Grove Karl Gilbert. 677 



from the Survey in 1894, it contained another man of 

 conspicuous administrative capacity, well trained to 

 carry on and to carry farther its great organization. 

 The scientific world expected the new director to be Gil- 

 bert, but he himself had no such ambition and was well 

 content to return in his later years to scientific research. 



The ten years of Gilbert's mature life that were largely 

 spent in the West won for him a deservedly high place in 

 geological science. The following twelve years spent 

 largely in Washington gave him high rank among scien- 

 tific men. The chief lesson of his western work comes 

 rather from the transparent reasonableness of his meth- 

 ods of investigation and — excepting the too-short chapter 

 on the Basin ranges — from the delightful clearness of his 

 style of presentation, than from the results that he 

 reached, important as they were. The chief lesson of his 

 life in Washington has not been fully recognized by his 

 colleagues ; it was a lesson not in science but in loyalty, 

 the great lesson of self-sacrificing service. He gave up 

 his own preference for investigation and turned largely 

 to administrative duties, as they were seen by the chief 

 under whom he had enlisted. Yet even thus, his effect 

 on geological science, although for the most part anony- 

 mous, was very great. His advice was highly valued in 

 the Survey and outside of it. His opinion usually car- 

 ried his associates far toward a conclusion. On termi- 

 nology, correlation of formations, map coloring, form of 

 folios, and other technical matters he submitted serious, 

 even elaborate discussions, some of which were published 

 as a means of bringing Survey problems more clearly to 

 the attention of American geologists. 



Happily his administrative duties included close rela- 

 tions with many younger men, and this was as enjoyable 

 to Gilbert as it was profitable to his juniors, for his 

 nature was kindly, patient and sympathetic. Those who 

 had to report their work to him carried away inspiration 

 from every contact. The encouragement of his approval 

 was a spur to new effort. To one of his subordinates 

 with whom he was reviewing the proposed solution of a 

 problem in the field, he said rather brusquely after a 

 reflective pause at the end of the day: — "How did you 

 find it out?" This brief remark was then taken and is 

 still treasured as the highest reward of a long study ; for 

 if, after hearing the solution of a problem, that keen in- 

 vestigator cared to ask how it had been found out. . . ! 



