Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-07-23
KID OF THE FAMnY is ss.
Has Five Brothers and Sisters, Each
Now Over the Hundred Mark.

Denver, Col, July 19.-With the
baby" S5 years old, the most re-
markable family in the United States
In point of longevity, has been dis
covered through it's Denver member,
Uncle John" Ritchie, eighty-five,
who has recently opened restaurant
at Englewood after being pensioned
by the Denver Tramway Company for.
twenty-five years faithful service.
Uncle John" has six brothers and
sisters living, all of whom are older
than he, and all except one over 100
years of age. Like "Uncle John"
they have all lived busy, active lives,
and with the exception of one bro
ther and one sister, are still in some
sort of business. The oldest brother,
Thomas, is 113; Marguerite, 110;
Mary Ann, 10S; Charles, 1O5; David,
1O1; Elizabeth, SS, and Cncle John
Is mere kids.
Counts on Living Century.
Il feel better than have for
years. he declared recently, land
expect to see another quarter of
century before I'm laid away"
Time has dealt lightly with "Uncle
john" and in spite Of his life Of toll
he appears no more than seventy.
Yes" he continued reflectively.
1.-The Ritchies are long-lived fam
fly" He was busy arranging fresh
carnations in the vases to put on the
tables. "Uncle John" loves flowers,
and had made special trip to town
just to get fresh ones for Sunday.
And they always rear big fami-
lies, too" There were fourteen of
US children, and most of us had large
families. had twelve children, bro
ther Thomas sixteen and several of
the others had fourteen
When asked the secret OF long life,
"Uncle John" was thoughtful for
few minutes. Finally he said: "Well,
l guess it's work. OF course, ,hered-
ity has a great deal to do with it.
But we have always been hard, steady
workers. Work day in and day out,
is all have known since was a lad
of twelve and took a Job on the
cowpath.. I left my fathers home
then and have been supporting my
self ever since"
The passing 0f the years has left
Richie philosophical, stoical. There
have been tragedies in his life, but
they nave left him unembittered.
The most vivid impression he had
after leaving his fathers home was
the finding of his stepmcther's body
in the canal as he drove along the
side.
"Her hands were gripping the will
low roots" he said, "and the water
pail lay beside where she had slipped
in after It," A year later his father,
aged 68, was drowned.
In Mexican and Civil Wars.
Ritchie recalls driving with his
brother Charles to the Mexican bor-
der from their home near Philade-
phia to enlist in the Mexican war.
He was forty-five when the Civil War
broke out, and he served the whole
period. After the war, although an
old man then, he followed his pio-
neering instincts and came West. He
was locomotive engineer and he
ran the first train that vent up into
the Dakotas. Holdups and encount-
ers with tho bad men" who infested
the West in the rough early days
were a part of his routine work.
And now "Uncle John" whose
whole life has been marked by his
intense independence, prefers to live
by himself and work for his living to
making his home with any of his
children.
They all live in Pennsylvania" he
remarked, "and they keep writing
for me to come. But / know how
people are, esp ecially sons-in-law and
danghters-in-law, in regard to old
people. And l never intend to be a
burden to any Of my children"
Ritchie is planning a visit to the
East next fall and he added that he
would step in and visit the children
and see now they are getting along
But stay there? Never!
---sSb-