The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-06-02
DEATH OF JOHN R. HOGG.
The oldest R;'ilroader In the Country Passes
Away at His Home In EIktou.

stleetS InlS town, on MOnudY morning
last about G. As o'clock. He had been in
failing health for many months and was
confined to the house during the winter.
When spring opened he became better
and his familiar figure was again seen on
our streets. On Sunday morning last
after sitting on the porch of his residence
| This completely Frustrated him and he
was unable to rally He became uncon-
scious about three o'clock Sunday after.
noon and continued in that condition IN
til his death.
Mr.. Hogg was born III Wilmington,
Del, on the fifth day, of the fifth month
of the fifth year of the present century
aud was therefore over eighty three years
of age. His father was James Hogg,
soap and candle manufacturer of Viii
mington, and his mother Elizabeth Rob
inson Hogg.
James Hogg was adevout Presbyterian
and sent his son John to college to pre-
pare tor the ministry of that church.
The youth was not in accord with this
life ran away and shipped on vessel
bound for South America. This was in
the twenties, when sailors life was YEN
turesome aud hard. Mr.. Hogg appears
to have liked the life, however, as after
returning he shipped for a second voyage.
He came to EIkton about the time he at
tanned his majority and engaged with his
brother Samuel, who atterward removed
to Frederick, Md, in the manufacture of
candles and soap. Their factory was on
the corner of High and North streets.
They did not continue in this business
many years.
In August 1929, Mr.. IIogg was en-
ployed to assist John RandeI, j., the
engineer who was as eccentric as he was
celebrated, in surveying the line of the
New Castle and Frenchtown railroad.
The surveying party began work near the
steamboat wharf at New Castle, by driv-
ing the first leveling peg. Mr.. Hogg, in
one of the many talks the writer had with
him about old times, told him that John
Randel placed the stake i'll the earth and
directed each member of the corps to
strike it with an axe they carried to clear
the way, saying this is the first peg for
Il railroad in the State of Delaware or any
other State" Mr.. Hogg worked under
Thaddeus Griswell, Il graduate of West
Point, who was RaudelS first assistant,
carrying his leveling instrument. Mr.
Griswell was SO well pleased with his SER
vices that when he, eighteen months
later accepted an offer to locate a railroad
fro,a Patterson to Hoboken, n. J. he
persuaded Mr.. Hogg to accompany him.
Mr.. Hogg returned to this county in 1881
and was employed to superintend work
on the New Castle and Frenchtown Rail
road which was about to begin operations.
1t was not until two years later. in 1888
that steam power was used. This road
was the first in this country in which
steam power was used for the transmits
oioL vi II 10 CtdltuCU GuhJ d
freight road at Quincy. Mass, was oper-
ated before. 1t would appear from the
remark made by Engineer Randel given
above, that the first work on any railroad
was done on the New Castle and French
town. This it will be noticed was four
years before steam power was used. The
particulars of the construction of the road
aud the manner in which it was con-
Quoted, with its early history, have pre-
viously been given in TEE WING. Mr..
Hogg rode on the engine on its first re.
turned trip aud it was amusing to hear
him tell that he asked the engineer
whether he could ''stop the thing at any
place he wanted to-
In 1888 when the work of building the
Wilmington and Susquehanna railroad,
which soon became part of the Philadel-
phia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad,
was commenced Mr.. Hogg obtained
contract to build the road near Whita-
ker's Dam, as Principle was then known.
This work engaged his attention about a
year and after its completion was en-
ployed by the company to build all the
''turuouts" now called Siding between
Charlestown, in this county. and Prices
Woods, three miles above Newark, Del. |
While Mr.. Hogg was working for the
company, after the road began operations
there was no system of telegraphing, and |
when there was an accident in this neigh |
borhood word bad to be sent to Whining. |
ton for help by couriers on horse back |
There was an accident at Bacon Hill, |
three miles below Elkton, in which one |
or two persons were killed and several |
injured, and Mr.. Hogg rode for aid to |
Wilmington, distance of owe. 20 miles |
without changing horses.
Mr.. Hogg continued in the employ of
the company and soon became freight |
conductor. When the road first began |
operations there was but one freight train |
each way daily. He advanced until he
became through conductor between New
York and Washington. He served in
this capacity for many years He became
partially disabled by rheumatism in
1876 and was compelled to give up his
position. He served for a while after.
wards as gate tender at the old station at
Broad and Washington avenue, Pnlladel.
phia, but was soon retired on a pension.
He had lived quietly at home since,
spending part of his time on the farm in
Delaware, a few miles from Elkton,
owned by the family and managed by his |
son, John r. Hogg, Jr.
Mr.. Hogg when conductor made his
home at the National Hotel, Washington,
and was on terms of intimacy with many |
statesmen, among others, Secretary |
Seward, Senator James Bayard and Ros- |
coe Conkling. The latter offered him a |
good government position, although they |
were of opposite parties. Mr.. Hogg de- |
clined preferring to remain in the rail |
road company's employ. He often car
RED John w. Forney's letters to Phila-
delphia.
Mr.. Hogg was kind and obliging man
and many persons were befriended by
him during his long career III railroad
work. He had vast fund of informa-
ton regarding old times and was an in
teresting talker. He was widely known
among railroad men and very popular.