Rossiter W. Raymond
Encyclopedia
At his memorial, Rossiter Worthington Raymond (1840–1918) was described by the President of Lehigh University
as "one of the most remarkable cases of versatility that our country has ever seen’—sailor, soldier, engineer, lawyer, orator, editor, novelist, story-teller, poet, biblical critic, theologian, teacher, chess-player—he was superior in each capacity. What he did, he always did well."
, in 1632; On his mother’s side, he was descended from well-known New England
families. His great-grandfather, Nathaniel Raymond, was an officer in the Continental Army
; and his grandfather, Caleb Pratt, served in the War of 1812
.
His father (born 1817, died 1888), was a native of New York City
, a graduate of Union College (New York) in 1837, editor of the Syracuse ‘Free Democrat’ in 1852, and the ‘Evening Chronicle’ in 1853-4, and afterward professor of English in the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and principal of the Boston School of Oratory. His mother (born 1818, died 1891) was a native of Providence, Rhode Island
. They were married at Columbus, Ohio
, in 1839, and Rossiter was the eldest of a family of seven children, of whom four were sons.
He received his early education in the common schools of Syracuse, New York
, where his parents participated in the underground railroad
, and in 1857 entered the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, of which his uncle, John H. Raymond (afterward president of Vassar College
), was then president, graduating from that institution, at the head of his class, in 1858.
Having attended college at the Royal Mining Academy, Freiberg, Saxony
, the University of Heidelberg and the University of Munich, Rossiter would start his post graduate career serving as aide-de-camp
, with the rank of captain, on the staff of John C. Frémont
, by whom, during his Civil War campaign in the Valley of Virginia, he was officially commended for gallant and meritorious conduct .
, he entered private practice for several years, forming the partnership of Adelberg and Raymond in 1864. In 1868, Justus Adelberg died and Raymond dissolved the partnership to become the United States Commissioner of Mines and Mining Statistics in and West of the Rocky Mountains
. In 1869, Rossiter hired Anton Eilers
as Deputy Commissioner and, together, and apart, the two explored the entire intermountain west, becoming national experts on the mining industry and creating large annual reports for congress. See the published version of the 1869 report.
He was a long time supporter of Brooklyn's Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims
, acting, for 50 years, as the director of the Sunday school
. His role in the church was so influential that he was asked to take over for Henry Ward Beecher
when Henry died. He would also play an important role during the Beecher Tildon Scandal.
From 1870 to 1872, he was the professor of ore deposits at Lafayette College
. He was the United States Commissioner to the Vienna Exposition. In 1885, he was the New York State Commissioner of Electrical Subways
.
In 1871, he was a part of the a six member party that entered the area now known as Yellowstone National Park
, running into the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871
in the process. Raymond's party is officially known as the first group of visitors to enter a National Park, though it technically wasn't a national park at the time . Rossiter recorded the visit in his 1880 Book Camp and Cabin. The visit was also recorded by Calvin C. Clawson, a reporter for the New Northwest Newspaper. Pictures were taken by August F. Thrasher who, according to Mary C. H. Williams, carried negative plates and photos of the Yellowstone journey as far east as Indiana where the trail grows cold.
In 1911, during a visit to Japan as members and guests of the American Institute of Mining Engineers (AIME), Dr. Raymond received from the Mikado the distinction of Chevalier of the Order of the Rising Sun
, fourth class—the highest ever given to foreigners not of royal blood—’ “for eminent services to the mining industry of Japan”. These services consisted in advice and assistance rendered in America to Japanese engineers, students, and officials throughout a period of more than 25 years.
An original member of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, he served as its vice-president in 1871, 1876, and 1877, president from 1872 to 1875, and secretary from 1884 to 1911. In the last capacity he edited 40 of the annual volumes of Transactions, to which he liberally contributed essays, especially pertaining to the Federal mining laws, as well as other articles of importance.
In 1945, the institute created the Rossiter W. Raymond Memorial Award after him, to recognize the best paper written each year by an author under 33 years of age.
Most amazingly, he wasn't 'qualified' as a lawyer at that point, but in 1898 he was admitted to the bar in both the state and federal courts. In 1903, he was appointed lecturer on mining law at Columbia University
. In June 1906, Lehigh University
granted Rossiter the first Doctorate of Laws ever granted by the institution.
Ironically, despite the large body of work he produced, the opinions he expressed, and the stories he told, he is best known, at least on the internet, for the latter half of a poem titled 'Death is Only an Horizon' that qualifies as one of his shortest works:
The entire poem is: O God, who holdest all souls in life; and callest them unto thee as seemeth best: we give them back, dear God, to thee who gavest them to us. But as thou didst not lose them in the giving, so we do not lose them by their return. For not as the world giveth, givest thou, O Lord of souls: that which thou givest thou takest away: for life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only the horizon, and the horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight..
These words were later adapted into the song "Life is Eternal" by Carly Simon
, and frequently appear among quotations on the subject of life, death, and sympathy.
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
as "one of the most remarkable cases of versatility that our country has ever seen’—sailor, soldier, engineer, lawyer, orator, editor, novelist, story-teller, poet, biblical critic, theologian, teacher, chess-player—he was superior in each capacity. What he did, he always did well."
Early years
Rossiter W. Raymond was of English descent. His earliest American ancestor on the paternal side, Richard Raymond, emigrated from England to this country and settled at Salem, MassachusettsSalem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
, in 1632; On his mother’s side, he was descended from well-known New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
families. His great-grandfather, Nathaniel Raymond, was an officer in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
; and his grandfather, Caleb Pratt, served in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
His father (born 1817, died 1888), was a native of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, a graduate of Union College (New York) in 1837, editor of the Syracuse ‘Free Democrat’ in 1852, and the ‘Evening Chronicle’ in 1853-4, and afterward professor of English in the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and principal of the Boston School of Oratory. His mother (born 1818, died 1891) was a native of Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. They were married at Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, in 1839, and Rossiter was the eldest of a family of seven children, of whom four were sons.
He received his early education in the common schools of Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, where his parents participated in the underground railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
, and in 1857 entered the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, of which his uncle, John H. Raymond (afterward president of Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
), was then president, graduating from that institution, at the head of his class, in 1858.
Having attended college at the Royal Mining Academy, Freiberg, Saxony
Freiberg, Saxony
Freiberg is a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, administrative center of the Mittelsachsen district.-History:The city was founded in 1186, and has been a center of the mining industry in the Ore Mountains for centuries...
, the University of Heidelberg and the University of Munich, Rossiter would start his post graduate career serving as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
, with the rank of captain, on the staff of John C. Frémont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
, by whom, during his Civil War campaign in the Valley of Virginia, he was officially commended for gallant and meritorious conduct .
Working years
Following the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he entered private practice for several years, forming the partnership of Adelberg and Raymond in 1864. In 1868, Justus Adelberg died and Raymond dissolved the partnership to become the United States Commissioner of Mines and Mining Statistics in and West of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. In 1869, Rossiter hired Anton Eilers
Anton Eilers
Frederic Anton Eilers arrived in the United States in 1859 with no job and few contacts. The 20-year-old worked and lived the American Dream. Starting with modest means and a solid education, the German immigrant to the United States built a worldwide reputation as one of the fathers of the...
as Deputy Commissioner and, together, and apart, the two explored the entire intermountain west, becoming national experts on the mining industry and creating large annual reports for congress. See the published version of the 1869 report.
He was a long time supporter of Brooklyn's Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims
Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims
Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims is a church in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, New York City. It was a station of the Underground Railroad, and the pulpit of Henry Ward Beecher, its first pastor...
, acting, for 50 years, as the director of the Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
. His role in the church was so influential that he was asked to take over for Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher was a prominent Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, abolitionist, and speaker in the mid to late 19th century...
when Henry died. He would also play an important role during the Beecher Tildon Scandal.
From 1870 to 1872, he was the professor of ore deposits at Lafayette College
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
. He was the United States Commissioner to the Vienna Exposition. In 1885, he was the New York State Commissioner of Electrical Subways
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
.
In 1871, he was a part of the a six member party that entered the area now known as Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
, running into the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871
Hayden Geological Survey of 1871
The Hayden Geological Survey of 1871 explored the region of northwestern Wyoming that later became Yellowstone National Park in 1872. It was led by geologist Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden...
in the process. Raymond's party is officially known as the first group of visitors to enter a National Park, though it technically wasn't a national park at the time . Rossiter recorded the visit in his 1880 Book Camp and Cabin. The visit was also recorded by Calvin C. Clawson, a reporter for the New Northwest Newspaper. Pictures were taken by August F. Thrasher who, according to Mary C. H. Williams, carried negative plates and photos of the Yellowstone journey as far east as Indiana where the trail grows cold.
In 1911, during a visit to Japan as members and guests of the American Institute of Mining Engineers (AIME), Dr. Raymond received from the Mikado the distinction of Chevalier of the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
, fourth class—the highest ever given to foreigners not of royal blood—’ “for eminent services to the mining industry of Japan”. These services consisted in advice and assistance rendered in America to Japanese engineers, students, and officials throughout a period of more than 25 years.
An original member of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, he served as its vice-president in 1871, 1876, and 1877, president from 1872 to 1875, and secretary from 1884 to 1911. In the last capacity he edited 40 of the annual volumes of Transactions, to which he liberally contributed essays, especially pertaining to the Federal mining laws, as well as other articles of importance.
In 1945, the institute created the Rossiter W. Raymond Memorial Award after him, to recognize the best paper written each year by an author under 33 years of age.
Legal scholar
Rossiter left an enduring mark on the jurisprudence of mining law. He defined the 'law of the apex' and gave the term 'lode' a definition that not only swayed the decision in Eureka-Richmond lawsuit, but also influenced all later mining litigation. He was even invited to address the United States Supreme Court on a point of mining law, which the Court accepted based on its subsequent decision.Most amazingly, he wasn't 'qualified' as a lawyer at that point, but in 1898 he was admitted to the bar in both the state and federal courts. In 1903, he was appointed lecturer on mining law at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. In June 1906, Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
granted Rossiter the first Doctorate of Laws ever granted by the institution.
Author
Raymond was the author of a large number of poems, stories, newspaper articles, biographies, memorials, opinions, fiction and non-fiction books. Unfortunately, most of his original work was destroyed by a fire late in his life ; however, this comprehensive list shows the enormous breadth of his writing (scroll to bottom).Ironically, despite the large body of work he produced, the opinions he expressed, and the stories he told, he is best known, at least on the internet, for the latter half of a poem titled 'Death is Only an Horizon' that qualifies as one of his shortest works:
Life is eternal; and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.
The entire poem is: O God, who holdest all souls in life; and callest them unto thee as seemeth best: we give them back, dear God, to thee who gavest them to us. But as thou didst not lose them in the giving, so we do not lose them by their return. For not as the world giveth, givest thou, O Lord of souls: that which thou givest thou takest away: for life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only the horizon, and the horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight..
These words were later adapted into the song "Life is Eternal" by Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
, and frequently appear among quotations on the subject of life, death, and sympathy.
List of Governmental Reports to Congress
- [1st] 1868, 40th Cong., 3d sess., House ex. doc. no. 54.
- [2d] 1869, 41st Cong., 2d sess., House ex. doc. no. 207.
- [3d] 1870, 42d Cong., 1st sess., House ex. doc. no. 10.
- [4th], 1871, 42d Cong., 2d sess., House ex. doc. no. 211.
- [5th], 1872, 42d Cong., 3d sess., House ex. doc. no. 210.
- [6th], 1873, 43d Cong., 1st sess., House ex. doc. no. 141.
- [7th], 1874, 43d Cong., 2d sess., House ex. doc. no. 177.
- [8th], 1875, 44th Cong., 1st sess., House ex. doc. no. 159.
Partial list of books
- ‘Die Leibgarde‘ (1863), a German translation of ‘The Story of the Guard‘ by Mrs. Jessie Fremont (1863);
- ‘The Children’s Week‘ (1871);
- ‘Brave Hearts‘ (1873);
- ‘The Man in the Moon and Other People’ (1874);
- ‘The Book of Job‘ (1878);
- ‘The Merry-go- Round‘ (1880);
- ‘Camp and Cabin‘ (1880);
- ‘A Glossary of Mining and Metallurgical Terms‘ (1881);
- ‘Memorial of Alexander Mining Law’ (1883–95);
- ‘Two Ghosts and Other Christmas Stories’ (1887);
- ‘The Life of Peter CooperPeter CooperPeter Cooper was an American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and candidate for President of the United States...
‘ (1897);