The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1844-11-11
Ernni the VI. Wntchmnn.

JIG luuj no ohe Hus any uopes Ut ioals upout hlu'
From the VI. Wptcbman.
IEFThe following is no hnmbug. We vouch for
the responsibility and veracty OF Mr. Stafford, WHO
confirms the account given below, .HH.I
For the Daily Journal.
MesSrs. Eators;-There WIS not long since a no,
tiee in the Tribune ola Negro idiot 10 other respects
but possessing wonderful faculty Of mental cncula-
tion We have an ins,unce Of similar gin in our
own State, moro remarkable than the one above al
lnded to, or perhaps any other Of which we have mn
nccountn the person Of son Of Truman II. Stafford,
Esq Of Royallop, now aged only eight years
This case, however, seems todlave but one feature
in common with that the Negro for the lad has al
ways displayed wonderful precosiy and faculty in
comPrehepding all branches of study to (which his at
iention has been directed. At an earlier age than
most children are able 10 read pndestaptingly he had
thoroughly mastered tho Geography in common use
in our schools But his chief forte is in mahenati
cal and numerical calculations. The first knowledge
bis parents had ofihis Sewor in numbers arose from
little incident that occurred in his sixth year. He ro
marked TO his mother day, that ir he knew how
many rods it around his fathers large meadow.
he could lelLtho measure in barley corns When
his father came in, she mentioned i, to him. and he
ton, and told the boy was lO4O rods tho lad after
a few minutes gave 6l7,76O, as the distance in bar
ley corns, SIN bis head" as the common phrase IS
MIR 5 thinking this somewhat reparkRhe, procured
him an Albania Arithmetic, which he soon mastered
When any question is put to him from hook he will,
answer I Immediately from memory. lie will also
give the product of four figures by four performing
the operation mentally. nearly as quick as one can do
II with pen and paper e has also mpItipeS FIVE
places ofgures by five which was the extent OF Mr.
Zerah Columns power in his best days AS exam.
pies, he gave readily tho product of 6s42 y 5654-
ss, 6s4 ,66s; Of 1876 x 995s-ss, 3l5 POS; Of 22s62
- 2i34I-477, 294 .52s; Of s4322 X 64262-5,4Is,-
7OO,36i. He will extract the square and the cube
roots of numbers extending from nine or ten places
performing the operation quite rapidly in his head
Tho division Of numbors into ,her factors is "A Gl-
vorite amusement with him. Give him the age of 4
person and he will give the number Of seconds cor
reoHy. AllsIhe questions which are given in the
Tribune, having been proposed to the Negro boy.
he answered in the space Of fifteen minutes detecting
three mistakes either in the printer or the boy
lie has also answ cred all the examples given in
Colburn's life Gin his head 'one OF the largest being
the square of sss. sSs, product 100 lei S76, 5A4-
Tthas been hobby with him this SPINNER, to meas.
uro the fields about his fathers house, which he has
done correctly, having his little sister, younger than
himself, assistant, in his surveying excursions.
Having obtained some knowledge of the manner Of
finding iogari'hms fromt Gregoy's DicOnury,he has
formed table from TO Co.
He has some knowledge Of Algebra and Gsomr
try which he has gathered from the articles on those
branches in the work above named He seems to
possess, in addition to the power ofpcroruing ene-
thy calculations in his head, the higher power Of conf
pretending and solving abtruse and difficult question:
in the various branches of Mathematics You can
form but an imperfect idea Of his wonderful power
from the imperfect sketch here given That il is NOT
exaggerated, many who have witnessed his operations
in this vicinity, will readily testify No efforts have
been made o,push him into notice, neither has
he been urged TO exercise his mind in mathematical
studes for the purpose Of making wonder Of him.
On the contrary, efforts have been made to restrain
him, lest he might injure his health.
He has always been rather OF a sickly delicate lad,
but lie has been improving in health and strength Of
late Whether nc will lose this remarkable power.
as ho grows older, whether it will increase in
strength and vgor, is question" time alone can de-
termine. There good reasons to hope, however,
thatwth suitable and judcious discipline, under ca
pablo Teachers he will nakoone Of the most remark
able men yet produced in our country