Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/273

Rh RINK, Heinrik Johannes, Danish seientist, b. in Co[ienhag('n, 26 Aug.. 1819. He received his education in his native city and in Germany. In June, 1845, he sailed as geologist on an expedition for the circumnavigation of the world, but re- mained in India, serving as assistant to the gov- ernor of the Danish colony on the Xicobar islands. His health failed and he returned to Copenhagen in Decemlter, 1846, having niaile a brief stay in Egypt and in Naples. Two years later he went to Greenland, and there he spent twenty-two sum- mers and sixteen winters, serving from 18.53 until 1868 as inspector of southern Greenland, and in 1871 being appointed director of the trade; the year following he made his last visit to that coun- try. In 1883 he retired from active work and settled at Christiania, Norway. His works com- prise " Nunap misigssuissok arnigssa piwdlugo inuit tusagagssait "' (Godthaab, 1857). an announce- ment to the Greenlanders in their own tongue of the establishment of a system of surveys: " Kski- moiske eventyr og sagu ovcrsatte efter de indfttdte forta?lleres opskrifter og mcddelelser" (Kjwben- havn, 1866: with a suiiplement in 1871); "Tales and Triulitions of the Eskimo " (Edinburgh, 1875) ; "Danish Greenland, its People and its Protlucts" (London, 1877) ; " De gr«nlandske Stednavnes Retskrivning og Etymologi " (1877). forming an appendix to F. .lohnstrup's "Gicseckes Mineralo- gisKe Kejse i Grnnlami" (Kjobenhavn, 1878); " Les dinlcctcs de la langue es<iuimaiide," in " Con- gres Internationale des Amcricanistes," 5th session ((.'openhagen. 1884), which was also issued sepa- rately (Co|ienhagen, 1884); "The Eskimo Dialects as serving to determine the Relationship between the Eskimo Trilics," in vol. xv. of the "Anthro- pological Institute of Great Kritain and Ireland" (188.5), which was also issued separately (London, (1885); "Om de eskimoiske diwlckter, som bidrag til l)ed0nimcl.sen af spttrgsmaalet oni eskitnoemes herkomst og vandringer," in "Aarbeger for nordisk oldkyndighed og historic," 3 heftc (KJBbenhavn, 1885), which was also issue<l separately (KJHben- havn, 188.5). For all the preceding works see Pil- ling's "Bibliography of the Eskimo Langmige " (Washington, 188.5) for further details. His most, important later work was "The Eskimo Tribes: their Distribution and Characteristics, especially in regard to Language," with a comparative vocabu- lary and a sketch map, which ap[ieared in vol. xi. of the " Mcddelelser om GrHidand," and also in a separate eplement or second volume at Copenliiigcn atui Lonilon in 1891.

ROACH, William Nathaniel, senator, b. in Washington, D. C., 25 .Sept.. 1840. lie studied in the common schools and at (leorgetown college. During the war he wius employed as a clerk in the qnarterma-ster's department. In 1879 he removed to Dakota Territory, where he became interested in farming. From 1883 until 1887 he was mayor of liaramie, and in 1885 was a meml)er of the leg- islature of the territory. He was an unsuccessful candidate for governor at the first and second state elections. In 1893 he was elected to the U. S. senate for the term ending 3 March, 1899.

'''RORBINS. Edward Hutchinson''', lawyer, b. in Milton. Muss.. IH F..b.. 17.5S: d. there, 29 Dec, 1829. After graduation at Harvard in 177.5. he studied law, was admitted to the bar. practising in his native town. He wa.s a member of the con- vention that framed the constitution of Ma-ssachu- setts In 1780, served in the legislature from 17H8 until 1803. was speaker of the house from 1793 till 1802, and in 1795 was chairman of a commis.sion to buy land, build a new state-house, sell the old province house, and release to Boston all the state's interest in the old building. In 1803-'7 he was lieu- tenant-governor, and from 1811 until his death he was judge of probate for Norfolk county. — His daughter. Eliza, author, b. in Boston, Mass., 26 Aug.. 1786; d. in Cambridge, Mass., 16 July, 1853. was a teacher for many years. She was a valued friend of William Cullen Bryant, and was the au- thor of numerous successful school-books, which include "Poetry for Schools" (New York, 1828); "Primarv Dicti<marv" (1828): "Elements of My- thology ""(Philadelphia. 1830 ; 2d ed., 18.53) : "Amer- ican Popular Lessons " (New York. 1848) ; " The (iuide to Knowledge " (1852) ; " ('la.ss-Book of Poetry" (ia52); "Tales from American History" (3 vols.. 1853) ; and histories of England and Grecce.

ROBERTS, Charles George Douglas, Cana- dian poet. b. near Frederieton, N. B.. 10 Jan., 1860. After graduating with honors at the Univer.sity of New Brunswick in 1879, he was ij)pointed princi- pal of the graminar-.school, Chatluim. and later of York street school, Frederieton. He removed to Toronto in 1883 to become editor of the " Week." Subsequently he was professor of English litera- ture and economics in King's college university. In 1895 he gave up teaching and devoted himself entirely to literary work. He is the author of "Orion, and other Poems" (Btiston, 1880); "In Divers Tones" (1887); " Poems of Wild Life: An Anthologv" (New York, 1888); "Canadians of Old," from the French of Gasj* (1890); "The Ca- nadian Guide-Book" (1891); "Songs of the Com- m(m Day and Ave," an ode for the Shelley cen- tenary (1893): "The Raid from Beausejours" (1894); "Earth's Enigmas" (Boston, 1896): "The Book of the Nat ions," " The Forge in the Forest," and "A History of Cana<la" (1897).

ROBERTS, George Brooke, civil engineer, b. in Montgomery county. Pa., 15 Jan., 1833. He was graduated at Rensselaer polytechnic institute in 1849, and was an a.ssistant there in mathematics and geixlesy in 1850-'l. lie entered the Pennsyl- vania railroad service as rodman in 1851, in 1853 became a.ssistant engineer of the Philadelphia and Erie railroad, and for the next ten years was stead- ily engaged in the location and construction of various roads, returning to the Pennsylvania rail- roail in 1862, as a.ssistant to the president. He was maile fourth vice-president in 1869, then second vice-president, in 1874 first vice-president, and upon the death of Col. Thomas A. Scott, in May, 1880. he became president of the company.

ROBERTS, George Litch, lawyer, b. in Bos- ton, Mass.. 3(1 Dec, 1836. He was graduated at Wesleyan university, Middletown, Conn., in 1859, and began the practice of his profession in the office of Benjamin R. Curtis. He has taken a prominent part in the Bell telephone cases and is one of the foremost American patent lawyers.

ROBERTS, William Henry, educator, b. in Holyhead, Wale.s. 31 Jan., 1844. He is a son of Dr. William Koberts (9.i'.). was graduated at the College of the city of New York and at Princeton theo- logical seminary; was pa.stor of the Presbyterian church at Cranford, N. J.; librarian of Princeton theological seminary for eight years; and was chosen professor of practical theology in Lane theoh)gical seminary in 1886. To the duties of his profcKsorship Dr. Roberts aiids those of the stated clerkship of the general a.s.'sembly of the Presby- terian church in the United .States, an office to which he was elected in 1884. as the successor of Dr. Edwin F. lialfiehl. He was cho.sen by the assembly as treasurer of the centenary fund of