Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/277

Rh manner, and was elected after a vigorous cam- paign by a majority of about twelve thousand. He led the National guard of the state, numbering nearly 15,00 men, in the Dewey parade. iiO Sept., 1899, and during the year made many important public aildresses in Xew York and elsewhere. Gov. R(X>sevelt's most important work is entitled "The Winning of the West " (4 vols.. New York, 18SU- '90), followed in 1899 by " The Rough Riders." During 1900 he will contribute to a New Y'ork magazine a series of papers on Oliver Cromwell.

'''ROOT. Elihu''', cabinet officer, b. in Clinton, One- ida CO., N. Y., 15 Feb., 1845, the son of (Jren Root, who was professor of mathematics for many veare in Hamilton college, from which institu- tion Elihu was grad- uated in 1864. He studied law, complet- ing his course at the New York university law -school. When he gained admission to the bar he began the practice of Taw in New York city. His first law partner was John H.Strahan, and his next partner- ship wa.s with Wil- lard Bart lett, who be- came a justice of the supreme court. As a young lawyer Mr. Root was active in New York politics. He was a I{«publican. and in 1879 was the Republican candidate for judge of the court of common iileas, but was defeated. lie became a lemler in tiie Republican organization of his assembly district, and in 1886 and 1887 was the chairman of the Republican county commit- tee. President Arthur appointed him U.S. district attorney for the southern district of New York, and he held that office two years. Mr. R(x>t was counsel for William M. Tweed on the exposure of the Tweed ring metho<ls, for the executors in the Hoyt and Havemeycr will cases, and for the con- testants in the Hamcrsley will case. In recent years Mr. Root ha.s been counsel, attorney, and legal adviser for several large corporations. He is a member of the Bar association, was president of the Republican club of New York several years, and president of the I'nion league club in 1898. being re-ele<;led for 1899. Mr. Root appeared as counsel for Col. Theodore Roosevelt at the Republican state convention of 1899. in Saratoga, and made an im[>ortant speech, explaining ('<p1. Roosevelt's reasons for objecting to Ijeing as.sessed for per- sonal taxes in New York city. He has been one of (iov. Roosevelt's advisers on political questions, and on the resignation of Oen. Alger in Angu.st, 1899, he was appointed secretary of war.

ROPES, Hannah Anderson, author, b. in New Gloucester. .Me., 24 .Iiine, 1808; d. in Georgetown. D. C, 13 Feb., 186:t. She was the daughter of Peter Chandler, was educated in j)rivate schools, and taught, previous to her marriage to William H. Ropes. She settled in Lawrence, Kan., in 1885. and earnestly opposed the admission of slavery into that territory : and it is said that her letter on that subject to Charles Sumner, who was her intimate friend, inspired his s[>eech on the " Bar- barism of Slaverv." During the civil war she was matron of the tJnion hotel hospital at George- town, and her indefatigable labors in nursing the wounded caused her death. Mrs. Ropes published two books. "Six Months in Kansas" (Boston, 1856) and "Cranston House" (1859).

'''ROSS. Betsy''', flag-maker, b. in Philadelphia, 1 Jan., 1752 : d. there, 30 Jan., 1836. Her father, Samuel Griscom, assisted in the erection of Inde- pendence hall. The young Quakeress, Elizabeth, married in December, 1773, John Ross, an Episcojia- lian, and for marrying "oil! of meeting" the FrieniN disowned her. Ross, wli was a nephew of Georu Ross, one of the signers oi the Declaration of Inde- pendence, established him- self as an upholsterer at No. 239 Arch street, and there he died in January. 1776. His young widow- carried on the business. and there, on the sugges- tion of Washington, slu made the first American flag which was adopted by congress, 14 June, 1777. Later Mrs. Ross received the contract to make all the government flags, hold- ing it for numy years and a daughter continuing the business until 1857. Many efforts have been made to remove the historic little house in Arch street (see illustration) to other cities, and to pro- vide against this the American flag-house and Betsv Ross association has been formed and the building purchased for the sum of $25,000. It was erecte<l more than two hundred years ago, the bricks of which it is built having wen brought from England as ballast in the hold of the " Wel- come" in the days of William Penn.

ROSS, David Alexander, Canadian statesman, b. in Quebec, 12 March, 1819; d. there, 23 July, 1897. His grandfather fought under Wolfe in Canada as a memljerof a volnnteercompany of the78th High- landers. He was educated in (Quebec high-school and the seminary, and was called to the bar of Ix)wer Canada in 1848. He had been lidtonnier of the Quebec bar, president of St. Andrew's society, president of the Literary and historical society, attorney-general, and [iresident of the executive council of Quebec. He sat in the house of assem- bly for Quebec county from 1878 to 1881, and be- came a meiiilier of the legislative council in 1887.

ROSS, Jonathan. senator, b. in Waterford, Vt., 30 April, 1N26. His grandfather moved from Massachu.setts in 1795,clearing afarm and cutting the forest in one of the nioneer towns of northern Vermont. He was grad mil ed from Dartmouth in 1851, teaching sch(H>l in winter while attending college. He studied law in Chelsea when principal of the academy there.and was admitti^d to the bar in 1856. He was elected to the supreme court bench in 1873. and twenty years later became chief justice. This position he held until his resignation, m January, 1899, having Ijeen appointed to the U. S. senate, to succeed the late Justin S. Morrill.

'''ROUTHIER. Adolphe Basile.''' Canadian jurist, b. near IMontreal. 8 .May, 1839. He was educated at the College of St. 'i'licrcse and at Laval uni- versity ; was called to the bar of Lower Canada in Decetnber, 1851, and began practice at Kamouraska. Besides practising law he wrote for the news- papers and magazines. The ultramontane Catho- lic party recognized him as a leader. In politics he tookthe side of the (.'onservatives, and in 1869