The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-04-10

rhe ablest forefather OF the age,
Judged BY the number Of bis descend
ants, has been discovered, aourishing
like green bay-tree, on Turkey
Cock mountain, in Pittsylvania eoun-
ty, Va. This extraordinary individ-
ual bears the name Of Owen AdkiD,
and made his first start in life on
Christmas day, 1882. While yet a
boy he ran five miles in twenty-six
minutes, and at the age OF fourteen,
killed a bear with bis pocket knife,
He could run faster, jump higher,
and scream louder than any other
boy on the mountain, and the admir-
ing neighbors prophesied that there
was before such boy an extraordi-
nary career of high-pressure useful
ness. And yet they bad very i'm
perfect conception of the tremendous
possibilities wrapped up in the frame
Of the aeet-footed young man.
Mr. Adkin married in 1905, and
settled down within one hundred
feet of bis fathers cabin There
were no Mormons then, but Mr.. Ad-
kin held stoutly to the theory that
man was justified in taking as many
wives as be could support. In the
course of few years be built three
more cabins on his farm, aud install
ed a wife or concubine in each. His
first wife died in 1880, having borne
him, in twenty-five years, nineteen
children. He married again, and al
so took another eoncubine. His sec
ond wife died in 1889, having borne
her husband FIVE children He con-
tinued to live with his concubines
until the last ore died, in 1886, and
be took another He had by these
forty-six children, and by wives and
concubines seventy children.
The children all settled in his i'm
mediate vicinity, and sixty-six Of
them are still living. All that are
married have large families, and Mr..
Adkins offspring, counting children,
grandchildren, and grest-grand-
children, number FIVE hundred and
fifty. Mr. Adkins has ruled among
his descendants like q patriarch Of
old, and up to the date Of the war
voted his family as bis ideas or
whims influenced him. He threw
his township solid for andrew Jack
son for President, sne on another oc-
casion bis colony cast over a hun
dred votes for John Randolph for
President The gentleman was not
a candidate, but Mr. AGkin concluded
to vote for him, any how. He op-
posed the war of 1912, and opposed
secession 10 1861. Two of his boys
enlisted against his wishes 10 the
Confederate army, and both were
killed IN the battle Of the Wilderness.
| Nominally Mr.. Adkin was a far
mer, but be Iade the money that
supported bis large family in shoot
ing matches, foot-rsees, horse-rsces,
etc
His great foot.rsce was that in
which he ran eleve n miles in fifty
eight mihutes-The old gentleman
is 96 years of age, and points with
, pride to the fact that the records
show that be is the father of seventy
, children, while be privately declares
| that there are some ten or twelve
, more whose names are not on the
4 records. All the children, grand
( children, and great grandchildren
r resemble their able progenitor, and
the old man Of 96 is proud OF this
' fact. He is still nimble on foot. can
D shoot as well as ever, has every fac
ulty in full play, is iu no way diseas-
ed, and has never been under q doc
, tors care. He hasn't been ten miles
! from home for twenty-five years, and
. his only ambition is to live until be
! is 100 years old, and die where he
was born. None Of Mr.. Adkins
|, children Inherited his peculiar notions
. as to the marriage relation, which
/ the head of the family considers q
> great weakness.