Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/680

connected. He had been twice married. His sec- ond wife, nee Saraii H. Gavett, is living. Mr. Gil- bert's career of sixty years before the public had been unmarked either by vicissitudes or adven- tures. Away from the theatre his life had been quiet and retired. He was one of the few perform- ers before the public whose career compassed more than two generations, from the days when he played in connection with Cooper, Junius B. Booth, and the Kem- bles. His range of charactei's had been wide, in comedy and ti'agedy, and at the time of his death he was among the few who M'ere able to . [lortray effectively the fine old English gentleman of other tlays. Among his most popular per- sonations were Sir Peter Teazle, Sir 2\nthony Absolute, Lord Ogleby, Job

Thornberry and Old

Dornton. His ability to learn new parts was unimpaired, and after a few readings of old ones that were favorites with him many years ago, he was able to recite them with precision. With all his experience he in- formed the writer of this notice that on first nights he was usually more or less nervous, and in former years was several times overcome by stage-fright. Although well nigh an octogenarian, he looked more like a man of sixtv. and ascribed his freedom from many of the ailments of advanced age to con- stant bathing' and cold-water treatment.

GILBERT, Linda, philanthropist, b. in Rochester, N. Y., 13 May, 1847; d. in Mount Vernon, N. Y., 24 Oct., 1895. She removed to Chicago, Ill., with her parents, and was educated at St. Mary's convent in that city. She became interested at an early age in efforts to improve the condition of prisons and prisoners, and endeavored “to remove the conditions that produce crime, by a wholesome system of industry and culture.” She succeeded in placing in various prisons libraries of from 1,500 to 2,000 volumes each, and aggregating 30,000 volumes. In 1876 the “Gilbert library and prisoners' aid society” was incorporated under the laws of the state of New York, and Miss Gilbert became president of its board of managers. The objects of the society are to improve prison discipline, to place libraries in every prison and jail in the country, to look after the prisoner's family if in need and worthy of aid, and to help convicts to lead upright lives after their discharge. Although lack of funds has prevented the society from doing any work since 1883, Miss Gilbert continued to labor as an individual. She has patented several devices, including a noiseless rail for railroads, and a wire clothes-pin, and has used these for the purpose of gaining money to carry on her philanthropic work. For the same charitable purpose she established “Linda Gilbert's Tax and Trade Record.”

GILBERT, Mahlon Norris, P. E. bishop, b. in Morris, N. Y., 23 March, 1848. His early edu- cation and training were obtained at Fairfield seminary, N. Y. He entered Hobart college in 1866, but, owing to pulmonary troubles, was com- pelled to leave before the end of the course. Pie spent two years in Florida for the benefit of his health, after which he took charge of the School of the Good Shepherd, at Ogden, Utah. He entered Seabury divinity-school, Faribault, Minn., in 1872, was graduated in 1875, and was ordained deacon by Bishop Whipple. Shortly afterward he went to Montana and took ciiarge of a large mission field at Deer Lodge, in the western part of the ter- ritory. He was ordained priest by Bishop Tuttle in October, 1875, and continued his labors, partly at Deer Lodge and partly at Helena, for five or six years, meeting with abundant success. In January, 1881, he was called to the rectorship of Christ church, St. Paul, Minn., and also established mis- sions at White Bear, Fort Snelling, Merriam Park, and Randolph street. He has received the degree of D. D. from Seabury divinity-school and also from Racine college. Dr. Gilbert has been active- ly engaged in diocesan work, was a deputy to the general convention of 1886, and was elected assist- ant bishop of Minnesota in the same year. He was consecrated on 17 Oct., 1886.

GlLBERT, Nathaniel, lawyer. He was speaker in the house of assembly in Antigua, West Indies, and is distinguished as the founder of Methodism in those islands. While in England in 1758, he and two of his slaves heard Wesley preach, and all became converts. On his return to the West In- dies, Gilbert held religious meetings in his own house, became a Methodist preacher, and founded a society, chiefly of blacks, which was the begin- ning of the Weslevan missions in the archipelago.

GILBERT, Raleigh. He was a nephew of Sir Walter Raleigh, and commanded a vessel containing 120 colonists in the expedition to settle at the mouth of the Kennebec river in 1607. Arriving at Monhegan island on 11 Aug., a fort was built at Cape Small Point, now a part of Phippsburg, Me., and named St. George. Gilbert was appointed ad- ministrator. Becoming by the deatli of iiis brother the heir to the family estates in England, and the storehouse of the colony being burned, he re- turned to England the following year, the whole colony accompanying him.

GILBERT, Rufus Henry, inventor, b. in Guilford, N. Y., 26 Jan., 1832 ; d. in New York city, 10 July, 1885. He served an apprenticeship with a manufacturing firm in Corning, N. Y., studied medicine with Dr. Willard Parker, of New York city, and was graduated at the College of physicians and surgeons. At the beginning of the civil war he joined the Duryea zouaves as surgeon, and served through the war, performing at the battle of Big Bethel the first surgical operation that was made under fire during the struggle. He was afterward made medical director and superintendent of the U. S. army hospitals. His health becoming impaired, he gave up active practice and became assistant superintendent of the New Jersey central railroad. While thus occupied he was led to study the question of rapid transit in New York city. His attention was drawn to this subject on account of his experiences as a physician, and in view of the excessive mortality in overcrowded