New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-08-14
From the sou,h-wes etn Christian Advocate.
A Living Wonder.


Living Wonder.
Within Eve miles of Huntsville, Ala. there
lives a negro boy. He was seventeen years old
last August, and weighs over 200 Ihs. But his
bodv is not the wonder. 1t IS his mind, If it may
be said he has any.
On the 9Th June, 1874, Rev. John c. Burruss,
Mr.. IT. Brandon and myself went TO sec him
and were smsz-d From himself and Mr.. dc
Lemore, This mastery we learned that he he's 10
idea off God When asked, who made you Z"
he answered, "nobody." He has never been bni
q few times half mile from the place OF his
birth He has not mind enough TO do the ordi
narv work of slave; eats and sleeps in the
same house with the white folks, having his own
table and bed He will not ask for any thing.
nor touch food, however hungry, unless II be
offered to him. He WAS never Known 10 com
mence conversation with any one, nor continue
one, further than merely answering questions III
the fewest words. He speaks very low and
tardily. He has never been known 10 utter
falsehood, or to steal and is but little subject To
anger-will not strike dog OF any thing else
but when vexed bg his sister, he VIII take hold u
her arm, as if he would break II with his hsnos.
He cannot be persuaded TO taste intoxicating
LIQUORS. His utter aversion 10 this bane, is eth
the result OF his having seen ills effects IN b S
master. or IL is instructive. He mas never rani.
tested any p.cdirction Tor the Sex There Is
nothing remarkable in the conhguraiion OF his
head or his countenance save that n!s eye Is uii
commonly convex and continually rolling about
with wild and gl.ripg expression. HIS laugh
and movements are perfectly ltloucai. lie does
not know letter or figure. Wlthal, IN one re-
soect he is the most extraordinary human beng
l ever saw. Almost his only manifestation %
mind, is In relation TO numbers. HIs power over
numbers is at once extraordinary and iGcTediole.
Take any number under 100, and ask hun IT'S
product when multiplied into itself, or into any
other number, and he will state 1t at once, as
readily es any one can give the SUN OF IL times
-. He mutiples thousands adds, suoiracts
and divides with the same certainty, though viii!
more mental labor. He has, however, no idea oi
numbers ABOVE millions.
With pencil and paper we made the following
calculations and asked him the questions, thus
How much ia 90 times 80 7" He answered
Immediately. "e,s0t." Well; how much is
Is times S61 :" He answered, 640l. How
many mines IN 2.000," He answered. 1.-TWO
hundred and twenty-five mines. and two over"
How many hi,cens IN 1856 He answered,
"323 fItcens and IL over" How many twenty
threes In 10000 He answered :" IS twenty
,hrees and 81 over How much Is 32l tunes
7Ss He answered after short pause, 2923b9.
II you take 81 from S., how many will be LETT
He answered, 64 Ii ycu take 50 from 1920,
how many will BE- LEI. He answered. l,ou9.
How much is times 3, twenty-five and Ii
He answered, 90. How many IS II times Ii
and l61 He said, sos. If you had TO give one
dollar and half for one chicken and half, how
much would You have to give for two chickens
He said, tro doiiors,"
II stick, standing strait up, three feet long,
makes a shadow 1--WE feet long, how high would
a pole be, that has e shadow thirty itet long
A, this he put h.s hand TO his chm, drew himself
I'D and gave silly laugh. HIS master SAID, he
did no, understand such as that. then asked
him, how much is 5, 333 tunes ) $50. In this
Instance, as in some OF The others, he locked
serious, began TO twist about in his CHAIR 10 pick
his clothes finger nails 10 look at his hands. pat
The n,nts of his thumbs 20 his teeth, move his
Inns little and then seemed TO think iltte, an
then his countenance would give indications OF
mental agony and SO ON. his master told hln
towslk about and rest himself. He went into
the yard and sppeared 20 DC alternately eiated
with rapture, and depressed with elcctn. He
would run, Jump ~, throw his arms INTO the sir
above HIS head thea stand still, and then drsg
his foot over the weeds, look up and down; IA &
word he took on all sorrs OF crazy motions. We
sat down 10 dine, snd when We arose, we found
hin, ON the piacz4 sssliilS GOWN ceriectlr COM
possd. On beng tod he had done It, said.
how much is IL! He answered, eighteen
millions, Ave hundred and fourteen thousand,
c;sb, hundred and fitteea.' Wnat' ssld l. He
reol,ed. /" Is ol4,Sl5"
We could get no clue TO the mental process By
which he asceg,aired such results. When asked.
how he did l.; his uuyafylng answeE was, -
studies j, up" Blu; VIVA, co YOU Go hrs,, and
wha, next, He merely oraw!ed out, !" studies
u up." He did rot couat on has fingers, ror
,ything externsl. no. indeed cid he seem 10
c. ant at sG and We, he combined thousands
ard millions, and played with ,hc:s comoins,
tiars, ast as Others would with units All the
instruoSan ne ever received, was from his mas
ter, who lea. ed aiu 10 coun, one hundred; and
vculd ask hiG, ~ y many twentes in hundred,
u how many 6rss, g,
On IN. following ,aday, saw MIN again.
and asked him what pas Tia, hard sum gave
him las, Saturday. He replied, 1888 ti1ncs
5555." On Saturday we ted him there we;s
36S DAYS ia a year, and "a tunes ina. woaio
give the hours, which he sad was $3.50: sixty
times that. the seconds; and ne said, 5,2ss, COO;
and sixty times that, the seconds; and he sad
sI,SsS, 600. On Mondsy, | asked him how
MANY seconds IN year, and ne secoleoied The
number Being then asked how much Is 2s3
times 49,; he answered. l,lSS. How much ID
Is times IL and IS snd He said, 700. How
rpanv thirty. ,hrees in ~ He SAID, % thirty.
tArsss and IL over" His recollection Of num-
hers IL slrnos, as wonderful as his power 10 CON-
L.. ,h.- submit these fcrfs 10 the coneide.