Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/303

Rh contractor for the whole Iron Mountain railroad of Missouri, and chairman of a commission of three appointed by the Pennsylvania legislature to ex- amine and report upon routes for avoiding the old Allegheny portage inclined planes. In 1855-'7 he was contractor for the entire Keokuk, Des Moines, and Minnesota railroad, consulting engineer for the Pittsburg and Erie, and Terre Haute, Vamlalia, and St. Louis railroads, and chief engineer of the Keokuk, Mt. Pleasant, and Muscatine railroad. In 1857 he went to Brazil to examine the route of the Dora Pedro II. railroad, and, in company with Jacob Humbird, of Maryland, and other Americans, undertook the construction of that work. He re- turned to the United States in 1865, and at once took the field in the interests of the Atlantic and Great Western railroad fur a proposed extension through northern Pennsylvania. In I860 he was appointed U. S. civil engineer and given charge of the improvement of the Ohio river, which work he relinquished in 1868 to accept the appointment of associate chief engineer with James B. Eads on the great bridge across the Missouri at St. Louis. During Mr. Eads's absence in Europe of a year and more, Mr. Roberts had entire charge of the work at its most arduous and difficult stage. In 1870 he accepted the chief engineership of the Northern Pacific railroad, and in 1874 was ap- pointed on the commission of civil and military engineers to examine and report upon plans for the improvement of the mouth of the Mississippi, visiting the various rivers in Europe where jetties had been constructed. In 1879 he was appointed by the emperor of Brazil chief of the commission of hydraulic engineers to examine and report upon the improvement of harbors and navigable rivers of that empire. lie had nearly completed the period of his service when he died of fever on the head-waters of San Francisco river. Mr. Roberts was a contributor, generally anonymously, to news- papers and scientific magazines. In 1879 he was elected president of the American society of civil engineers, and at the same time he became a mem- ber of the English institute of engineers and a fellow of the American geographical society. In 1836 he married a daughter of Chief-Justice John Bannister Gibson, of Pennsylvania (q. v.). His son, Thomas Pasckall, civil engineer, b. in Carlisle, Pa., 21 April, 1843, .was educated at Pennsylvania agricultural college and at Dickin- son college, and in 1863 joined his father in Brazil, where he was employed as an engineer on the Dom Pedro II. railway. He returned to the United States late in 1865. In the autumn of 18U6 he was appointed principal assistant engineer on the United States improvement of the Ohio river, which post he retained until October, 1870, when he be- came assistant engineer of the Montana division of the Northern Pacific railway. He made the first examination of the route that was finally adopted through the Rocky mountains for that road, and also examined and reported upon the navigability of the upper Missouri river. His report, with maps, was printed by the war department in 1874. He was appointed in 1875 by the U. S. government to the charge of the surveys of the upper Mononga- hela river in West Virginia, and in 1876-'8 was chief engineer of the Pittsburg southern railroad. Subsequently he was engaged as chief engineer in charge of the construction of several southern roads until 1884, when he was appointed chief en- gineer of the Monongahela navigation company, and he was afterward engaged in the extension of new locks for double locking this important system of steamboat navigation.

ROBERTSON, Archibald, artist, b. in Mony- musk, near Aberdeen, Scotland, 8 May, 1765; d. in New York city, 6 Dec., 1835. During 1783-'91 he studied and practised art in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and London. In 17i)l he came to this country, and, soon after his arrival, went to Philadelphia to deliver to Gen. Washington a box made of wood from the oak-tree that sheltered Sir William Wal- lace after the battle of Falkirk. It had been com- mitted to his charge by the Earl of Buchan. At the earl's request Washington sat to Robertson, who first painted a miniature, and then a larger portrait, for Lord Buchan. From 1792 till 1821 Robertson followed his profession as a painter and instructor in New York, working mostly in water- colors and crayons. In 1802 he assisted in the pro- ject of forming an art academy, and in 1816. on the founding of the American academy, he was elected a director. Though not an architect by profession, he furnished several plans for public buildings. He was also the author of a book on drawing. His son, Anthony Lispenard, jurist, b. in New York city, 8 June, 1808; d. there. 18 Dec., 1868, was graduated at Columbia in 1825, studied law, was admitted to the bar, and gained a high professional reputation. He was assistant vice-chancellor in 1846-'8, surrogate of New York city in 1848, and in 1859 was elected a judge of the superior court. In 1864 he was elected for a second term, and in 1866 was chosen chief justice by his associates. In 1867 he was a member of the State constitutional convention, and took an active part in its proceedings. Archibald's brother, Alexander, artist, b. in Monymusk, near Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1768; d. in New York. 27 May, 1841, followed his brother to the United States in 1792, after having some instruction in miniature-painting from Shelly in London. He painted landscapes in water-color, and. like his brother, was well known as a teacher.

ROBERTSON, Charles Franklin, P. E. bishop, b. in New York city, 2 March, 1835 ; d. in St. Louis, Mo., 1 May, 1886. He obtained a good education, and at first intended to enter upon a mercantile career, but, having his mind directed toward the ministry, he went to Yale, where he graduated in 1859. He then entered the Episcopal general theological seminary, and was graduated in 1862. He was ordained deacon in the Church of the Transfiguration, New York city, 29 June, 1862, by Bishop Horatio Potter, and priest in St. Mark's church, Malone, N. Y., 28 Oct., 1862, by the same bishop. He was rector of St. Mark's church. Malone. from 1862 till 1868, when he accepted a call to St. James's church, Batavia, N. Y. Immediately afterward he was elected second bishop of Missouri, and was consecrated in Grace church. New York city, 25 Oct., 1868. He received the degree of S. T.'D. from Columbia in 18G8, that of D. D. from the University of the south, Lewanee, Tenn., in 1883, and that of LL. D. from the University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo., in 1883. Bishop Robertson was vice-president of the St. Louis social science association, and also of the National conference of charities and corrections. He published several special sermons and charges, and was the author of valuable papers on " Historical Societies in Relation to Local Historical Effort" (St; Louis, 1883); "The American Revolution and the Mississippi Valley " (1884) ; " The Attempt to separate the West from the American Union " (1885); and " The Purchase of the Louisiana Territory in its Influence on the American System " (1885).

ROBERTSON, George, jurist, b. in Mercer county, Ky., 18 Nov., 1790; d. in Lexington, Ky.,