252 ROCHESTER ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



brother, H. Roy Gilbert, remained in the city as manager of a 

 milling business until his death in 1902; and a sister, Mrs. Peter 

 Loomis, is yet living in Jackson, Michigan. During Gilbert's boy- 

 hood the family lived at the junction of Exchange and Clarissa 

 streets, but about 1861 land was purchased and a cottage built 

 at the intersection of Culver Road and Merchants Road. 



Karl, as he was always called by his family and intimates, was a 

 studious boy, graduating at the Rochester High School at the age 

 of 15, and from the University at 19. He was tall, slender, thin- 

 chested and rather delicate, being overgrown for his years. As 

 a condition of going to college he was required to take out-of-door 

 exercise, and spent much time rowing on the Genesee River, and 

 in later years on Irondequoit Bay. 



He is remembered as a quiet, modest boy, with pleasant manners, 

 very kindly disposition, and of very even temper. He was a good 

 student, apparently indififerent to college honors and prizes. He 

 was strong in mathematics, which explains his facility in the 

 handling of geologic problems involving mathematics and physics. 

 He had a keen sense of humor, and Rossiter Johnson, a class- 

 mate, says that he wrote skits for the college paper. The follow- 

 ing passage in a letter from him in November, 1917, illustrates his 

 happy temperament. After saying that he hand-printed thousands 

 of the labels in the Ward Collections of the University Museum 

 he adds : "Your inquiry calls to memory an embellishment that 

 proved to be only temporary. In a collection installed for the 

 Buffalo Academy of Sciences was a cast of an impression, on 

 Connecticut sandstone, of a saurian who rested on feet, tarsals and 

 tail ; and I added in the margin of the label a quotation from King 

 Richard — 'all places yield to him ; here sits he down.' This struck 

 Ward as an exhibition of undue levity, and a new label was 

 written." 



It is said that he was sometimes absent-minded, but took the 

 jokes about it in good nature. His boyhood playmate, Mr. Robert 

 Bell, writes : "I would judge that Karl was of too kindly dis- 

 position to make a successful teacher of youngsters ; they would 

 take advantage of him." 



In 1862 young Gilbert graduated at the University of Rochester. 

 He had no decision as to vocation, but did not wish to enter any 



