The San Francisco call., 1895-12-15

neither a cowboy nor dude, but an Amer
ican statesman of the broadest as well as
the highest type. Sprung from the people
and always one of the people, he COM
mands the respect of all classes-if the
word 'classes" can be correctly applied to
Americans. He has never attempted to
draw line between himself and his hum
blest constituent, and every honest citizen
of Iowa has felt that in Allison he had not
merely representative but also a friend.
Mr.. Allison is of Pennsylvania lineage.
His ancestors on both sides emigrated
from that State in 1888. and the paternal
name, besides the fact that the Allisons
are of the Presbyterian faith, indicate
Scottish descent. His ancestors settled
upon the farm where Mr.. Allison was born.
in Perry Township, Wayne County, Ohio,
March 2, 1929. 1t is worthy of note that
the earliest public buildings in the new
settlement were a church and a school,
and Mr. Allison received his early educa-
ton in the Ohio free school founded al
most in the wilderness. When 16 years
of age he was sent to an academy at
Wooster, Ohio, known as Professor Par
rott's school," There he remained for
about twelve months, and then for one
winter lie made his living as a school
teacher. He afterward studied at Allie
gheny College, Pennsylvania, and the
Western Reserve College. He was con-
scientious student, and his college educa-
ton meant more for him than it does for
many who 60 to superior institutions of
learning. Mr.. Allison went back to
Wooster from the Western Reserve Col
Iege and began the study OF law IN the
Offices of Messrs. Hem phil & Turner. He
was admitted to the bar in 1852.
In the winter of 1861 Mr.. Allison re-
solved to seek a new field. He visited
Illinois and Iowa with that object, and
concluded to settle in Iowa. He chose
DUBUQUE as the location for his future
home, and removed to that place in April,
1857. He has resided in the same house
in Dubuque over thirty-eight years. the
modest home of his earlier manhood being
dearer than ever to him in the days of
comparative prosperity and fame. Mr..
Allison became partner in well-known
law firm at Dubuque, and soon acquired
reputation as one of the leaders OF the bar
in Iowa Dubuque was then the chief
CITY between st. Paul and st. Louis On the
Mississippi River, and having been for
some years the terminus OF the Illinois
Central Railway, at that time the only
road reaching the Mississippi north OF
Rock Island, it enjoyed an extensive
trade. the entire traffic north OF st. Paul,
when the river was navigable, being car
ried on in lines of steamers running from
Dubuoue to that city. The depression OF
1857. bringing many failures In It's train,
also brought many clients to the firm OF
which Mr.. Allison was member. lie
then acquired a reputation for kindness
and consideration in his treatment OF un-
fortunates which is too often foreign to
the legal profession. No person who en-
paeed Mr.. Allison to advocate his cause
had to complain either OF extortlon or
sharp practice, and while he vigorously
and successfully maintained the rights OF
his clients he never treated an opponent
unfairly. -. =
Mr.. Allison did not neglect political du-
ties. In those years preceding the war;
when the Nation felt as if a volcano was
underneath, when the Lilliputian threads
of compromise were being broken, and II
became more and more apparent that the
question whether this Republic would De
bond or free would have to be decided by
force, no patriotic citizen could stand an
idle spectator. Before departing from
Ohio Mr.. Allison had taken an earnest
part in the political contest. He was |