1900 Census, McElroy Dist., Tyler Co., WV
Rawson, James B., b. Dec. 1873, 26, m. 8 years, b. WV, parents b. WV, pumper, oil wells [note: Name and birthdate do not match for John Thomas Rawson; however, wife and children do match]
Alda A., wife, b. July 1873, m 8 years, 5 children/5 survive, b. WV, parents b. PA
Hattie E., dau., b. May 1893, 7, b. WV
Gay A., son, b. Jan 1894, 6, b. WV
Myrtle, dau., b. Dec. 1895, 4, b. WV
Essie, dau., b. Mar. 1898, 2, b. WV
Clarence E., son, b. May 1900, 6 m., b. WV
Gump, Annie, servant, b. Oct. 1881, 18, b. WV, parents b. WV, servant

From Richard Smith:
“HURLED TWO HUNDRED FEET BY EXPLOSION
Boiler Exploded in South Penn Field,
Instantly Killing Thomas Rosser (Rawson)

Special Dispatch to the Intelligencer:

Cameron. Oct. 27 - Yesterday afternoon the boiler exploded on the Mrs. Criswell farm of the South Penn Oil Company, killing Thomas Rosser (Rawson), a pumper in the employ of the company. Rosser was sitting outside the boiler house, at the time of the explosion, and was hurled 200 feet or more down the hillside, injuring him so that he died in about two hours. Deceased was a
married man and lived but a short distance from the scene of the accident and
leaves a wife and children.”

Obituary (from Richard Smith):

Thomas, son of Isaac and Annie Rawson, first saw the light of day on March 28, 1872, and passed in triumph to the invisible world on October 26, 1904, by an explosion of a boiler in which in which his body was hurled more than two hundred feet down the hillside, injuring him so that he died in about two hours. The loved and loving husband, son, and manly citizen is gone. He was stricken down in the thirty-second year, and only lingered for a few hours, after which he was wafted in triumph across the dark river of death. Tom, as he was called, was a successful pumper and machinist in the employ of the South Penn Oil Company, having won the respect and confidence of the company, and was liked by all. He was a member of the A.C.U.W. Lodge No. 46 Tent at Shirley, W.Va. carrying a policy of $2,000, which he leaves to his beloved wife. He had not reached on life's highway the stone that marks the highest point, but fell into that sleep that kisses down his eyelids still. The deceased leaves a wife, seven children, a father, three brothers and two sisters to mourn their lives. We extend to the bereaved family and relatives our sincere sympathy, in their great loss. We all lose our dearest friends on the Golden Shores of time, and while our hearts almost rend at the parting, we must always remember they have
gone to a sunnier clime than ours. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Brooks of Waverly. He was laid to rest in the Malone Cemetery on Saturday forenoon, among the flowers he loved so well. Dearest Tom, good bye.