The honorable J. J. Furlong was born in Tipperary, Ireland, February 2, 1849. Early in the fifties he immigrated to America with his father's family, so recollects nothing of this birthplace. In 1856 his father came to Minnesota and took up land, his family coming the following year.

Here he worked on the farm summers and attended school winters. He afterwards attended the Austin city schools. He then commenced farming the land his father had pre-empted and after his father's death became the owner. He has enlarged the old farm by the purchase of three hundred and twenty acres more and built a tasty house on a knoll of about three acres surrounded by a triple row of evergreens.

Mr. Furlong followed diversified farming, so if one crop fails he has plenty of others to fall back on. His stock is of the best. For several years he has been president of the Mower County Agricultural Society, but declined a re-election last season. This year he was elected one of the directors of the State Society and appointed superintendent of the dairy department.

He was also appointed one of the World's Fair commissioners for Minnesota. Mr. Furlong's politics has been on the Democratic side for years. In 1886 he was elected representative on that ticket in a district usually Republican. In 1890 he was nominated by the Farmer's Alliance and Democrats and again held a seat in legislative halls. He held the speakership protem for some time during the session. He figures prominently in all alliance movements and has greatly interested himself in cheap insurance for farmers. His family consists of wife and four children.

Mr. furlong was married on the 15th day of May, 1881, to Miss Agnes Ryan, and they now have a bright little family.

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Submitted to MnGenWeb by Darrel K. Waters