The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-11-09
A LITTLE PRODIGY.

II LII LIE fNofJlSI -.
!, There is now, at Montpelier, a boy, whose
powers OF arthmetIcal calculation are certainly
astonishing His name is ZERAA C0LRURN, he
was born in the town of Cabot, in this state, and
was years old on the first of September last -
ais father, Ae:a Goitarn. has been known to the
editor OF this paper many years. He is an honest
iaboring man, IN very INDECENT circumstances, his
family depending principally for their daily SUBJ
sstence on the avails of his daily industry. The
boy has never been at school but between and
Sweeks, where he begun with bis letters, and
went through the usual tables Of spelling. This
was at a womans school, where reading and spell
ling only were taught. The boy cannot read with
out spelling, does moi know figure, and was ne
yer in situation 10 hear any yrithmetical cslcu-
tations, eithcr ut home or abroad. Yet, without
peing tnught any thing more than TO count TWEEN
~ or thirty, he will solve, quicker than the most
expert arithmeticaH with pen, any question put
TO hun IN multiplication, provided the two sums
Go be multiplied together, are each less than 100
IL the sum do not exceed tens-that is, if neither
of them amount to one h,ndred, the ans.-e: ;;::.!!
be generally without apparent calculation and
st one OF those numbers be not more Than twenty,
1t will be instantaneous, a quick Us the CUES
zion can be put. Give him yo,,r age in years he
will tell it in days. Give hirN several distinct
gums to be multiplied, and demand the total a.
2noEnt, the answer, (aitLaHgh tlercsult of appa-
rent calculation, as may be seen by the motion of
his ps.) is given within few seconds and gene
rally correct Ii is the object OF his father, in
thus INTRO scing lin TO pubic notice to procure
abe means OF giving MIN AN education. He has
been examined by almost all the members of the
Legislature and others TO their uniform satisfac
zion and astoBshment
The following questions were put by the hon,
Judge Paine, in presence ofgen Chhtenden, gen.
Hunt Judge Painter, Judge Crafts, and many o.
tlier gentlemen, which were ali ans ,ycred
promptly, aud ali but one Chow many is S times
so correctly, which, however, or perceiying the
error, he Immediately corrected:
How many is 9 times Is
How many is IS tines So?
1tow many is 10 times 29i
How many is ID times 46
Row many is IS times 79
2.ow many is Is times IS
How many days in 10 years
How many minutss in day
How many hours in year
How many days in 5 years
How many does times 25, times SIS, and 7
times Is make in I'll
AT another time, put him, among many other
que stons, the following What is the amount of
4 times z, 10 times 25, 8 times 7o, and 9 times
% These he answered correctly in about Is
seconds.
tits stated by his father, tliat the boy was sup
posed TO be an idiot, til! he was more than year
old. At tile age of three he was found TO be the
brightest in the family. Nothing more was tho't
of him TIL tie last summer, when he was obser.
we'd putting hard questions TO other children,
lac could readily answer himself His father i'm
5nediately took the multiplication table and found
that he was master Of it III any shape ii could be
put to HIM Since that he has passed for most
wonderful boy.
When asked how he learnt to answer such
questions, he says he does not know. " How do
you know it is you say J" " Why" he replies
% know 1T is 50, because it is so-thst's all the
%sy know it."
lie IS rather stout Of bis age, very clumsily
built, ligid compexion, with lively blue eyes and
red hsiI lie mas, ike his father, II toes and
exira GrEer on each band His mind appears TN.
commonly octiye AND vigorous and iIis quesli.
CHs and snspers beray SHIRE duess which rare
Jy appears at the age Of 10 or H. lie lsps lit.
tie IN speaking, & bis enunciatioD is rather slow,
corresponding ,gas his bodily movements. Con.
trary 20 tie advice of his best friends, unquestI.
onaby, yetin obedience to tie opinions Of others,
who ere regarded, equally correct, his father
inteDdsto exhibit him, an object Of curiosity,
10 some 0f our capital towns, where lie will un |
doubleday be regarded as All ayifhmeiieaE pieso- |
;neDoss--(6.
PBILApELYBIR, October 80. |
Z" They sGys< 76ia have blood 49,
THE NCRDER ar MIG PFEVEC