Progressive Men of Iowa
1899

Progressive Men Index

COVER, O. Alvin, M. D., of Seymour, was born in Union county, 111., Feb. 22,1862.  His father, Abram Cover, was of German descent and a man of firm character and fixed habits, being recognized for his sterling worth and ability in the community where he resided. He was a soldier In the Mexican war and when the war of the rebellion broke out enlisted in the Sixth Illinois cavalry, and served his country faithfully as lieutenant of his company until receiving his discharge on account of ill health. He died at his old home in 1892. He was engaged in the milling and mercantile business and was a man of some means.  At the time of his death and for several years previous, he was a licensed exhorter in the Methodist church, and was always found at his poet of duty in religious work. He was married to Sophia Miller. She was a woman of more than ordinary intelligence and ability, and a shining light in the church. She possessed all the qualities of a devoted wife and a kind and loving mother. Nine children were born to them, five boys and four girls, of whom four boys and three girls are living, all residents of Illinois except the subject of this sketch, who is the youngest of the boys. 

Dr. Cover received a good common school education at home, and then attended the Frankfort, 111., high school, after which he went to the Southern Illinois Normal school. After completing his education he taught school for a period of ten years. His record in the class room and as principal of the Alto Pass high school, gave him a place among the educational leaders of southern Illinois. But he was not satisfied with this. From the age of 18 years his one great desire was to become a physician. To this laudable ambition every energy was bent, and after a long and studious course he now occupies a high place in his profession. In the year 1891 he entered the college of physicians and surgeons in Keokuk, and at the end of one year went to Centerville, and associated himself with Prof. Robert Stephenson, remaining with him until the death of the latter. He then went into the office of Dr. J. L. Sawyers, where he remained five months. He then attended the Baltimore Medical college at Baltimore, Md., where he received the degree of M.  D. in March, 1893. He was again professionally connected with Dr. Sawyers for a period of eight months of active practice; still not being satisfied and desiring further preparation for his life-work, he entered the Jefferson Medical college at Philadelphia, Pa., and received a second diploma in May, 1894.

The next month he located in Seymour, Iowa, where he has since remained, enjoying a large and constantly increasing practice. He has a first-class professional standing in the county and state and holds the respect and good will of his co-workers in the cause of relieving suffering humanity, according to the allo-pathic school of medicine. Dr. Cover has many warm personal friends and is a favorite in social circles. He is a prominent Odd Fellow, having passed through all the chairs; is a master Mason and a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He is the medical examiner for the New York Life Insurance company, Bankers' Life association, the Modern Woodmen and the New York Mutual Life insurance The doctor has always been an enthusiastic republican, and during his residence in Illinois participated in several hotly contested campaigns, and served as chair-man of the township committee. He was several times a delegate to congressional and senatorial conventions. The one great aim of his life is to excel in his profession.  Hard study and close application have already brought him up to the high rank enjoyed by many of mature years. He is a member of the Des Moines Valley Medical association.

Dr. Cover was married December 28, 1898, to Miss Jessie Llewellyn, of Seymour, Iowa.

HART, Edward Lorenzo, one of the foremost attorneys of Corydon, was born near the village of Hadley, Lapeer county, Mich., December 3, 1850. He is of English descent on the paternal side, the early ancestors having come to America at a very remote day and settled at or near Hartford, Conn. Members of the family later removed to Rochester, N. Y., from whence William Hart, the grandfather of this subject, moved with his family to Hadley, Mich. The Harts, as far back as they can be traced, were farmers and mechanics.  Ansel Hart, the father of E. L. Hart, settled near the village of Cambria, Wayne county, Iowa, in 1856, where he was postmaster for several years. He died there in 1877. His wife and the mother of Edward L. was Clementina Russell, a member of one of the pioneer families of Ionia county, Mich.

E. L. Hart attended the common schools of Wayne county about six months in the year from 1856 to 1862, and became proficient In the studies taught in that early time. He was notably good in orthography, and earned considerable notoriety by 11 spelling down  all comers at the spelling schools, then very common in the neighborhood. No schools were taught during the two years following the outbreak of the war and it was decided that he should return to Michigan in order that he might have school advantages. Accordingly, on his fourteenth birthday, he started on foot to Ottumwa, then the terminus of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad and sixty miles distant, from which point he took the train for his native state.  Arriving there he at once entered school, remaining until 1866, at which time he returned to his home in Wayne county, making the journey from Ottumwa on foot. At Cambria the following winter he attended a school which was taught by Theodore Laing, now a prominent lawyer in Concordia, Kan., whose interest in the boy did much to encourage him to further pursue his studies.  The fall of 1867 found him in the schools of Garden Grove under the tutorage of Prof. R. A. Harkness, now of Parsons college. Here he remained for four years, excepting the time required to earn money with which to pay his expenses, by teaching.  He was but 17 years of age when he began teaching, and that avocation was followed for six years.  The last school taught by him was at Corydon. In 1872 he spent six months as clerk and bookkeeper in a dry goods store, and again in 1876 about the same length of time as clerk in a drug store. It was late in 1876 when he took up the study of law by devoting a portion of each day to reading standard law books borrowed from J. B. Evans, now of Princeton, Mo., who later became his preceptor.  After having been admitted to the bar in 1877 he opened an office in the town of Allerton, in his home county. In 1878 he formed a partnership with George Albertaon, and the same was continued until 1881, when he purchased the interest of that gentleman and continued alone till 1891, at which time he removed to Corydon. The following May a business relation in practice was established with R. C. Poston, and the same is still existing.  When Mr. Hart first came to Wayne county, away back in 1856, the country was new, very new, and but few farm residences broke the monotony of the wide, trackless prairies. His father purchased 240 acres of land at that time, which was during the following years fenced with rails hauled from a point five miles distant.  Helping with this and driving four yoke of oxen to a breaking plow furnished the amusement to while away the spare hours of Mr. Hart's youth.

He was reared a republican, and voted with that party until reaching his twenty-sixth year, when, after a careful study of political economy, he was led to repudiate the doctrine of protection and became a radical free trader. However, he has always advocated measures and policies rather than parties. He has taken a more or less active part in the campaigns of his county for the last twenty years. He was married to Miss Ida Matson September 8, 1873. She is a daughter of Thomas A.  Matson, formerly of Chariton. They have six children-Edward L., Jesse B., David R., George A., Mary and Charles A.

MILES, Hon. Lewis, of Corydon, who served several terms in the legislature and has been twice appointed United States district attorney, was born in Marion county, Ohio, June 30, 1845. He came to Wayne county with his parents in April, 1853, and has resided there constantly since. His father, William Miles, was a farmer. He died December 26, 1879. His mother, Emily Welch Miles, died October 11, 1865, Lewis Miles worked on a farm until 19 years of age, when he commenced the study of law in the office of Gen. S. L.  Glasgow. He was admitted to the bar at Corydon, in October, 1868, and commenced active practice in November, 1872, at which time a partnership was formed with Capt.  J. N. McClanahan. In October, 1869, when but a few months past 24, he was elected to the state legislature, and despite his youth, was recognized as one of the most influential members of the lower house. In June, 1873, the relation with Captain McClanahan was dissolved, and another formed with W.  H. Tedford, now a judge in the Third judicial district, under the firm name of Tedford & Miles, which continued until February, 1879. His next law associate was J. W.  Freeland and the firm of Freeland & Miles enjoyed a prosperous business until 1891, when it was dissolved. Mr. Miles practiced alone until August 1,1894, when he became associated with C. W. Steele, under the firm name of Miles & Steele, which still continues.

Mr. Miles was married February 20, 1868, to Miss Mary D. Robb, at Corydon. They have an interesting family of four children; William E., born March 9, 1871; Charles B., born February 4, 1874; Winifred, born March 9, 1876, and Lois, born August 5, 1882.

In 1879 he was a candidate on the republican ticket for the state senate, and was defeated, although running far ahead of ticket. In 1880 he was presidential elector for the Eighth district and voted for Garfield and Arthur. He was the choice of bis party for member of the upper branch of the general assembly again in 1883, and was elected by a good majority, serving in the Twentieth and Twenty-first General Assemblies. President Harrison appointed him to the position of United States district attorney for the southern district of Iowa, and during his incumbency of that office, extending over a period of four years, not a single indictment drawn by him or in his office was quashed or declared insufficient.  His record as an officer and his distinguished party services secured his reappointment to the district attorney ship when the republicans returned to power in 1896, the Iowa delegation being united in recommending him for the place. He takes an active part in politics, and is in demand as a speaker during every campaign. He made thirty-seven speeches in the McKinley-Bryan campaign. He has been engaged in the active practice of law since 1872, except when broken by his appointment to the United States attorney ship, and has a law library of over 3,000 volumes. He is regarded by the bar of the state and by the leading politicians of all parties as one of the brightest and ablest men in the state.

ROBERTSON, Nathan Anda, a prominent banker and businessman of Promise City, Iowa, and one whose name justly belongs among the progressive men of Iowa, was born on a farm one mile west of Cincinnati, Iowa, in 1855. His father was Moses C.  Robertson, a farmer in comfortable circumstances, who emigrated to Iowa, from Indiana, in 1851, and settled in Appanoose county, near Cincinnati, entering 600 acres of government land, which still belongs in the family. His mother's maiden name was Streepey, and her father, Edward Streepey, also came to Iowa from Indiana, in 1850, and located in Appanoose county.

At this time Iowa was one vast prairie, only dotted here and there with a few log cabins. Mr.  Robertson's education was received in the district school and in the Cincinnati high school. At the age of 19 he, like a great many other boys, got the gold fever and started west to make his fortune, landing in Colorado and Nevada among the mines; but he found that a boy or man with small means stood no better show there than elsewhere. He managed, however, to pick up a few dollars, and after one year came back home and concluded that Iowa was good enough for any one with good hands and brains, who was willing to use them.  By this time the railroad had reached Cincinnati and Mr. Robertson began buying and shipping stock and grain, following this business for two years until the M., I. & N. railroad pushed on west from Centerville. He then believed Wayne county to be one of the best grain and stock counties in the state and began to cast about for a new location and decided upon Promise City, locating there in August, 1879, a few days ahead of the railroad. Time proved that his judgment was good. There was plenty of grain and stock to handle and he located buyers at all of the stations west on this road to Humeston, and by careful management succeeded in accumulating considerable money. In 1885 the business of the town had so grown that he concluded to open a small bank as an experiment, scarcely expecting that it would pay. He opened it as the Exchange Bank of Promise City, with a capital of $15,000. This he soon found unable to do the business and the capital was increased to $25,000, and later in 1895 the bank was reorganized and incorporated as the Farmers State Bank of Promise City, with a capital of $25,000 and a surplus of $10,000.

In 1892 Cincinnati, his old home, had grown so that he concluded it would be a good place for a bank, and accordingly in July, 1893, he opened the Farmers and Merchants bank at that place, with himself as president and J. V. Leseney as cashier, with a paid-up capital of $25,000.  The secret of his success has been in his push and energy and in unhesitatingly taking advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves to him.

In politics he has always been a republican. He was married in 1875 to Emma Leseney at Cincinnati, Iowa. To them have been born nine children: Raleigh L., Guy C., James Blaine, Nathan Ray, Rex Wayne, Cecil M., Lela J., Addie Mabel and Pansy Independence.

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