The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-12-25
M | S c E L L A N Y.
A WONDERFUL CHILD,

males IN Kenyon College, and now a
resident o. Newark, Ohio he is son Of
DR. Joseph A Denuison, of Royallon, VI.
MIR Editor; Perhaps you have seen in
the political papers OF the day, mention
made ola child in this vicinity of the most
astonishing intellectual ability. Being on
visit 10 my father, yesterday went 10
see this child, and verify believe him to
surnass any thing of the kind on record n
the history OF man, and 10 open door by
which we are permitted for time to see
something of what our minds are, AID
what they can become, when this natural
body shall have been exchanged for The
spiritual.
This child's name is r. H. Stafford jr.,
he is now nine years and six months Of
nge, of small stature and palid counle-
Daace-his little arms not much larger
than my two fingers-he is Of noble cdr-
rage, frank and yet not forward His
eye is his most remarkable feature, being
very large and very bright, and when ex.
cited, it rolls IN its socket with an almost
spasmodic force, while his ;ule hand is
thrown over them both in such way as
10 indicate pain. | am told that there is
scarce y anything iE The circle of sciences
with which this child is not acquainted.
History, and particularly natural history
Is his favorite. examined him. howev>
or, 10 nothing but mathematics and astron.
omy. His father and myself were old
Sunday school scholars together, and ev-
cry opportunity was given me to lest The
child thoroughly.
| will now proceed 10 give some ac-
count of long examination. While the
child was not come in from the field
where, with his little sister. he was gone
TO gather wild berries, examined an all
manac in manuscript for 1916, all of
which this child has wrought oul alone
much of it including one Of The eclipses,
before witnesses with whom | am ac>
quaiCled. About twelve days have aIrea-
dy been spent by an adult in copying in
fair hand the almost ilegibIe writing of
his tiny fingers. We were examining the
projection OF the eclipses which he him
self had made and subsequently calculated
when hs came in. I told him oflhe blind
student in Kenyon College, who was stu.
dying The Dferenial and Integral Call
culus. He seemed much pleased, and
said he did not think he could have done
that without sight. | then asked him of
The projection which lay before US, he
Immediately commenced a full explana-
lion, and felt, as his little infant hand
ran rapidly over the diagram, and | lis,
tened 10 his childlike expressions, as If |
were in the presence Of some superior be-
In I Io1
but never did he appear frelfuI, and when
I told him any thing he did not already
know. he ways repaid it with smile.
| asked him if two equal circles cut
each other 10 The extent of l>l2 their di>
ameter, what area would De thus cut a
way-quicker than could think Is; he said
the l44th part | then asked him, if
3'l2, or digits, were thus cut, and he in
SANITY said l-l6.' | asked him how he
knew, and he said, '3-l2=l>4, and IA
squared is 1916 asked him why he
squared it, he said it is so in semi>cir.
Gle and must be so in Il circle | then
told him the rule OF homoogous sides and
he smiled aud said he understood it. |
then asked him, if Two legs of right an
gled triangle were given, the one l2 and
the other l6, what the hypo,henuse would
be, and he Instantly replied, go, wouId'n,
h?-Yes ! | then said, suppose the legs
were and l6, then what? Ia half a
minute, and without any pencil he repi.
Ell ,-sl7 1856 | then asked, the legs
were and Is then what? He was rath.
er longer in answering, but took no pen
ell, and replied, 'l6.553.' l asked him
why he carried this last 10 three decimals
when he had carried the other 10 four
He said the other was easier, and tried 10
tell why. asked him if he could carry
that TO any further. decimals with pencil?
He said he thought he could; and taking
the pencil, in, say three minutes, returned
the following, ZIG 552944l49.' | be-
lieve there is an error in about the 7lh
decimal, although neither Of US went over
it again 10 find it. He could have detect
ed it as quick as thought, had he tried.
asked him the product OF l-I4A7.654,
he instantly replied l>1308. asked him
the square root Of 5; he instantly replied
2236067, saying he had lot of them
in his memory, and did not have 10 cast
them.
gave him the following questions -
The square Of 1852 He said '2l6225.'
The cube of Is! He answered, 1876.
l asked him if might try him on the
fourth power. He said yes, if would
not go beyond two figures. asked him
the fourth power Of rs. His eye whr,
cd, and he sprang like an arrow to The
door, hung BY one hand to The door post,
md came in saw 3 1ths of a M innte n n i
replied, FThirty one millions six hundred
and forty thousand six huodred and TWEEN
~ fve,' [3l ,640, 625l His father asked
hi to verify that with pencil. He re.
piled, it is jus; as well to take the cube