New-York daily tribune., 1845-12-17
From the Hartford Courart.
wopderfuI Development of Mental power

Mr. Editor: During a recent visit to the former
field of nv ministerial labor in Royal;on Vt avail.
ed mvsef OF the opportunity 10 See Young Stafford
son OF r. H. Stafford Esq. of whom much OF late has
been said in the public journals a letter written
bv Rev. G. Dcnison, containing some astonishing
statements respecting his mental power has recently
been published in the Supplement to the CoUranj
Being well acquainted with his parents and much
interested in the boy % oitcia:ed at his infant bap
,isIu had a strong desire to have personal inter.
view with him From q long and minute ex arnina.
iion am prepared 10 believe what have seen pub
lished in relation 10 this wonderful child he is
no1y nearly ten wears old. When about nine Years
old he made all the astronomical calculations for I'm
Almanac for the year 1916. The Almanac has been
published BY A. Low. Esq. Bradford. VI, 1t is Of
the usual size and sold the usual price of common
Amanacs IA specimen may be seen al the o.hce
OF the Courant
am also acquainted with most OF the gentlemen
whose certificates are published in the Almanac
certifying that they witnessed the original calcula
,ions of different portions OF the Almanac, and am
convinced that there Is not the least deception in
that matter His rGles for calculating and projecting
eclipses are very short and principally OF his own
construction The same Is true of nearly all his
mathematical calculations. Multiplying mentally
three or four figures by rs many more. taken a:
random. and giving the product accurately seems
10 be mere pastime. and ne would generally give
the answer before any one IN the room could per
IL
of this kind | think he made bat one mistake and
when his answer was doubted in that instance, on
review he Immediately corrected the mistake In
almost every operation of this kind he different
rules and makes different combinations that he may
obtain the result by the shortest possible process
and when asked gives minne explanation of his
whole process vet probably for the present no one
could be much benefited by adopting his rules with
only that power OF memory commonly allotted to
man.
From repeated trials am he will give the
cube root OF any nun Der where the root contains
bu; two figures in from two 10 five seconds He is
thoroughly acquainted with Algebra, Trigonometry,
Surveying. practical and theoretical Navigation.
&c he grasps with great delight, and masters with
wonderful ease and rapidly abstruse principles in
the higher branches of mathematics, such differ
entia exponental and integral calculus, comic sec
tions, tuxons, &c.
anv. vet few surpass him in q knowledge of Gcog
raphv and Grammar and he feasts on the produc-
tions of the abes logicans and moral philosophers.
He is delighted with epic aud tragic poetry, and has
been mach Interested in Mrs. Sisourneys produc
tions. After spending several hours with HIM
could not help exc!aiming, Lo what hath God
wrought
From infancy his giant mind has dwe in feeble
frame He is of the usual hight of children of his
age. bat is pale and slender. He has rather large
head high forehead, and large prominent eyes. His
parents lind II difficult task 10 restrain MIN from
almost constant and even hazardous mental effort,
and none but his judicious and intelligent parents
should have the charge of him for the present
was unable to draw from him any thing OF spe-
cal interest respecting his religious views and feel
ings He promised me, though with apparent re-
luctance, that he would Try to avoid dwelling on
scientific subjects on the Sabbath
What he is destined 10 become should his life be
sparcd can be known only to Him who in infinite
wisdom bestows his own gifts according 10 his own
will. Yours respectfully.
Sa1leld, NOr l5l5. A. c. WASHBCRS.