Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1846-06-11
WONDERFUL CHILD.

WONDERFUL CHILD.
The Youths Almanac contains an &C.
count of one of the most wonderful of the
human species ever created, being lad o.
i Only nine years of age, native of Yer
mont, named Henry Stafford, Jr. Though
so young a child he made all the calcula
tons and tables Of the almanac, and gen.
orally without the aid of pen or pencil =
The Boston Atlas contains a long account
of the lad, drawn up by r. McOrmsby, of
Bradford, VT, who says the boys mind,
though similar in some respect to the Gel
ebrated Zerah Colburn's, issuperior in many
others. He has delicate constitution, and
he was only saved from an early grave by
the careful nursing of fond mother. We
make a few extracts from McOrmsby's
sketch of him.
Before he was three years old, we are
told by his father, Henry would reckon time
upon the clock, almost by intuition. At
the same time, he learned the Roman meth
cd Of Enumeration in Webster's Spelling
Book. With this stock of mathematical
knowledge, although a prat,ling child, Hen
ry would amuse himself in collecting his
fathers periodicals, and arranging them
according to their numbers and when MIR.
5. would bring paper from the post Office
with the greatest impationce the boy would
seize it, examine the whole No. and the
VOL, and the number of the VOL, and see
If it was the next one to go on the file
themselves show the preseace OF an aUuve
mental power which gave direction to and
controlled, the faculties of the creature.
His course of study is eccentric. lie
commenced attending the district school,
when but three years old. He has been to
school, however, but very little. In the read
ing and spelling exercises, as conduc'eo III
our schools; there was no charm 1oi MN:
Il was only with difficulty he could De IN
duced to attend school at all. lie llKeo the
teachers and some of the studies were par
ticularly his favorites but he wished TO pc
al home, where he could surround himself
with a variety of books from his fathers
book case, and pursue his studies according
to his own inclination. The facility with
which he will get hold of the principles Of
| a work is truly astonishing He pursues
no work in detail, he opens his grammar,
| arithmetic, or geography, in the middle
and before he has completed his examina-
lions. he will have mastered every thing 1t
| contains.
Mauy notices of the subject of this brief
sketch have been circulating In the papers.
The following remarks from the Rev. Geo.
Denison, late professor CT mathematics In
Kenyon College, were made in letter to
the Western Episcopalian, after thorough
examination, of the boy. "Perhaps you
have SEEM" says he, Gin the political papers
of the day, mention made OF a chiid ln
this vicinity, Che was on visit to Royal
ton at the time of writing0 OF most aston
ishing intellectual ability. Being on viSi
to nv father, yesterday went TO see this
child. and verify believed him to surpas'
aay thing of the kind Oh record in the ms
torv of man, and to open a door by which
we are permitted for time to see something
If what our minds are, and what they Cal
become when this natural body shah ha''
exchanged for the spiritual.
The child's name Is L. II. Sanford, 1r'
he is now nine years and six months 0
age, of small statue and paid countenance
his little arm. not much larger than IN;
two fineers-he is of noble carriage, franz
and vet not forward. His eyeis his mos
remarkable feature, being very large AM
verv bright, and when excited it rolls in 1t
socket with an almost spasmodic force, Will
his little hand is thrown over them bot
in such a way as 10 indicate pain. L an
told that there is scarcely any thing IN tn
circle of sciences with which this child
not acquainted. History, and PARTICULAR
> natural history, is his favorite. l exam
ined him, however. in nothing out maine
mates and astronomy. Hisfather ana my
self were old Sunday school scholars tc
eether. and every opportunity was give
: me to test the child thoroughly.
: Twill now proceed to give some accou |,
) of long examination. While the emil
! VAS not vet come in from the field, wner'
with his little sister, he had gone to game
wild berries-I examined an almanac
manuscript. for A. d. 1916, all Of whic
this child has wrought out ALONE; mucn
). it. including one of the eclipses, bei're wi
resses with which am acquainted. Abo'
- DAYS have already been spent by an ada
in convine in a fair hand the almost lliet
lille writing of his tiny fingers. We WEI
Examining the projection OF the ecip
}" which he himself had made and suDsequen
" calculated, when he came in. toid nj
e nj the blind student in Kenyon Coiieg
who was studying the Diferenlial ana n
,egrial Calculus. He seemed mnch pleas
and said he did not think he could ma
dore that without sight. / then asked hi
1 sNI To- hof n