Mason Long
(Luray, Licking County, Ohio: 10th September 1842 - ?)
Both his parents died by the time he turned 10. He worked on a farm of a wealthy German as a slave. In 1862 joined the Union Army to fight in the Civil War. His brother was killed in the war. In the army, he learned to play cards, gamble, as well as cheat.
After coming to Fort Wayne, Long opened a restaurant and gambling house. Over a few years of ups and downs, he spiraled down into drunkenness and loss of money. Destitution made him give up drinking and he became a Christian. He wrote a book about his life's turnaround and made several evangelistic tours to promote his new-found faith. In later years he became a stockbroker and built a handsome house at 922 Columbia Ave.
