Smyrna times., 1878-06-19
An Able Progenitor.
EIGHTY-TWo CHILDREN.

The ablest forefather of the age, judged
by the number of his DEFENDANTS has been
fouishing like green bay-tree,
on Turkey Cock Mountain, in Pittsylvania
county, Va. This extraordinary individual
bears the name of Owen Adkin, and made
his first start in life on Christmas Day, 1882.
While yet boy he ran five miles in twenty
six minutes, and at the age of IA killed a
bear with a pocketsknife. He could run
faster, Jump higher, s,ream louder than
any other boy on the mountains, and the
admiring neighbors ppphesied that there
was before such q boy an extraordinary
career Of high-pressure usefulness. And
yet they had a very imperfect conception
of the tremendous possibilities wrapped up
in the frame of the he3t-footed young
man.
Mr.. Adkin married in 1905, and settled
down within one hundred feet of his
fathers cabin There Wee no Mormons
then, but Mr.. Adkin held stoutly to the
theory that man was justified ir taking
as many wives as he could support. In the
course of few years he )uilt three more
cabins on his farm, and installed a wife or
concubine in each. His first wife died in
1890, having borne him, in twenty five years,
nineteen children. lie married again, and
also took another concubile. His second
wife died in 1889, having borne her hus-
band five children. lie then continued to
live with his concubines unil the last one
died, in 1856, and he TOOK another. He
had by these forty.six children, and by
wives and concubnes seventy children.
The children all settled in his immediate
vicinity and sixty-siX of them are still
living. All that are married have large
families, and Mr.. Adkins offspring count
ing children, grandchildren, and great
| grand. children, number five hundred and
fifty. Mr.. Adkin has ruled among his de
scendants like patriarch of old, and up tc
the war voted his family as his ideas oil
whims influenced him. He threw his
township solid for Andrew jackson fol
President, and on another occasion hi
colony cast over hundred votes for JohT
Randolph for President. That gentleman
was not candidate, but Mr.. Adkin con
cluded to vote for him, and have his friend
vote for him anyhow. He opposed th'
war of 1872, and opposed secession in 1861
Two of his boys enlisted against his whistle
in the Confederate army, and both wer
killed in the battle of the Wilderness.
Nominally Mr.. Adkin was q farmer, bu
he made the money that supported hi
large family in shooting, foot-races, horse
races, etc. His great footrace was that j
which he ran eleven miles in fifty-eigh
minutes. The old gentleman is now 9
} years of age and points with pride to til
fact that the records show that he is tn
father of seventy children, while h
| privately declares that there are some te
or twelve more whose names are not on til
records. All the children, grandchildren
and great.grandchildren resemble the
: able progenitor, and the old man Of 96
? proud of this fact. Heis still nimble of foo
: can shoot as we'll as ever, has every facult
:, in full, is in no way diseased, and has nev,
| been under doctors care. He hasn
! been ten miles from home for twenty fly
years, and his only ambition is to liz
until he is 100 years DID, and die where
a was born. None of Mr.. Adkins childrC
It inherit his peculiar notions as to the ma
e riage relation, which the head of the fami
q considers great weakness.