314 ROWLAND GIBSON HAZAED. 



in Charleston, S. C, engaged in the manufacture of woollen goods in 

 Peace Dale, R. I., in 1802. Soon after leaving school, the subject 

 of this memoir, with his older brother, Isaac Peace, succeeded to the 

 father's business in Peace Dale. The business rapidly expanded. 

 In 1847 the Peace Dale Manufacturing Company was incorporated. 

 In 18G6 Mr. R, G. Hazard withdrew from the active conduct of the 

 affairs of the company, and left them in the hands of his two sons. 

 He brought to the prosecution of business the greatest activity and 

 energy. 



He was always deeply interested in whatever conduced to the pros- 

 perity of his town and of his State, and to the welfare of humanity. 

 He was active in promoting the growth of free schools in Rhode 

 Island, and in elevating public morals. He presented his town with 

 a free town-hall. Once, when in New Orleans, he with the aid of 

 Jacob Barker secured the release of a Rhode Island negro and other 

 black freemen from the chain-gang to which they had been unjustly 

 condemned, though his action was not unattended with peril to him- 

 self. He was a member of the General Assembly of Rhode Island 

 for several terms, serving in both houses. While there, he opposed 

 with great vigor the practice by railroads of charging higher propor- 

 tionate rates for local travel and freights than for through travel and 

 freights. His bills, though unsuccessful, anticipated the legislation to 

 which Congress has now resorted. Though himself not college bred, 

 he was a warm friend of higher education. From 1869 to his death 

 he was a member of the Corporation of Brown University. He 

 founded the Hazard Chair of Physics with an endowment of forty 

 thousand dollars. 



He was a strong antislavery man, and took a somewhat active part 

 in politics from the time of the organization of the Republican party. 

 He was a delegate to the National Convention which nominated Fre- 

 mont, and to subsequent Conventions. 



He cherished a keen interest in questions of political economy and 

 finance, and discussed them with great ability in newspapers and re- 

 views. During the civil war he was frequently consulted on financial 

 matters by Secretary Chase and President Lincoln. He made vigor- 

 ous and successful efforts in Europe to promote the sale of the United 

 States bonds, particularly in Holland and at Frankfort on the Main. 



He is perhaps best known to the world by his philosophic writ- 

 ings. His earliest work, on Language, though showing some imma- 

 turity of thought, really contained the germs of the leading ideas in 

 his subsequent philosophic discussions. It was published anony- 



