The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-30

secured for a brief period the services Of
the iIlustrious incumbent Of the Savilian
professionally of geometry at Oxford. Q
man who is doubtless the most original
mathematician OF the age, and who, X
he had remained in Virginia, might have
accelerated by a century the geometrical
culture of the United States.
G:lmer's labors completed, he sailed
in the packet Crisis for New York on the
9Th OF October. 1924 Thirty-fve days
later. ftorm-tossed and III. he seached
his Journeys end. 1t is doubtful II his
delicate frame and uncertain health ever
recovered from the miseries OF this voy-
age. He accepted the chair Of law in the
University but was never able 70 MI
IT, The winter of 1s25-26 finds him sick
and weak. One OF his last acts was to
leave a sum of money FOR the purchase
of a Communion service for the Episcopal
church In Charlottesville, and these sa-
cred vessels. still in use, keep alive the
memory OF his piety and MS worth.
Nothing else remains. save the plain
stone above his ashes in the Pen Park
graveyard. bearing the following pa
thetic legend:
Sacred
to the memory OF
Francis Walker Gilmer.
Professor-elect OF Law
in the University OF Virginia.
Born, October O. 1890;
Died. February 26, 1928.
The following inscription was traced by
his own hand:
Pray. stranger. allow one who never
had peace while he lived the sad immu-
mites of the grave.
SILENCE AND REPOSB"
Strange and touching is the literal full
fIlment of this dying wish. Posterity.
he had none His kindred are scattered.
The State which he loved so truly. the
school which he served so WELL have
had for him no gift, save oblivion. A
stranger to his race and to his country.
the gentle daughter OF a foreign sire
weeds his grave and keeps II clean. And
nothing breaks the silence Of his resting
place save the mountain breezes as they
sweep across the hill, or the waves or the
Rivanna as they splash against its
foot.
Professors Long and Blaettermann
landed in New York soon after Gilmer.
Proceeding to Richmond, they reached
that place on December 18th, and ar
rived In Charlottesville on Christmas
day. 1924. Pavilion V. now Professor
Smiths residence. was allotted to Long
! and he writes thence to Gilmer that the
tants. looks like a deserted city," and
| that he is confined TO the house by a
heavy fall OF snow and sees mo living
being but my black friend, Jacob, and
| Mr.. Grey's family, where I eat"
The three remaining professors, Key,
| Bonnycastle and Dunglison. crossed In
the Competitor, which sailed from Lon
don direct for Norfolk on or about Octo-
Der %, 1924. 1t was six weeks before they
got out OF the channel, and four months
| before our travellers reached Charlottes-
vile. Long deplores the fact that they
vera so foolish as to embark In an old
log" and jefferson confesses that he was
almost ready to give up the ship.
Once the vessel, struck by a sudden
souali. would have careened ana gone
to the bottom OF the Atlantic. had not
her rotten sails blown instantly to rib
bons. Again. the sea was so TREMENDOUS
over the deck that Key declared AFTER
wards that he had been washed out OF
the ship by one wave and into 1t by the
next"-a story at which his bioSrapher