Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-10-03
| WONDERFUL CHILD.

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A WONDERFUL CHILD.
Ma EptroR-Perhars you have seen in the political pa
pses a the day mention made OF child this vicinity al
astonishing iotelecfnai ability. Being s'i-it 10
my father, yesterday went, tins chid aud vefy DC.
bsvs him 70 saa~ thing OF III. Kind on record IN the
hisfcsy Of man, and TO open door by which VIC are per
niued fos time something OF what our mnes are
- whss sh-y becous when this natural boy shai
have been exchanged for the spiritual
Thu childs r u. Stafford Jr.; he ~ now nine
yssu aud months Of age, OF small statue. and psid
Renaissance; his little much larger than two
6ass; b - Of noble carriage frank and yc, not
HI ere his remarkable feature being very large
Anl vssy bright and when excited rolls In It's socket with
Dsst sssmod,c force while his little hand Is thrown over
tAsrn both in such q way indicate PAIN l am told
sksss y scarcely thing in the circle of sciences with
which this child not acquainted History, and Particn-
lsiy natural hsiorv 10 his iavorite. examined him,
hswsvsr, In nothing but mathematics and astronomy
N fsthes and myrelf old Sunday school scholars
sssAes ssd every opportunity was given me to 'es the
skkiA sksrsSghly.
will now proceed TO give OF long ex-
Suinstion. While the child yet in from the
s WHARF, with his little sister. he gone gather wild
bsrSss, examined almanac in manuscript tor A. d.
1884, oil Of which this child has wrong out ALONE much
81 m including Vt the ecpses before witnesses with
pseay been spent by adult copying in tar hand the
almost lcgiblc writing Of his Tiny fingers. We were cA-
siaina projection Of the eclipse which he himself had
made and subsequently, calculated when he came in
scd him Of the blind student Kenyon College, who was
s<sdying the Dicren,isl und Integral Calculus He
sseed much pleased aud said he did not think he could
projection which lay before he Immediately commene-
Cd foil explanation, und felt as his little infant hand
rapidly over the diagram. aud listened TO his Child
Hike expressions, wrr~in the presence OF some sn-
psrog being. In instances puzzled him. but never
did be appear eu aud weaI told him any thing he did
rot already know, he slways repaid it with sHiile
asked him, two equal circles cut each other 10 the ex
Of ~ their diameter, What would be thus
svsyi Quicker than conld think, he said 1.-THE lilth
pert" then asked him. il 3la or disits. were thus cut
And he instantly said ale" asked him how he knew
and he said 80 l2-iI. and Ia squared is lie" asked
him Why he eauaed III lie said, 81" is so IN s'mcrele
and must be 80 in circle" then told him the rule OF no.
ooeous sides, and he smed and said he understood H.
then ssked hiui iuo legs Of right srgd triangle were
Rven ~ and the o;ber l6 what the hypoenuse would
bel and he instantly replied "2n; wouldn' 1t Yes"
then s1id sIppoS1 the IL and 10, then WHAT In
half minute. and without r,ne. lie rcpid, "l1see
] then asked II the legs and Is, then What He
rather longer erin. but took pencil and re
Piled. "lC553" asked him Why br carried this last 10
Three decimais when he bad carried the oher to four lie
said the other easef aud ied 10 tell why II So
asked him IL he could cary that my further decimal.
With paGc, lie said ie thought hc could, anu sking
tho pencil, three mnu,cs returned the following:
"l65529I4li9." believe htre error in about the
9Th decimal, although neer Of it again to
6nd IT, lie could have detected quick a. thought had
10 tried.
ssked him the product OF l-l4x7.65ii lie in'i,n'y
replied l-l30S. asked him the square root NJ - lie
Instantly replied 236O51. saying ne had 'ot OF them
IN his memory and did thcm
gave him the to flowing questions; The square OF |oJf
He said ..2l6a2S." The cube Of 2el lie answered
l1s76 asked him II might try him the fourth pow
erf He said yes II would not 20 beyond twu figures
asked him The fourth power His eye whirled, and
hs sprnng like tu The door, hung by one hand 10
tbs door post, and in Ihreeiuurths Of minute.
and replied "thirty-one millions hundred and iory
thousand hundred and twenty-five al $40 625) His
father asked HIM verify that with pencii lie replied,
Just well take the cube OF as from the book and
multiply IL by IS, and IS is Of LOO. adj cpher,
multiply by ard divide by L.; all Of which done
quickly have Written a. aud With the same iesrli as
before. nsked him what the factors Ui gGiDi IL"
Instantly ssid iOKl9l, 2lx3e2. 2A3o2J. ~ ls
asked him the isctura at the decma!s Oisj4l lie i'm
TOT llxl.1x0.6xU7;' which as wrote down omitted the
ponls before the and I. and he instantly Oh the pencil
aud made them himself
As he hud performed ell these his head d,s"us
Of knowing what HE process therefore :, him a
OF four figures 10 70 multiplied by another I" Hour
figures, the slate. lie took the first figure and
through do from right To left and lie did
multiply hgu:e Of the mu'ipcanG by i.elf, bot
two 4. q. in the gave him the multi pleand wa;
sCs2, aud the le-hsnd gure oG the muupler was and
instead OF saying time und setting under the
he said time sc ID It's, which lac it, proper
place. but recorded il l69 because tire eure being
he knew there must be To- carry lie then said 3
u,s ~ ls6. and the having already been recorded
His calculations entirely outslP the capab'y oil pencil
70 record them
uried TO make his parents feel that he uSasur1
LINT The mother evidently e but the father
ed unwilling yield the fond belief that he might became
wonderful he surely child. At all events,
cannot butes ii Ihaye something OF whit we ye
cliy b when mortality shall have b. swallowed up o.
LIE. GEORGE DENNlSON.
RoyALTox, VERMONT, August p lsi5.