The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1839-06-20
4 REMARKABLE RIsToRY.

- Xxi n AAALAsA AAA- AANs
Zsrek Cci5ara.-Na Phsnomsna q
he uhoie history % inlsllreiual mas,
have heen mere IsmsFksl.e itsa th0ss
attending he life ef Zsrah Colb1Tn.
whose death has bsea recently annouae'
I'd.
lie Vas bora a Csbal. Vermont. on
The lei Of Seplember. 1904. ahd wss he
sixth child Of poor bur respectable par
snls. His father Was . farmer. and be
irsI discovered his sOn's peesllsr iaenl'
~ some time in August. 1910. The boy
being then about SIX years old. The
child had been a. . district school only
about six weeks. which eampIissd all has
opportunity for education. and The hrsl
indication he gave Of his uncOmmon
e0mmsnd OF numbers MAS By running
through tie multiplication table. while
sitting on The floor Of earpenler's shop.
and watching chips as they were IhToHn
of By the TOOL.
lie was taken % several plaees in
Vermont. and was examined by dislia-
guished men. Who acre ssionished 81
his pouer, which Vas no less ineom-
prehenslble 10 them Than 10 himself. Ry
the advice Of lriends. his father vas in
duced 10 take Zerah about Tor exhibition.
though several capital offers were made
lespecially BY Professor Adams. of Dart
mouth College. 10 take him in charge
and give him = complete eduealion. All
The offers were refused BY tie meTeen-
airy spirit Of the father.
In Boston lie father received . num-
fcent offer 10 educate the boz. which
his mereenary temper induced him In
refuse. Jas. Perkins, Daniel Sergeant,
Josiah Quincy. Isaac r. Davis. Wm. Sui.
livan. and w. :. Shaw, agreed 10 con-
tract with the father. TO raise $4,000 BY
subscription. and without exhibition. one
half Of which should be given 10 the "a
Iher. and The other applied to the eduea-
lion Of The child. under the direction ri
trustees. although the father should be
allowed TO be with. and have the per.
snnal charge Of his son. This offer was
refused.
Zerah was soon taken 10 England.
where he excited az much wonder a. be
had done here. The desullOry chsrac-
ter Of his fslher. however. ruined his
prospects. and made enemies. After
travelling through the United Kingdoms.
receiving much money. sad borrowing
more. this wicked father took The boy 10
france, where. in 1914. without giving
any inIimallon Of his name, person. or
character. he was taken to DR.. Gall. the
father Of phrenology, Who Immediately
remarked upon the prominence Of The or.
gaus Of number. and desired 10 make .
mask OF his face. Here, also. great as.
constituent was excited. and sasi sums
Of money taken BY the exhibition or re-.
ceiFed in loans; bui.t was oil expended,
and they returned in poverty aud distress
10 England.
Ia July. 1916. the Earl of Bristol. with
a princcly liberaliIy, took up The patron
age Of The boy, with the hope that, in
lie course Of good education, he might
be enabled 10 reveal The secret Of his mys-
terious power Of computation. lie offer.
ed to pay the expenses Of his education
at Westminster: aud. in the meantime.
10 allow The father twenty-five pounds
per snnum. At this Institution they had
a quarrel, and Left on account Of the pr4c.
lice Of tagging. and went to the Rev.
Mr.. Bullen. in Buek:nghamshire, where
the Earl Of Bristol consented still to de.
Tray the expenses Of private tuition.
Zerah was taken from Mr.. Bullen's in
1919. on account of some freak Of his Ia
her. and was taken 10 Edinburgh to be
for the stage. After studying
some lime with several actors. with whom
|, was impossible for The father 10 agree.
Lerah was pot under the care OF Charles
kernble. and received lessons from him.
He was taken round to Ireland and the
provincial thesires without success, du.
ring 1920 and 1921; and in 1922. having
been reduced 10 desliIulion. application
was made TO The Earl Of Bristol for fur.
Their assistance. The Earl very properly
said he would do nothing for the father.
but separate and independent Of him or
his control. he would assist the son. then
Is years old.
Compelled to labour by necessity.
Lersh in that year took a small school
IN the country. which be continued IN
I'll near the death OF his father, which
happened in Feb. 1924; and in May.
BY the renewed libersli,y Of the Earl OF
Bristol. he sailed for this country.
There is nothing more 10 relate Of
Ter n Colburn, but that he has lived in
Vermont ever since, a Methodist clergy
man, with no distinction or eminenee OF
any kind. Ills talents we're far below
as a scholar and as thinker.
He had not even the gift Of clear con.
ception or strong expression OF thought,
but dwindled down into one Of the low.
sr classes Of those, who. though pious
and useful TO a certain extent in The
are not enabled to shine.
r =