178 GROVE KAEL GILBERT— DAVIS [U ™ 0iR \voZxxi; 



much fresher than when I put in my plea" for a leave of absence. Little wonder that he wrote 

 about this time to Russell, who was exploring certain terraces of the Columbia Valley in the 

 State of Washington, where the river had been formerly blocked by glaciers that descended 

 from the mountains on the northwest: "I envy you the study." As a result of the postponed 

 departure, his vacation was a short one. He was away from Washington during the fatiguing 

 summer of 1892 only from August 11 to 27; the time was spent partly at Ithaca, partly at Roch- 

 ester during a meeting of the American association. On his return to Washington he was 

 freer than he had been for some years to pursue his own studies, the face of the moon among 

 them. Yet, although the position of chief geologist no longer existed, because Congress had made 

 no provision for it, Gilbert still continued at Powell's request to act in that capacity in many 

 ways for over a year. 



AFTER FIFTY TEARS 



The disaster of 1892 bore much more heavily upon Powell as director of the entire survey 

 than on Gilbert as chief geologist of one division. Indeed for several years previously the 

 normal difficulties of the director's position, serious enough by reason of the extraordinary 

 growth of the survey, had been aggravated by the antagonism of political enemies and the 

 irritation of conflicts. The reduction of appropriations in 1892 to $430,000 was almost a break- 

 ing strain. It is true that the reduction was followed by an increase nearly to $500,000 in 1893, 

 but this small gain did not nearly restore the scale of expenditure that had been permitted a 

 few years before; and in spite of the better feeling that the gain indicated, the directorship be- 

 came a fatiguing burden for Powell, all the more so because his half-amputated arm continued to 

 give him much pain. He therefore determined in the winter of 1893-94 to withdraw from the 

 survey in the following spring and to devote himself thenceforward to the Bureau of American 

 Ethnology, of which he had been made chief before he became director .of the survey. The 

 Great Basin mess gave him a farewell lunch in May, at which 48 members of the survey were 

 present; a photograph much prized by those represented in it shows Powell next to Gilbert at 

 the head of the table. Then arose the important problem of securing a fitting successor to Powell 

 as director. 



The geological world naturally looked upon Gilbert as the man for the place, and rightly 

 enough, for he was admittedly the most eminent geologist on the survey staff. It is gratifying 

 to learn that Powell also had earlier looked upon Gilbert in the same light, for although no 

 pubhc mention was made of it at the time, it is known that the Major had wished to withdraw 

 in favor of his chosen adviser several years before he actually resigned, and that the two had con- 

 sidered the matter together. The scientific opportunities of the position appear to have been in 

 some respects tempting to Gilbert, but the administrative responsibilities had not attracted him. 

 However, when the offer was definitely made to him he consulted an old-time friend in whom he 

 had confidence, and the friend wisely advised him against it, pointing out that while no one who 

 knew him could doubt for a moment the safety of the survey in his hands, the innumerable and 

 often vexatious details which were unavoidably attached to the office of director and the annual 

 necessity of a certain amount of political work would surely prove a heavy strain upon him, and 

 that he ought to hesitate long before accepting the new responsibility in place of the freer posi- 

 tion as an investigating geologist in which he had already gained so enviable a rank. Thus Gil- 

 bert's own judgment was confirmed, although perhaps to his disappointment; and the upshot 

 of it all was that Powell continued as director several years longer. When at last Powell's 

 resignation could be no longer delayed, Gilbert's experience as chief geologist appears to have 

 convinced all concerned that he would not wish to be, and perhaps would not be successful 

 as director; so the position went to another member of the staff upon whom its administrative 

 cares rested easily. But it was still to his former chief geologist that Powell looked for personal 

 support; it was Gilbert who went with him to the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore when 

 a new operation on his arm became necessary in May, 1894. 



A disinclination to part from his long-time chief was very probably the main cause that 

 had led Gilbert to decline the offered professorship at Cornell in the summer of 1892, as told 

 above, for he seems otherwise to have been much attracted by this opportunity. He had 

 written regarding it to a professor in another college: 



