The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-02-09
(FOR THE ENoUIRER.)


Chairman, in Senate.
(FoR THE ENouIRER)
| EXTRAORDINARY POWERS OF CALcuLA
| T1oN IN A CHILD.
EEtrocfed from letter Of SAMUEL L.
| AHITcHILL member Of the House Of Re
| fresenta iUes an Congress from W York.
to Joseph .NEEF. TEACHER Of youth uton
the PeStaNozzian fian. near IohRadelhhia.
dated at the city Of Washington. Jan. so,
| 1911.
| SIR,
1 was consulted few days ago con-
corning the education of an uncommon boy
now at this place and advised that he
should be Immediately put under your tuiti-
on, as pupil. But as | have reason to
suppose. my counsel will not be followed,
take the liberty of troubling You with brief
| account of him.
Lerah Colbourn, son of Abiah Colbourn, of
Cabot-town, county of Caledonia, N the
State OF Vermont, was born on the first day
| OF September, 1904. He is the SIX h child !;
and there are besides two younger than he.
Uncommon powers of Combining numbers
and OF arithmetical calculation, have been
| manifested in him. Until the latter part of
August OF the beginning of Septe mber, he
appeared as other lively and sprghtly chill
dren, and not exceeding in requirements,
those of his own age. About that time his
father overheard him mutterng and talking
to himself, hen iaquiring what he was do
ing, it was discovered that he was adding
and multiplying numbers-Snce that time he
has shown himself an extraordinary calcu-
later.
What renders the matter more singular, is
that he never went to school for more than
six weeks, and is quite ignorant of ng &
! cyPheriis. He can only read little in the
Spelling book
| His hair is of the colour. very improperly
called red his complexion fair and ruddy,
with some freCkles, eyes blue, nose rather
| thick. disposition very active and playful :;
| and he resembles his father, in having fifth
| finger on each hand.
His power of calculating is exceedingly ra-
pid. 1t by far surpasses in speed, every
| thing that can be done by pen OF pencil.
| indeed In many cases, his conclusions seem
to be almost instantaneous Yet on watch
| ing tine little fellow between the time that
| he receives question, and that in which he
answers II, one can plainly discover, that
there Is an intellectual pr: cess, by which he
advances, step by step, to his Conclusion
| But tue progress OF his ideas is incomparably
more quick, han that of any other person /
have ever seen.
| he following are some of the questions
which he answered without hesitation or
with an exceedingly small compliment OF
time or consideration During the principal
part or them he was IN my private chamber
and amused himself with making rude,
marks with apencii, tearing paper, eating
! fruit, and the like. all the while
In Addition.-- The amount &C So. Az and ~
the sum of So, 1e and 9S.
| the agg egate # &C. 10 and 25
| now MANY are SO Sd and 50 ,
! add together l56, 40 and So
In Subtraction. - axe SO from 2l7.
how much is 50 less than 80
In Mut.ihHcation.-Multlply III b, Is.
the product of 90 by SO.
tine amount OF Il2 by A.
the sum OF 200 oy 60.
Add together the RESPECTIVE produ Is of
81 multiplied by IS, and of Is multiplied bv
81. the product OF 98I multiplied by9l.
In OtOtsion.-1ow many times 16 in 500,
and what remainder. How
often "a in 800. and how ma
| ny left How many 1875 in
| 1863 divide 800 by 81, and
tell The quotient and remain
derl
While he was playing about Mrs Mitch
III, she received ready solutions to the fol-
lowing, among other queries
Sum up 500 1858 and 152.
Tell the amount of 90. So and IS,
How much is 344 han 54o6.
| Multply SAB by So
Divide 42Oby 81,
lie also told readily how many hours there
were In 40 years; in 81 years and in Is
years. months and 2 days. And he shew-
ed considerable promptness in replying to
several questions concerning distances and
measures of length.
! But his conclusions are not infallible. The
first question put to him was at first an
swered enormously he afterwards correct
| ed 1t. / observed mistakes on several other
occasions. OF some of them he was quite
tenacious, affirming he was right But all
ways gave up his opposition. if his attention
was sufficiently excited, to make him review
the subject with care.
| Accept my friendly salurations, mingled
with regret such a faculty as this boy Dos
sesses should not be evolved by your admira-
BILE method.
SAMUEL L. MITCHELL.
| CT 4 further account T this AMERICAN PAS
cHAL, from the Boston AnthoIoky.
zERAH COLBURN.
II