Railroads.—The total mileage in the State for 1919 was 4,936 miles, of which about 2,141 miles was main track. The roads having the longest mileage were the Boston & Albany and the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroads.
State Government.—The governor is elected for a term of one year. Legislative sessions are held annually beginning on the first Wednesday in January, and are not limited as to length of time. The legislature has 40 members in the Senate and 240 in the House. There are 16 representatives in Congress. The State government in 1920 was Republican.
History.—The history of Massachusetts begins with the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth in 1620, though it is probable that portions of the coast were temporarily settled by Norwegians as early as A. D. 1000. In 1628 another colony was established at Salem, and both were united under one government with Maine in 1692. In 1675, an Indian chief, named Philip of Pokaneket, or King Philip, began a war which had for its object the entire extermination of the English. This war lasted three years, and ended by the death of King Philip himself. From this time till the Revolutionary War Massachusetts enjoyed a period of comparative peace and prosperity. When the oppressive measures of the English Parliament finally brought about the rupture with the colonies, none took a more active or more prominent part than Massachusetts in the National cause. The passage of the Stamp Act aroused the wildest excitement; and its repeal the following year was received with demonstrations of joy. The arrival of the “Romney” man-of-war renewed the excitement, and Massachusetts issued a circular letter to the colonies, which the British ministry in vain commanded the authorities to rescind. Then followed the Boston massacre in 1770, the destruction of the tea in 1773, and the Port Bill in 1774. The Revolutionary War had its outbreak in Massachusetts, the bloodshed at Lexington and the contest of Concord being the instigative incidents that led to the war. Its earliest event was the siege of Boston, made notable by the battle of Bunker Hill, the acceptance of the command by Washington at Cambridge, and the evacuation by the British. In 1780 a constitution was framed for the State, and adopted by popular vote. In 1786 the tranquillity of the State was again disturbed by a party of rioters, who, under the leadership of Daniel Shays, attempted to resist the authorities, but the revolt was suppressed. On the breaking out of the Civil War in 1861 Massachusetts was among the first to offer assistance to the National cause; and, till the final success of the Federal army, continued to perform a patriotic and liberal part.
MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, a non-sectarian institution in Amherst, Mass.; founded in 1863; reported at the close of 1919: Professors and instructors, 75; students, 500; volumes in the library, 61,439; income, $732,000; president, Kenyon L. Butterfield.
MASSACHUSETTS BAY, a large bay to the E. of the central part of Massachusetts; bounded on the N. by Cape Ann, and on the S. by Cape Cod.
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, a non-sectarian institution in Cambridge, Mass.; founded in 1865; reported at the close of 1919: Professors and instructors, 125; students, 3,073; volumes in the library, 132,921; productive funds, $9,500,000; income, $430,000; president, E. F. Nichols.
MASSAGE (mass′ij), a scientific method of curing disease by systematic manipulations comprising: (1) Surface friction (effleurage); (2) A form of kneading (pétrissage); (3) Manipulations with the tips of the fingers (massage à friction); and (4) A kind of striking or percussion with the hands (tapotenent). These procedures are combined according to definite rules, and the treatment is found useful in paralysis, neuralgia, rheumatism, joint diseases, etc. It is used among the Sandwich Islanders under the name of lomi-lomi, and in Tonga is called toogi-toogi, mili, or fota.
MASSASOIT, Indian chief; born in Massachusetts about 1580. His dominions comprised the district in the S. E. part of Massachusetts between Cape Cod and Narragansett Bay. In March, 1621, three months after the landing of the Pilgrims, he sent a warrior named Samoset to Plymouth who shouted in English, which he had learned from Penobscot fishermen, “Welcome Englishmen!” Later Massasoit visited the Pilgrims in person and arranged a treaty of friendship in which both sides promised to refrain from all overt and hostile acts and to aid each other if either were unjustly attacked. This promise was faithfully kept for 54 years. Massasoit died near the present Warren, R. I., in 1660.
MASSAUA, or MASSOWA (-sou′a), Abyssinian Mutugna or Mutogna; called by the people of Tigre Baze, a fortified seaport town in Africa; formerly capital
