The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-06-12
Chief of STAFF to Hugh /. Cooper Tor
Many Years Passes Away as
Result Of Breakdown from
Overwork.
BIG MAN IN EVERY WAY
Held an Unique Position with His
Chief for Many Years and Began
as an Office Boy at an
Early Age.

ishare in the building of the Keokulk
water power. died yesterday after
noon at o'clock. His home lately
has been in Englewood. New Jersey,
where the funeral vii! be held.
Mr.. Allen was abou. forty years
| old and was born in Wisconsin. He
was married In Portland, Oregon.
about twelve years ago, to Miss
Maude Morey, who like her husband
has many friends in Keokuk. They
have two children. Blanche. aged
i eleven yoarh, and John, seven years
old.
/ When no was sixteen years old,
Nj. Alien began work with Hugh L.
! Cooper as an office boy. In few
years he had earned so much adj
vance;nent that he held one of the
mos. important positions imaginable
with q heavy load of responsibility
which he carried perfectly for years.
| His death was due to overwork
causing a nervous breakdown
couple Of years ago, from which he
never recovered.
An Unique, Big Position.
j. P. Allen was name as well
known and as often used by those on
the inside Of the very large affairs
with which the name of Hugh l..
Cooper was connected. as was that
of the great engineer himself.
Mr. Allen had position which
probably was unique in the history
of big things and of captains Of in
dustry and finance. He was more
than private secretary, an assistant
to a chief, a confidential lieutenant,
and while he might be called chief
of staff more accurately in these mill
tary days, he really was Mr. Cooper's
other self.
He not only had more authority
from Hugh L. Cooper than any other
man was ever given, but he knew
Instantly what Mr.. Cooper himself
would do in any set of circumstances
and acted accordingly in the name
of his chief How much of the bust
ness of Mr. Cooper was done by Mr..
Allen will never be known. 1t is
known here that an immen amount
of detail was attended to by the
latter.
One Of the Big Men.
His loyalty was hundred plus
and appreciated by his chief. For
years here during the promotion
days and during the actual construc-
ton of the Keokuk water power, ].
P. Allen had only one thing on his
mind and that was getting the job
done precisely right in every detail
from buying a dozen shovels to get
ting the greatest possible number OF
yards of concrete deposited in the
great steel forms every day. What
his title was in the big Cooper or
ganization at Keokuk hardly any
body, or nobody. knew. They never
had any curiosity about that, for
they knew he was chief of staff and
that whatever he said was equiva-
lent to Nh Cooper saying it.
~. P. Allen never got adequate
credit for his big brain and big capa-
city" said a Keokuk man today who
was familiar with things in those
offices in the Rand building for the
years they were occupied, "and he
never would have allowed anybody
to give him that credit. 1t was al
ways Mr. Cooper saying and doing
things with him, however much work
was involved in facts and figures
which went to the desk Of his chief
in concise statement easily read.
J. P. Allen was one Of the big men
of America"
Very Popular Always.
He was as popular as he was effl-
cient. He never displayed the least
Irritation in the presence Of acquaint-
ances or strangers, and was always
slightly smiling when talking. Every
man in the Cooper organization from
department heads to wops in the
Golfer dam respected and liked him.
and among the people Of Keokuk and
the power zone he was prime fav-
orite always.