Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1916-07-21
c. r. MASON.

c. r. MASON. a
A view into the happenings OF the
last half-century, insofar as they al
feet this community, would be iAcom-
pJete without some reference TO the
subject of this brief sketch, who con-
,tributed so much to the upbuiidlng,
and development of this immediate,
secuon.
Mr.. Mason was not native OIL
Greenbrier, tho he lived here for
so1oe years. His home Was in Az
gusta county, Va. During he CIVIL
War he was engaged in the manu-
facture of munitions for the Confed-
crate Army, the base of his WORKS
being on the foothills IF he Blue
Ridge, at point near the Grottoes
of the Shenandoah. He was also
called upon tc assist in he work OIL
the engineering and contracting de-
partment in General Stonewal' jack
sons army; and the story-a true
one is readily recalled, that upon
one occasion when Gel. jackson hac
under contemplation the cary r.
moval of his army to point which
racessitated the crossing of stream
tho condition of which forbade a
Embarrassing, and consequently, must
be promptly bridged, he called upon
his regularly assigned engineers to
work out the plans, and at the same
time told Mr.. Mason of hiszrequ;re-I
ments; and while the engineers were
diligently carrying out orders n
drawing maps, blue-prints, ETC., of the
proposed crossing. Mr.. Mason actu-
ally built the bridge, and the Army
was moved before the reports of the
engineers were submitted. This story
is recalled as an illustration of the
great constructive genius and ability
OF the mar After the War, follow
ing the line of his natural talents,
he engaged in railroad construction
work. and it was in this rnnect'on
that he became identified. pecnlicrl"
witt this locality. The great Lewis
tunnel of the Chesapeake & Ohio Ry.
a few miles east of White Sulphur
Springs, was finally turned over by
him as a completed job after several
others had failed in it's attempted |
construction; the building of the i'm
mense fill at Jerry's Run, which had !
been the scene of the terrible wreck |
at the temporary trestle; in fact, the
greater part of the G. & O. railway
west of the Alleghanies, as had been
the case to the east, was the work of |
his great constructive powers. So !
much so, that it has been said con-
corning his connection with the |
building of the (present) Z. & o. Ry., !
he shoveled the first dirt at the east
ern foothills and drove the golden
spike at its entrance into Cincinnati"
Undoubtedly he was genius in his
particular calling. He was also a
man of strong character anu person
atty nd made his impress upon all
with whom he came in contact. He
raised large family, some of his
children becoming identified with
this community: Horatio P. Mason,
who later moved to Kentucky, con-
tinuing the construction work of his
father up to the time of his death
a few years ago and achieving much
financial success thereat; Silas B.
Mason, SO affectionately remembered
by all Of our people. who came here
IN connection with railroad work |,
with his father, and who married
Miss Elizabeth Montgomery, - daugh-
ter of the late William H. Montgom
cry, now his widow, he having died
March 10, 1911; Mrs. John w.
Harris, resident here, the widow of
the late Major John w. Harris; Mrs.
A. c. Barron, of Charlotte, N. c.,
widow of an eminent Baptist minis
ter, and Mrs. Robert Goodwin, of
Augusta county, Virginia, both OF
whom latter are frequent visitors to
the town and we'll known to many of
our people.