Larson, Charles Lewis

Funeral services for Charles Lewis Larson, who died Friday morning at his home will be conducted Monday...Members of the Webb City Missouri lodge No. 512, AF & AM will be in charge of services at the grave in Mount Hope cemetery near Webb City Missouri. Pallbearers will be John Howard, S. S. Clark of Baxter Springs Kansas, Doyle Reynolds, H. A. Schehrer of Miami, A. F. Englehardt of St. Louis and George O. Pearson of Joplin Missouri. Mr. Larson, who was 58 years old, was prominently identified in Tri-State district mining circles for many years, having been district manager and representative of the Ingersoll-Rand Company for more than a quarter-century. Son of a Webb City miner who had emigrated with his wife from Sweden, Mr. Larson started his career as a blacksmith in the old Prosperity Mine field, north of Duenweg Missouri. He worked at Webb City-Carterville mines for S. Y. Ramage, Chapman and Lennan and others, and became an expert at his trade. He was recognized as one of the best forgers of his time, in the days when drill steel was sharpened altogether by hand. According to Guy H. Waring of Oronogo, manager of the Oronogo Mutual Mining Company, it was while working at the old Mutual Mine at Oronogo that he attracted the attention of Ingersoll-Rand officials. The old water Lyner drill and the first mechanical sharpener were being introduced into the mining field, but a better bit' was needed to make the drilling machine a success. A heavier stock in the wing of the bit was designed by Waring to make the hollow drill steel stand up. From the design, Larson forged the bit, which became the Joplin Missouri special bit now used universally not only throughout this field, but in other mining districts. Dies for the bit were made by Ingersoll-Rand, and through this development Larson became connected with the company. As a drill steel sharpening engineer he was sent in 1921 to London by the company, and later was in charge of the company's whole equipment line in that European section. He returned to this country in 1926 and became Tri-State manager for the company...Mr. Larson was born in Webb City, spent his early life there, and had been a member of the Webb City Masonic lodge since he was 21 years old. He formerly was a member of the Scottish Rite bodies and the old University Club of Joplin.

Obituary.