Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/284

248 Here he had brought together one of the most ex- tensive and valuable musical libraries in the United States, which, after his death, his family presented to Yale college. " Dr. Mason," says Rev. Oetavius B. Frothingham, " did more to make the practice of vocal music popular than to raise the standard of musical culture, and long before his death the influence of his school had yielded to the power of more finished art. Still, his work was of great value in its time." His published works exceed fifty volumes, and many of them have had an immense sale. The aggregate circulation of the collections of church music somewhat exceeded two million copies, and several of the juvenile collections have sold very largely. The following are some of his principal books, in compiling which he had no assistance and which contain many of his own compositions : " Juvenile Psal- mist" (Boston, 1829); "Juvenile Lyre," the first book of school songs published in the United States (1830) ; " The Choir, or Union Collection " (1832) ; " Manual of Instruction in Vocal Music " (1834) ; " The Boston Academy Collection " (1835) ; " Lyra Sacra " ; " Occasional Psalmody " (1837) ; •' Songs of Asaph " ; " The Seraph " (1838) ; '' The Modern Psalmist " (1839) ; " Carmina Sacra," of which and its two revisions, the '• New Carmina Sacra " and the " American Tune-Book," more than six hundred thousand copies had been sold at the time of Dr. Mason's death (1841) ; " The Gentle- man's Glee-Book " (1842) ; '• American Sabbath- School Singing-Book " (Philadelphia, 1843) ; " Bos- ton Academy Collection of Choruses " (Boston, 1844); "Song-Book of the School-Room" (1845); "Primary-School Song-Book" (1846); "The Na- tional Psalmist " (1848) ; " The Hand - Book of Psalmody" (London, 1852); "The Hallelujah" (New York, 1854) ; " The Normal Singer " (1856) ; and " Mammoth Musical Exercises " (1857). — His son, William, pianist, b. in Boston, Mass., 24 Jan., 1829, made his first public appearance as a pianist at a symphony concert in Boston, 7 March, 1846. He appeared frequently in concerts until the spring of 1849, when he went to Leipsic, Germany, and studied the piano-forte under Moscheles, harmony under Moritz Hauptmann, and instrumentation under E. F. Richter. Later he was instructed by Alexander Dreyschock. in Prague, and finally by Liszt, at Weimar, in 1853-'4. He played in public in Prague. Frankfort, and Weimar, and in 1853 made a brief visit to London. He returned to this country in July, 1854, and shortly after his arrival made a concert tour, playing at each representation through a programme of eight or ten piano-forte pieces, illustrating different styles. It is believed that these were the first concerts of the kind con- sisting of piano-forte playing solely, without other attraction, that were given either in this country or abroad. On his return he settled in New York, where he has since mainly occupied himself in teaching, playing in public occasionally. In the winter of 1855-'6 he established, in connection with Carl Bergmann and Theodore Thomas, a series of classical soirees, at which the instrumental works of Haydn, Mozart. Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, and others were performed. These concerts became known as the Mason and Thomas soirees of chamber music, and were continued with- out interruption until 1868. "Sir. Mason, in con- nection with Eli S. Hoadly, is the author of two piano-forte methods (Boston, 1867-'71), and also of a system of " Piano-forte Technics" (1878), in which latter work William S. B. Mathews was connected with him as associate editor. He has also published about forty compositions for the piano-forte, a few of which are adapted for concert purposes, but consisting chiefly of smaller " pieces de salon,"' such as scherzos, ballades, romanzas, nocturnes, caprices, reveries, etc. Most of these have been republished in Europe. In 1872 Mr. Mason re- ceived from Yale the degree of doctor of music. MASON, Melanctliou Wells, inventor, b. in Cheshire, Berkshire eo., Mass., in 1805 ; d. in Roch- ester, N. Y., 20 June, 1875. He possessed much mechanical ability, and early turned his attention to devising various novelties in machinery. He also devoted years of close study to the manage- ment of railways, and filled many important offices on several roads. While he was master mechanic of the Syracuse and Auburn railway he invented many important improvements in locomotives that have since come into general use. He designed the lap-and-lead valve, which was put on the first en- gine in 1840. He also invented the four-driving- wheel locomotive, the first that was built being the " Phoenix." Mr. Mason is perhaps best known by his locomotive head-light, which he perfected in 1842. In recognition of this important addition to the safety of railway travelling, he received a silver medal from the New York state agricultural so- ciety. He also invented a snow-plough, and was the builder of the first four-cylinder engine, the " E. P. Williams."

MASON, Otis Tufton, ethnologist, b. in East- port, Me., 10 April, 1838. He was graduated at Columbian university in 1861, and subsequently had charge of its preparatory school until 1884. He then became curator of the department of eth- nology in the U. S. national museum, which office he still (1887) holds. His special work since 1872 has been devoted to giving a comprehensive, defi- nite, and scientific value to the word " anthro- pology." He has insisted that the most rigid methods of the naturalist shall be applied to the investigation of human problems, and that every human act and invention be subject to this close sciTitiny. Prof. Mason is a member of scientific societies, and his publications have appeared in " The American Naturalist," and as memoirs issued by the Smithsonian institution.

MASON, Richard Sharp, clergyman, b. in Barbadoes, W. I., 29 Dec, 1795 ; d." in Raleigh, N. C, in 1875. He was brought to this country by his parents when ciuite young, educated in Philadelphia, and graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1812. He was made deacon in the Protestant Episcopal church by Bishop White in 1817. and became rector of Christ church. New Berne, N. C, in 1818. In 1820 he was ordained priest, still retaining his charge, and remaining there for ten years. In 1829 he was elected presi- dent of Geneva (now Hobart) college, New York, having the previous year become rector of St. Matthew's at that place. In 1835 he was called to be the head of a similar educational institution at Newark, Del. In 1840 he returned to North Caro- lina, having been called to the rectorship of Christ church, Raleigh, where he labored for thirty-five years until his death. When Dr. Mason first went to New Berne the Episcopal church had but a slight footing in the diocese, and his work was largely missionary in its character. By his earnest and self-denying efforts he greatly increased the strength of his denomination. He received the degree of D. D. from the University of Pennsyl- vania in 1829. He is the author of " A Letter to the Bishop of North Cai'olina on the Subject of his Late Pastoral " (New York, 1850), and "The Baptism of Infants defended from the Objections of Antipjedo Baptists," edited by his son (1874).