family circle. The home is one in which hospitality and distinct refinements are ever in evidence, and it is needless to say that Mr. Judy finds here the fullest measure of rest and solace in his life of incessant activity and outreaching enterprise.

A portrait of the subject of this sketch, John F. Judy, also accompanies this biographical record.