Riley

4001

Ring

 

engineer, was born in New York City, and
was graduated from Columbia Law School.
He produced one of the first electrically pro-
pelled vehicles in the United States, and was
a successful designer of gas engines, dynamos,
motors, electric systems, transformers, and
automobile parts.
Riley, James Whitcomb (1853-1916),
American poet, born in Greenfield, Ind., son
of a leading attorney of that place. In 1873
he began contributing verse to the Indiana
papers. He made a study of the 'Hoosier^5
dialect; his poems in that vernacular were
widely popular, and obtained him entrance
to the magazines. His first collection, The
Old Swim mm' Hole, and 'Leven More Pieces
(1883), was published over the pen name of
'Benj. F. Johnson, of Boone'—a little book
much valued by collectors.
The combination of humor, pathos, and
sentiment in James W. Riley's verse appealed
to high and low alike. He became known as
'the Hoosier Poet'; but many of his most
poetic pieces are written in ordinary English,
such as 'When She Comes Home,' 'Ike Wal-
ton's Prayer/ and 'Dwainie.' Of late years it
has been increasingly recognized that he is of
high permanent significance in American lit-
erature, not only for individual pieces, but as
a creator of types. James W. Riley's works
include: The Boss Girl, and Other Sketches
(1886); Rhymes of Childhood (1890); A
Child World (1896); Raggedy Man (1907);
The Little Orphant Annie Book (1908); Old
School Day Romances (1900); When the
Frost Is On the Pitnkin, and Other Poems
(1911); The Riley Baby Book (1913). The
Biographical Edition of his Complete Works
was published in 1913.
Rime. See Hoarfrost? Rhyme*
Rimini, town, Italy, in the province of
Forli, near the Adriatic coast, 31 m. s.e. of
Ravenna. It has a good harbor on the canal-
ized river Marecchia and is a favorite seaside
resort. Features of interest are the church of
St. Francesco, now the cathedral, which was
built in the i4th century, and the municipal
buildings, containing a famous collection of
paintings. Among Roman antiquities is the
Porta Roman a, a triumphal arch, and a well
preserved marble bridge across the Marecchia.
The Palazzo Ruffo was the scene of the mur-
der (1285) of Francesca da Rimini, immor-
talized by Dante. The principal trade is in
silks and sulphur, Rimini, the ancient Ari-
minum, was made a bishopric in 260, and a
celebrated council of Arians and Athanasians

was held here in 359. It was ceded to Venice
(1503); p. 29,545.
Rimini, Francesca da.   See Francesca.
Rimmer, William (1816-79), American
sculptor and teacher, was born in Liverpool,
England, and educated in London. He lec-
tured at Harvard University on art anatomy,
upon which he was an acknowledged author-
ity. For several years (1866-70) he was direc-
tor of the art school of the Cooper Union in
New York City. His work includes The Fall-
ing Gladiator, now in Boston, of which a
replica has been made for the New York
Metropolitan Museum, a colossal head of St.
Stephen, and a statue of Alexander Hamilton.
He published The Elements of Design.
Rimsky-Korsakoff, Nicolas Andrei-
vitch (1844-1908), Russian composer, was
born in Tekhvin, His first symphon> was
written in 1865 and his first opera in 1872.
He was professor of instrumentation in the
Petrograd Conservatory (1871), head of the
Free School of Music (1872-81), and con-
ductor of the Balaief Symphony Concerts
(1886-1900). His influence was widely felt,
especially among Russian musicians. His
published works include The Maid of Pskof
(1872); The Snow Maiden (1881); Sadko
(1896); The Tsar's Bride (1898); The Golden
Cockerel (1907), besides many songs, three
symphonies, and a small amount of chamber
music.
Rinehart, Mary Roberts (1876- ),
American author and playwright, was born in
Pittsburgh. Her publications which have en-
joyed great popularity, include The Circular
Staircase (1908); Tish (1916); The A mas*
ing Interlude (1917); Lost Ecstasy (1927),
The State versus Elinor Norton (1934), and
several plays, in some of which she has col-
laborated with Avery Hopwood.
Ring, a band of metal used to adorij the
finger. From the earliest times great import-
ance and even sanctity has attached to the
ring or circle. The wearing of a ring has been
held to prevent the entrance of evil spirits in-
to the body of the wearer. Or, again, the ring
may be held to symbolize eternity, without
beginning or end. In traditional lore, rings
are frequently endowed with supernatural
power. At the present day the efficacy of the
finger-ring is still greatly believed in, and
many civilized people would not regard them-
selves as married if a ring did not figure in
the wedding ceremony. The duplex jimmal
ring was a symbol of true love, being con-
structed of twin or double hoops, which