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1907 Past and Present Biographies

James Cairns

James Cairns, an agriculturist and stock-raiser of Scranton township, was born in LaSalle county, Illinois, in 1870, a son of Robert and Anna (Williams) Cairns, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of England. The father came to this country when a very young man, having settled in Illinois in the early ‘60s. The mother passed away in 1895, but Mr. Cairns is still living in Glidden, Iowa. There were five children born to their union, four of whom are now living.

Jamm Cairns received the usual common school education in his native county, but spent the greater part of his time working in the fields, cultivating the land and learning the secret of raising superior cattle. In 1901 he went to Carroll county, Iowa, where he lived for one year. He then purchased his present home - the H. J. Worsley place of one hundred and fifty-four acres on sections 2 and 3, Scranton township, where he has since lived, following the pursuit of general farming and stock-raising. He raises Hereford cattle, Percheron horses and Poland China hogs. He farms one hundred and sixty acres of land which he rents. This is in addition to his work upon his own farm. He is strictly up to date in his methods and studies carefully the scientific progress which is being made in agriculture. His farming therefore is not an experiment but a science, and he is one of the representative agriculturists of the county.

Mr. Cairns was married in 1897 to Hattie M. Cuthbertson, of Illinois. This union has been blessed with two interesting children: Raymond and Anita Harriet. In his political views Mr. Cairns is a stalwart republican, and while never seeking political offices he has ever been ready to give his aid to his party during its campaigns.

Transcribed from "Past and Present of Greene County, Iowa Together With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Prominent and Leading Citizens and Illustrious Dead,"
by E. B. Stillman assisted by an Advisory Board consisting of Paul E. Stillman, Gillum S. Toliver,
Benjamin F. Osborn, Mahlon Head, P. A. Smith and Lee B. Kinsey, Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1907.

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