From 1844 until 1849, Charles A. W. Snow was a clerk for Earl P. Mason, a druggist located at 27 Broad Street, Providence. In 1849, Snow left Mason and opened his own apothecary which was located at 167 Broad Street. A year later he took in a partner, Charles A. P. Mason, and the company became known as SNOW & MASON, APOTHECARIES & DRUGGISTS.

Snow & Mason put out several of their own products, one of which was their famous COUGH & CROUP SYRUP. These came in small cylindrical bottles both smooth base and open pontil. They also manufactured SNOW'S PINK ROOT and RICORD'S MIXTURE, but evidently these were label only as no embossed bottles have been found.

Charles Mason took over the business in 1859 and renamed it C. A. P. Mason Apothecary & Druggist, still located at the Broad Street address. He was also operating as wholesaler and retailer of patent medicines, drugs, perfumes, brushes, Congress waters, soda syrups, cigars, jewelers chemicals, and some grocer items. He was putting out his own C. A. P. Mason's Alpine Hair Balm which he claimed was "... not a dye, but restored gray hair to it's natural color, be it black, brown, or auburn." It was also warranted to cure baldness, scurf, dandruff, itching, and all diseases of the scalp thus restoring the skin and saving the hair.

In 1866 the company became Mason, Dawley, & Buker, Druggists, located in Providence at 140 Weybosset Street with Edward R. Dawley and Benjamin S. Buker as partners. By 1889, Mason was alone again selling drugs and dyes at 19 Exchange Place in Providence. He moved to North Swansea, Massachusetts shortly after this time.