Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-02-13
Capt. C. r. Mason of Stanton.

Mr.. Frank Smyth has been publishing
for some time series of sketches of the
self-made man of Virginia in Frank
Lesslie's Chimney Corner. A recent
number contains the following sketch
OF our valuable and esteemed citizen
Capt. G. r. Mason-which will be read
with interest:
Claiborne Rice Mason was born in
Hightown, Duchess County, New York,
when the bells were ringing out the old
eighteenth century and joyfully Chin
Ing IN the new, the nineteenth centu-
ry ; so that he is seventy-six years OF
age. But persons not knowing it would
take him to be only sixty-five, he is
such hale, hearty and active old gen.
tleman. He removed to Chesterfield
County, Virginia, with his parents,
when only three years of age. His ia
Their was miner in the old Chesterfield
coal mines.
Until he was sixteen or seventeen
years old, Claiborne worked about his
fathers house. He was emphatically a
mandy boy, and turned out a mechani-
cal genius: He could do carpentering,
Dlacksmithing and stone masonry. He
| ~ 49, SNANe&tCN III OudU Is bduSut Ill
school, as he is in mechanics, railroad
ing and engineering. His first employ
er, when he went out into the world to
work for himself, was Mr.. Nat Grove,
carpenter, of Manchester, Va. He had
only been in his employment six months
when he was raised to the foremansbip
OF the shop, and before his eighteenth
birthday.
He remained at the carpenterine bu-
siness about year and half, when he
left it and engaged in blacksmithing.
He worked at this trade less than a year
and half, when he engaged in stone
masonry with Mr.. Edison, at Bermuda
Hundreds.
Alter years experience in this mode
OF making living, he turned to coal
mining in the Black Heath Pits, Ches-
terrified County, Va, and also with Mr.,
Welsh, OF the same county.
In 1922, Mr.. Mason went to Norfolk.
Va. He here found work in the Cos
port Navy-yard, on the old Pennsylva-
MIA ship-ef- war, for little over a year.
Mr.. Mason next removed to Richmond.
Va, and entered the employ of Messrs.
Healy & Knox, con tractors on the James
River and Kanawha Canal, at the locks
near Richmond. His duty en- the ca
nal was lock masonry and grading, and
was engaged at it with this firm for two
years,
In 1929, the first railroad in the Old
Dominion was projected, and Mr.. Ma
son assisted in making the survey for it,
being AMMAN, Or assistant engineer, and
undertook small contract in grading
it. The road extended from the coal
pits to the company's wharf on James
River, opposite Rockets" at Rich
mond, and was ten miles long. 1t was
completed July 4th, 1880. Mr.. Mason
came to Richmod after the completion
of the road and entered the employ of
| Edmund Brown, q manufacturer of plug
tobacco, as overseer.
About 1881 Mr. Mason entered teadi-
ly into rairoading first upon the Peters
burg and Weldon Railroad, at laying
the track, until its completion in 1882 !;
next upon the Norfolk and Weldon.
In 1888 he commenced work on the
Baltimore and Ohio and the Baltimore
and Washington branch road, at laying
track, constructing turnouts, depots,
ETC., working for both year and half
In the Spring of 1885 he was engaged at
similar work on the old Richmond and
Fredericksburg Railroad, with the ad-
dition of putting up the pumps on the
road, and finished it in 1885, just forty
years ago.
Mr.. Mason took al active part in get
ting subscriptions for the old Louisa
Railroad, the nucleus of the present
| Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. He
thoroughly canvassed Louisa County,
procuring five-doliar subscriptions to
have the surye, made for the road, head
| ing the subscription list with five dol
lars. The first 'break of groundn was
made by Mr.. Mason in 1886, and he
finished the first three miles of it. The
road extended from the courthouse of
Louisa County to the junction with the
Richmond and friedrich sburg Road, in
I Hanover County, some twenty miles
from the city OF Richmond, and was
completed in 1887. From its completion
until 1913 he was Superintendent of Re-
pairs, when it was extended to Gordons-
vile at one end, and to Richmond at the
other. 1t then became the "Virginia
Central Railroad" and Mr.. Mason was
elected by the directory General Super.
intendent, and continued in the office
until 1852, when he resigned the posi-
ton, and from that year to 1873 he was d
contractor on the road.
While constructing the above road,
he was also at work on the Orange and
Alexandria railroad, between CharIottes-
vile and Lynchburg, from 1855 to
1860. He finished up twenty one to
twenty-five miles that other contractors
failed to complete. The road is now
known as the Washington City, Virgin
ia Midland and Great Southern Rail
read.
From the Fall of 1878 to 1874, Mr.. Ma
son was engaged in grading the Valley
Railroad between Staunton and Licking
ton, Virginia. He completed twenty
one miles of it, when the financial pam
ic put an end to all Internal improve
I mentS.
At the cOmmence cement of hostilities
between the North and the South, Mr..
Mason raised company of infantry,
was elected captain OF it, and attached
o the Fifty second Virginia Regiment.
At the TIME he was mustered into SER
vice he was sixty years of age; but,
Notwithstanding his years, he general
ly managed to keep up with Jackson's
foot cavalry" Shortly after entering
the army he was made Quarternlaste
of General Ed. Johnson's command,
and subsequently IS62), General Tho
mas jackson 'StOnewaiF') had him de-
tailed for duty with his famous brigade
He served with General Jackson at
/,
seven days fight ayound Richmond.
This skeich would be incomplete
without the following incident: Gene
raj Jackson had just arrived from the
Valley, and was encamped on the north
side of the Chickabomlny. The fight
ing had commenced, and, to Jackson's
mind, was going against the Coufede-
rates. The roaring of artillery was
sounding pearer, and nearer strong evi
dence that the Union forces were driving
the Southerners. Jackson tried in the
morning to get across the river higher up
than where he was then encamped, but
was prevented by an opposing ire. The
battle ragged, ami Jackson became excl
ted and more impatient every moment
to cross the river. He bethought of
Captain Mason, and a courier WAS dis
patched for him. The captain, just
about that time, was cooking his dinner
in a skillet. He had bacon and greens
that d. y--poor fare for millionaire
and he WAS 'chunking" up the fire
under the bacon and the green's when
L