Ohio History Journal
GENERAL MASON AND
HIS LETTER ON RAILROADS.
B. F. PRINCE.
Almost every community of considerable
size and age has
furnished one or more characters who
have been prominent for a
life and acts that were for the good of
that special locality, and
often for the state or nation at large.
One who stood in this
threefold relation was Hon. Samson
Mason, of Springfield, Ohio.
Mr. Mason was born in the state of New
York in 1793. He
attended the public schools of the day,
served in the War of
1812 and at its close entered upon the
study of law. With a
certificate in hand indicating that he
had spent the required time
in such study under the direction of a
lawyer, he came to Cleve-
land, Ohio, in 1818, thence to
Steubenville, thence to Zanes-
ville and Chillicothe. The Supreme Court
of Ohio was in ses-
sion in the latter place. Young Mason
presented himself before
that court for admission to the practice
of law in this state. But
none of the Judges of the Court nor any
of the lawyers present
had ever heard of his instructor, Mr.
Thaddeus Wood, the name
of the the attorney affixed to his
certificate. No one knew that
such a person existed, so nothing could
be done toward his ad-
mission. Neither was there a man in the
state who knew Mr.
Mason, and who might testify in his
behalf. It was finally sug-
gested to him that there might be one
man, Caleb Atwater, Esq.,
who possibly knew Mr. Wood, Mason's
instructor. Mr. Atwater
lived at Circleville, many miles away.
Young Mason at once
rode to Circleville, called upon Mr.
Atwater and told him his
dilemma. Mr. Atwater heard his story,
sympathized with the
young man, and though there was a fierce
winter storm raging,
he went back with him, stated to the
Court that he knew Mr.
Wood and testified as to the credibility
of the signature on
Mason's certificate.
In the latter part of 1818 Attorney
Mason, now fully
authorized to perform the duties of a
barrister, came to Spring-
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