slave-states. Mason and Dixon devoted a month during 1766, at the request of the Koyal astro- nomical society, to determining " the precise meas- ure of a degree of latitude in America in the neigh- borhood of "Pennsylvania," the particulars of which are printed in vol. Iviii. of the " Transactions " of that body. In the same volume are to be found " Astronomical Observations made at the Forks of the Brandywine " for the purpose of " determining the going of a clock sent thither by the Royal so- ciety in order to find the difference of gravity be- tween the observatory at Greenwich and the spot where the clock was set up in Pennsylvania." Ma- son was a trained observer, and has recorded in his private journal, mingled with the original field- notes of the survey, not only the incidents of each day as they occurred, with the name of every per- son whose hospitality he shared, but accounts of the flora and fauna, the geological structure and the agricultural capabilities of the country, inter- spersed with notices of the Mohawk, Seneca, Dela- ware, and other Indians who served as his escort or whom he encountered on his route. He dwells with enthusiasm on the beauties of the scenery as viewed from the AUeghanies, and gives a tolerably correct account of the Mississippi valley that he obtained from an Indian chief. These journals were accidentally discovered at Halifax, N. S., in 1860, in a pile of waste paper in the cellar of the government-house where they had been thrown. Messrs. Mason and Dixon sailed for England, 9 Sept., 1768, and the following year Mason observed the transit of Venus on 3 June at Cavan, Ireland. He was subsequently employed by the Bureau of longitudes to verify the lunar tables of Tobias Mayer, and they were published after his death by Nevil Maskelyne under the title of " Mayer's Lunar Tables improved by Charles Mason " (London, 1781). Mason returned to this country, but at what date is unknown.
MASON, David Hastings, journalist, b. in
Philadelphia, Pa., 8 Jan., 1828. Between 1852 and
1867 he was editorially connected with newspapers
in Georgia and Teimessee. In the last-named year
he settled in Chicago, 111., where he was one of
the writers on the " Tribune " and the " Re-
publican," and subsequently editor-in-chief of the
latter paper. In 1870 he began to devote himself
wholly to economic questions, and especially to
that of the tariff. In 1871 he became editor of
" The Bureau," a monthly protectionist magazine,
and from 1878 till 1880 he was tariff editor of the
Chicago " Inter-Ocean," subsequently filling the
same place on the Chicago " Herald." He is the
author of a large pamphlet, " How Western Farm-
ers are benefited by Protection " ; of arguments
before the ways and means committee of congress
and the tariff commission ; of the ai'ticle " Pro-
tection," in Lalor's " CyelopEedia of Political Sci-
ence " ; and of " A Short Tariff History of the
United States," of which only the first part
(1783-9) has been published (Chicago, 1884). He
has been engaged on this book for several years,
and proposes to bring it down to recent times. In
the part that is already published he aims to show
that the recognition of the necessity for a protect-
ive tariff was the chief impelling cause of the con-
stitutional convention and of the adoption of the
constitution of the United States.
MASON, Ebenezer Porter, astronomer, b. in
Washington, Conn., 7 Dec, 1819 ; d. in Richmond,
Va., 20 Dec, 1840. He was graduated at Yale in
1839, and, being compelled by delicate health to
abandon studies that he had undertaken as a resi-
dent graduate, he joined the Maine boundary ex-
pedition in 1840. This failed to restore his health,
and he went to the south, but without avail. He
published occasional poems and a paper on " Ob-
servations on Nebulte," which appeared in the
" Transactions of the American Philosophical So-
ciety" for 1840, and elicited favorable comment
from Sir John Herschel ; also " An Introduction
to Practical Astronomy." appended as a supple-
ment to Olmsted's "Practical Astronomy (New
York, 1842). See his " Life and Writings," by
Denison Olmsted (New York, 1842).
MASON, Edward Gay, lawyer, b. in Bridge-
port, Conn., 23 Aug., 1839 ; d. in Chicago, 18 Dec,
1898. His father, Roswell, was a civil engineer,
and became mayor of Chicago. The son was
graduated at Yale, studied law at Chicago, was
for several years a member of the firm of Mattocks
and Mason, and afterward, with his brothers, Henry
and Alfred, formed the firm of Mason Brothers,
which had a large practice. He was president of
the Chicago bar association, the Chicago literary
club, also of the University club, and in Novem-
ber, 1887, was elected president of the Chicago
historical society, to succeed Elihu B. Washburne.
Mr. Mason was a member of various historical
associations, published pamphlets on the early
history of Illinois, and edited "Early Chicago
and Illinois " (Chicago, 1890).
MASON, Francis, missionary, b. in Walingate,
York. England, 2 April, 1799; d. in Rangoon,
Burmah, 3 ^larch, 1874. His father was a shoe-
maker and a Baptist local preacher in the city of
York. The son early learned his father's trade,
but while yet a lad he was seized with a passion
for study, and acquired a fair education in mathe-
matics, geography, and English literature, under
the instruction of a retired naval officer. In 1818
he came to the United States. After working at
his trade in various places he married in 1825. and,
under his wife's influence, united with the Baptist
church. In October, 1827, he was licensed to
preach, and soon afterward entered Newton theo-
logical seminary. In 1830 he sailed for Burmah as
a missionary. He landed in Maulmain in Novem-
ber, 1830, and a few months later removed to Ta-
A'oy to become the helper and successor of George
D.Boardman. who was dying of consumption. He
remained at Tavoy about twenty-two years, Ms
missionary work being chiefly among the different
tribes of Karens, though he became very familiar
with the Burmese language as well as the Pali and
Sanscrit, and could, upon occasion, converse or
preach in most of the dialects of farther India.
His lingual acquisitions also included Talaing, Sia-
mese, Chinese, Syriac, Hebrew, Chaldee, Arabic,
and German. Among the Karens he reduced two
of their dialects, the Sagan-Karen and the Pwo-Ka-
ren. to writing, and translated the Scriptures into
both, besides making some progress with a third,
the Byhai-Karen. He also conducted a seminary
for the education of native preachers and teachers,
and superintended the general work of the mission
for a considerable period. With a view to making
his translations of the Karen Scriptures more in-
telligible and accurate, he began making collections
of notes and facts concerning the fauna, flora,
minerals, and ethnology of Burmah. On the pub-
lication of his first work, "Tenasserim, or the
Fauna, Flora, Minerals, and Nations of British
Burmah and Pegu" (1852; enlarged ed.. I860), he
was elected a member of the Royal Asiatic society.
In 1853 he removed to Toungoo and published tlie
whole Bible in Karen, his version of the New Testa-
ment having already been three times revised. The
next year he visited England and America, was
