ADKINS, John Vertner, the subject of this sketch, like most of those in middle life in our western country, did not come from wealthy parents. On the contrary he was born in a log cabin, near Plymouth, in Schuyler county, 111. Again, like most of them, he has made for himself a place in the business world that has grown up around him, and all of us, where he can command the best that is going in the way of living and education for his children. He is well situated in business circles, and commands the respect and confidence of his acquaintances. He was born November 15, 1851, as stated above, and now lives at Paullina, Iowa. His father was a native of Connecticut, and consequently a Yankee, as we rate Yankees, but was also a sturdy Scotchman, being descended from ancestors, who came from Scotland in an early day. He was born December 5, 1824, at Litchfield, Conn., and died June 5, 1897, at Newton, Iowa. His mother's maiden name was Lydia Ann Vertner and she was of German descent. Mr. Adkins was educated in the district schools of Illinois and this, with a wide field of reading, constituted the bulk of his educational qualifications, so he cannot boast of a college education. He settled in Iowa in March, 1865, at Prairie City, and worked in a general store for twelve years.

He went to Paullina, O'Brien county, in October, 1883, going into business with his brother in the general merchandise business; sold out in 1886, in the month of July; went into the Bank of Paullina as bookkeeper August 1, 1886, which position he held until July, 1892, when he took the position of cashier, which he now holds. He has always voted the republican ticket but never held any office, or sought one.

He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, being admitted to membership at Prairie City in 1873, Blue Lodge; is also a member of the Hawarden chapter, Crusade Com- mandery of Cherokee, and El Kahir Shrine of Cedar Rapids. He has never belonged to any church organization, but favors the work being done by all churches.

He was married to Miss A. B. White, daughter of Rev. J. C. White. They have two children, Harry C., aged 18, attending school at Drake university, and Leigh W., aged 11.

Source: Biographies and portraits of the progressive men of Iowa, Benjamin F. Gue, Published by Conaway & Shaw, 1899, p. 372

ALLEN, Milton Henry, of Sheldon, is one of the best-known and most widely employed lawyers of O'Brien county, as well as of northern Iowa generally. He has been brought up in a law office, as it were, for his father, Charles T. Allen, is also a prominent lawyer. He is one of the very early settlers of northeastern Iowa, having come to Winneshiek county from Henry county, 111., in 1856.

He served during the war as captain of Company K, Thirty-fourth Iowa Infantry volunteers. Mr. Allen's mother was formerly Carrie Smith, a native of New York state.

Milt. H. Allen, as he is commonly called, was born February 11, 1859, at Decorah. His earliest instruction was received in the public schools of that town, and was continued at Spencer, in Clay county, whither he moved with his parents in 1871. Five years later the family moved to O'Brien county, settling at Sheldon, where Mr. Allen began reading law in 1877 in the office of Barrett & Allen, the members of the firm being 0. M. Barrett, afterwards state senator, and C. T. Allen, the father of Milton. He was chiefly occupied by his studies for the next few years, though at one time he stopped to accept a position as brakeman on the old Sioux City & St. Paul railway. He was admitted to the bar in the district court of O'Brien county, May 9, 1881, and immediately began practicing in his home town. He removed to Sanborn in 1884, and, after enjoying a good business there for nine years, returned to Sheldon, November, 1, 1893, where he still resides. One of the most important cases he has tried was in February, 1891, on a question of habeas corpus, in which he succeeded in releasing John Telford from the penitentiary at Sioux Falls, S. D., where he had served two of a fifteen-years' sentence for robbery. The point raised was the uncertainty of the statute under which the sentence was pronounced. Since that time Mr. Allen has been employed in nearly all the important cases in O'Brien and adjoining counties, making a specialty of railroad, corporation and criminal law. He has been the local attorney for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad company since 1889 and of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha since 1895.

In politics Mr. Allen was a democrat all his life until 1896, when he bolted the Chicago free silver platform and joined the republican forces, making campaign speeches all over northwestern Iowa for McKinley and sound money. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, belonging to the Sioux Falls Lodge No. 262. He is not a member of any church.

Source: Biographies and portraits of the progressive men of Iowa, Benjamin F. Gue, Published by Conaway & Shaw, 1899, p. 302

A.J. McKeever

McKEEVER, A. J., of Sheldon, O'Brien county, is a product of Ireland, the little green isle that has furnished so large a quota of the men who have been foremost in preserving and developing this great land of the free. His parents, Michael and Rose (O'Kane) McKeever, were farmers, and despite the despicable system of landlordism prevailing in Ireland, were in moderate financial circumstances when they came to the United States in 1860.

The youth of Mr. A. J. McKeever was spent on a farm in Dubuque county, where his parents resided until 1884, when he removed to O'Brien county. In 1888 he engaged in the grocery business at Sheldon, in partnership with Mr. Theodore Geiger, and after one year's prosperous business Mr. McKeever bought out the interest of his partner and continued the business alone. In his youth he learned well the lessons of prudence, frugality and industry, so valuable to men everywhere in business, and these qualities enabled him to increase his stock and extend his business until now he owns and occupies the handsomest business block in that city. He is the embodiment of a first-class business man; strictly honorable in his dealings, courteous to all, and genial and companionable to a high degree. He makes a friend of everyone with whom he comes in contact. Coming direct to Iowa from Ireland in 1860, he begun with pioneer life, and has lived to see the wild prairie upon which he first came for a home transformed into a grand agricultural paradise, all settled up with good citizens and industrious farmers, and has accumulated for himself a goodly portion of this world's wealth to make himself comfortable in old age. Religiously, like the greater share of his nationality, he is a Catholic, and is faithful in his labors for, and self sacrificing in his devotion to, his church. In politics he is a democrat, but one of that kind who has the greatest consideration for the views of those opposed to him.

Source: Biographies and portraits of the progressive men of Iowa, Benjamin F. Gue, Published by Conaway & Shaw, 1899, pp. 268-269