The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-08-28
AN CAREER.
The Oldest Railroad Engineer i'm
A~merica-An Interesting Sketch OF
the Veteran and His Work.

The Oidest Railroad Engineer i'm
America-An Interesting Sketch OF
the Veteran and His Work.
Mr.. Henry C. Ttaworth, OF Augusta,
Ca, is the Oldest living railroad engi-
nee in America, and his sands OF life
are fast running out. He is gradually
sinking from waste OF body and mind,
al might be expected from one who has
long since passed his four score years.
Mr.. Raworth enjoys the proud dis
tinction OF having pulled the car OF
the first locomotive aver used on the
South Carolina Railroad. He adds to
this the remarkable record of more
than half a century Of continuous SER
vice on the same road. He has held
the throttle in every style of locomo-
tive from the crudest engine to the fin
est mogul n has witnessed the evolu-
ton from twelve miles an hour over u
rickety track to sixty miles over steel
rails and rOck-ballasted rOadbed. He
has kept pace with the improved ma
chimes, and when at the age Of 10, ten
years ago, he stepped from the engi-
neer's cab for the last time, it was from
failing eyesight and not because OF any
Of the position.
1ho iCito"ihS ShcIcn Vi MT. VA
worth's life was given eight years ago
in the Railway Age:
There remains but few among us
who from personal observation or par
ticipatiOn are able to tell us of the ear
ly history of our railways, of the prac-
tices, methods and accidents which
went to make up this history. SO deep
ly we're the actors in these events en-
gagged in Improving prevailing meth
DDS, in meeting and providing for the
necessities by which they found them
selves constantly surrounded, in dis
charging duties of q most exacting ma
trrc, that they did not have time or
disposition to record their eXperiyice
for the benefit Of their succe g.
And this was true alike of the hun ne
and the conspicuous of every gr,.de,
from tho president who dictated policy
and practice to the laborcrs who toiled
on the track. While, therefore, there
are few living witnesses left from
whom to obtain information, there are
fewer books whose & supply it even
in Il disconnected way.
Tho most notable of these remain
ing Witnesses only q few years ago
pulled the locomotives lever for the
last time, and after more than fifty
years of continuous service on a single
railway, stepped from tho footboard
never to mount it again. We refer to
Henry G.. Raworth, whose last years
are being passed quietly and happily
among relatives and friends in Augusta.
Mr.. Raworth was born Dec. 10, 1911,
In Charleston, S. c., and entered the
service of the old South Carolina Rail
way us apprentice in its shops about
the year 1888, his duties us such and as
a machinist qualifying him later on to
run a locomotive, in which more re-
sponslble service he engaged as q life
occupation in 1884, continuing without
interruption until August, 1885. when
he was compelled to quit work because
Of the partial failure of his eyes. Were
it not for this misfortune he would now
be as competent to preside at the lever
as Is the youngest and strongest engin-
Ger in active service. When Mr.. Ra-
worth began his long career as a loco
motive engineer the science of rail
reading was in it's infancy. The pion-
ecr American locomotive, the Best
trlcnd,' had after q brief service ex-
ploded its boiler through the igno-
rance OF its colored fireman, who had
fastened the lever of the steam valve
down to relieve himself of the annoy
ance caused by escaping steam, and it
had just been rebuilt as the phoenix.
1t was in 1884 that Mr.. Raworth be-
came the engineer Of this rebuilt loco
motive. True, he did not find himself
embarrassed by the dangers attendant
on the fast running Of later years, for
the Phoenix did not average a speed
exceeding twelve miles an hour, but he
had to contend with very many Difficult
ties common to the experimental peri
od, IN which he was an early and earn
est worker and which are unknown to
the engineer of today.
During 70 years of Mr.. Raworth's
career he had but one fireman. a negro
of whose faithful services he speaks
IN terms OF unstinted praise. When
hrst employed Inc for many years af-
forwards this man was q slave, his
owner having contracted his services
10 She railway company for an average
consideration of a dollar a day. When
ne became a free man he still contin-
ued to work as fireman, receiving the
same wages paid others, and continu-
ing at his post until four years ago,
when he died. During his long service
on the South Carolina road The was
never employed on any othcr) Mr.. Ra-
worth a only one accident, which
occurreg in 1852, and was the result of
u washing away of q culvcrt. He
claims to have killed less stock than
did any other engineer on the road.
When the Best Friend which was
the first locomotive built in this coun-
try, was received in Charleston, Mi.
Raworth was an apprentice in the shops
OF the south Carolina road, and he
helped to put it up for service.
He attributes his past good health,
which has always been perfect, to his
habits of life, not u drop of intoxicating
llquOr ever having passed his Inns. ON
behalf of the great army OF railway mon
who are now in active employment the
hallway Age extends cordial greetings
to this grand representative of the ear
~ days OF an interest which has now
grown to such wonderful proportions.
Although he has gone into the side
track, may it be long before he goes to
the scrap heap May he live yet
many years to witness evcn greater
progress in the science in which he was
pioneer thar half century ago"
ASKING a SPECIAL SESSION.-The