The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-29
AN OFFICIAL FAMILY.
It's Members Have Held Office for a
Century.
From The Nei0 York Star.

From the Ne,o York Star.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Jan. 25.-The Allin
family of harrodsburg, n this state, of
which the venerable County Clerk Ben
Allin is the head, has history that for
officers and Office holders is without a par
allel i'll the state, and perhaps in the United
States
From September, 1856, at the first court
ever held in Mercer county, Thomas Alhn,
Sr., father of Ben c., tine subject of this
article, held the office of both county and
circuit clerk until 1880, period of forty
four years. He was succeeded by his son,
Thomas Allin, Jr-, a brother Of Ben C.
Thomas Alin. Jr., held the office both
county and circuit until 1866. a period
# thlrty-six years, and in 1919 Uncle Ben
took one of the offices from him. He
was succeeded in turn by Ben c., the pres
emit county clerk, who had been circuit clerk
from 1919 to 1862. Squire Richard Bonsel
was then elected TO the circuit court clerk
ship, aud held the Office until 1881, when he
was defeated by Bush w. Allin, son of
Ben G., who is the present circuit clerk
Ben c. was ousted from the county clerks
office during the war for period Of four
years, during which time the Office was held
by DIR. G. 5. Abel. This period is the only
time that one or both offices have not boon
in the Allln family, and in 1866 Bon c., the
present clerk, was reelected county clerk.
and has held it uninterruptedly ever since, a
period of twenty-four years. Barring the
period of four years during the war, the
Office of county clerk will have been in this
family 100 years next September, and the
circuit court olerkship in the family for
eighty years. Nor is this all
Uncle Ben had brother Jack who was
clerk of Huntsville Mo-, who held the Office
for number of years, ana he. in turn, was
| succeeded by two sons, who held the offics
| for long while, and still another nephew.
Thomas H., was clerk Of KirtSville, Mo.
for three terms. Phil Allin, son Of Uncle
Ben, is circuit clerk of Claiborne, Tex, and
| has been for three terms of two years each.
| Another son, William B. OF this place. was
county attorney for twelve years.
One of the most remarkable features of
! Uncle Ben's ofliceholding is yet to come. At
the last primary there were !, 707 votes cast.
of which he got LOG, Uncle Ben refusing
| to vote for himself. He is the only man
who ran for office in the county who got
! the entire vote cast. He is in his S21 year,
| and enjoys good health and attends to the
duties of the Office with that regularity that
| lie did thirty years ago. In 1878 he got his
second sight, and he now sees as well as be
did when he was a youth.
He and his wife, Susan, had born to them
eleven children, nine of whom grew to be
men and women. He has twenty grand
children and two great-grandchildren.
| None of his children had over two children
born to them except Bush W, who has
twelve. 1t is proposed that next Septem-
| Ter Mercer celebrate the centennial election
Of the first of the Allins. Uncle Ben's
actual term of office does not include
all his time spent IN the office He acted
as deputy to both his father and brother.
! " hen this time is consid cred. he has been in
one or the other of the offices II over sixty
! five years. There is not book or deed or
anything else in that Office he cannot put
his hand on almost in the dark. All the
Allins, from Thomas, ST., TO Warrel l. , the
/ present deputy, are noted for their pretty,
| smooth, evel and legIbls writing. In fact
it Is so plain that a child can read anything
written by an Aliin that ever wrote in
] either the county or circuit clerks office.