Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/269

Rh tion in 1870, and was its president until 1884, when she became the honorary president.

RAMBAUT, Thomas, clergyman, b. in Dublin, 25 Aug.. 1819; d. in Hamilton, N. Y., 15 Oct., 1890. He was of Huguenot descent, and spent four years in Trinity college. In 1840 he came to Savannah, Ga., where he studied law, and in 1842 he was made f>rinoipal of Beach island academy, in South Caro- iiia. He entered a Baptist pa-storate at Koberts- ville, S. C, and filled a pastorate in Savannah. During the yellow fever epidemic of 1854 he did such noble work that he was voted a long vacation lor rest at the public expense. He was elected Srofcssor of ancient languages in the Cherokee aptist college, at C'ussville, Ga., in 1856, and for six years was its president. For a short time he held the chairs of history and Roman literature in Georgia state military institute, but the war soon closed that institution, and until 1867 he ser%'cd the Baptist home missionary society as general agent. For five years he was president of William Jewell college, and he spent two years in studying the systems of university education in Europe. He then held various pa-storates in Brooklyn, 1874-'8; Newark, N. J., 18«a-'4 ; and later in Franklin, Pa. A fter other activities he settled per- manently in Hamilton, N. Y. He was one of the chief Baptist elergvmen of the country, and had received honorary ilegrees from Slercer university, William Jewell college, and Madison university.

RAND, Theodore Harding, Canadian educator, b. in Canard, Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, 8 Feb., 1835. After a year of s|)ecial stuerint€ndent of education in New Bruns- wick. In 18i»2 he was made chancellor of JIcMas- ter hall, Toronto, in which institution he had previously been a professor for seven years, resign- ing in 1895 owing to failing health. In 1897 Dr. Rand published "At Minas Basin, and other Poems," now in a second edition, followed by "A Treasury of Canadian Verse" (Toronto, 1899).

RANDOLPH, Anson Davies Fitz. publisher, h. at W.x)dbri(lge, N. .1.. IH Oct.. 1820; d. in West Hampton, Long Island, C July, 189(5. Ile removed to New York city when aliout ten years of age, and entered the employ of the American .Sunday- school union : remained there twenty-one years, and in 1851 Ixrcame a publisher and bookseller on his own account. He was an amiable man, a pleasant speaker, and was the author of "Coming to the King: A Book of Daily Devotions for Chil- dren" (New York, 18(5(5) ; "Hopefully Wailing," poems (1867) : " Home Life in Song with the Poets of To-day" (1879): "At the Beautiful Gate." poems (1880); "The Palace of the King," pm-ms (I'WO); and " I'nlo the Desired Haven," jxiems <1880). — His son, Henry Filz. author, b. in New York city, 13 April, 1856; d. there, 10 May, 1892. He was graduated from Andierst in 1877, and then entered the law-school of Columbia; was admitted to the bar in 1881, and practised his profession until 1885. But he was chiefly devoted to literary pursuits, and examined manu.icripts for his father's Cublishing house, being, during the latter part of is life, the reatler for the firm. He was the au- thor of "The Age of Cleveland," an article on " Dean Swift in Lotulon." and was engaged ujion a "History of the Earlv Drama." He edited "Lalter-Diiy Balhuls" (New York. 1888) and "Fifty Years of English .Song" (4 vols., 1887), the latter collect ifin lieing a supplement to Thomas II. Ward's " English Poets."

RANSOM, Rastus Seneca, lawyer, b. in Mount Ilawley, Peoria co.. 111., 31 March, 1839. He was educated in the common schools and academy, serving through the civil war in the Army of the Potomac as 1st lieutenant in the 50th New York vol- unteers, commanding his company. Later he prac- tised law successfully in New York city, and served for one full term of six years as surrogate of the city and county of New York. In 1893 Judge Ransom resumed the practice of law in partner- ship with his son, Porte V. Kaiisom, and in 1899 he succeeded Gen. James (irant Wilson as presi- dent of the .Society of American authors.

'''RAOUSSET-BOULBON. Gaston Raoul''' (ra- ou-say),comtede, French adventurer, b. in Avignon, Vaueluse, 2 Dec, 1817; shot at Guaymas, Mexico, 12 Aug., 1854. He was the scion of a distinguished family of Provence, and after receiving his edu- cation in the College of the Jesuits, at Freiburg, in Switzerland, went to Paris, where he became the leader of fashion, and acquired also reputation by his wit, his knowledge of literature, and as a poet. Having squamlered the large fortune he inherited from Ins mother, he passed in 1845 to Algiers and took to farming ; but rich again after the death of his father, he returned to France in 1848 and entered into politics. He founded a liberal newspajierat Avignon, and was twice a can- didate for the national assembly, but was defeated, and again squandered his fortune. He made the acquaintance of Prince Napoleon, afterward Na- poleon III,, and the latter suggested to him the idea of retrieving his lost fortune in America, promising him support and naming Sonora as convenient for adventures. Raousset heard at first reluc- tantly of the scheme, but Prince Na|>oleon renewed his advice, going so far as giving him written as- surances of support. Raousset left Paris, and, engaging his passage on an English packet, landed in San Francisco, 22 Aug., 18,W, He resolved to follow at first a rough life in order to accustom himself to the future hardships he expected to en- dure for furthering his secret scheme, and was suc- cessively hunter, fisher, longshoreman, and cattle- dealer. He made, in the latter capacity, several voyages through .Sonora for the ostensible puriwse of selling his cattle but in reality to open intelli- gence in the country, and when he thought he saw the opportunity he founded in Mexico, with the aid of French bankers, the "Compailia Restaura- dora," that obtained, 7 Feb.. 1852, tlie grant of gold mines which had been abandoned on account of their proximity to the territory occupied by the bellict>se Apacfies, Raousset taking the contract to equip a disciplined company, and to hold the coun- try for the Mexican government, which promised its support. The citizens of Sonora were at first greatly pleased with the arrangement, which was intenilcd as a check to In<lian raids. In June, 1852, Kaousset landed at (iuaymas with a party of 270 men, mostly Frenchmen, well armed, and two can- nons, but soon encountered difliculties. as a rival company that had been chartered meanwhile claimed the ownership of the gold mines, and se- cured from Gen. Blatuo, the Jlexican commander in Simora, an order forbidding Uaous-set to advance further than Guayma.s, But he received promises of support from the parties in the northern dis- tricts, which prepared for insurrection, and de- spile Blanco's onlcr he marched to Hermosillo, which was stormed, many stores and private houses being plundered after the action, when the whole couniry ruse against him. Still undaunted he attacked the Mexican lines at the raiicho of San Jose, but was defeated, 4 Nov., and forced to