Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1846-06-27

| flashed hire, and he began 10 explain the
process. When only four years old; he
would surround himself upon the floor with
Morse's, Woodbridge's, OIney's, Smiths
and Matte Bruins Biographies, tracing
them through and comparing them, noting
all their points OF difference, His mem
Dry, too, is very strong. lie has poured
over Gregory's Dictionary Of the Arts
and Sciences so much, that seriously
doubt whether there can be question as.
ked him, drawn from either OF those i'm
mense volumes, that he will not answer
! Instantly, saw the volumes, and also
noticed that he had left his marks on al
smost every page. asked to see his
mathematical works. He sprung into his
study, and produced me Greenleaf's A.
rilhmetic, Perkins Algebra, PIaylair's Eu,
cid, Pixies Arithmetic, Davies, Algebra,
| Eluton's Mathematics, Gummere's AS
tronomy, and several Nautical AImanacs,
| asked him if he HAD mastered them all,
He replied that he had land an examination
of him for the space Of three hours con
WINGED me that he had--and not only so,
bat far out-stripped them. His kno"l'
edge is most intuitiye. He is pure and
pro- found redsoacr. In this he excels all
other geniuses OF whom | ever read. lie
connol only reckon figures in his mind
with the rapldity of lightning, but he
reasons, compares, reflects, and wades at
pleasure through all the most abstruse
sciences, and comprehends and reduces to
=, his own clear and brief rules the highest
mathematical knowledge, His mind is
constantly active. No recreation or a
musement can avail for any length oil
time to divert him from mental effort.
Being accompanied by Rev. G. N
Smith, of Randolph, VT, who was &C
quainted with Mr.. and Mrs. Stafford, had
free acces to the boy, and amply oppor'
tunty for long ana thorough examlna
ton. went, firmly expecting TO be able
to confound him, as previously prepared
myself with various problems for his solu
ton. did not suppose it possHIe for
boy of ten years only to be able 10 play
as with top, with all the higher branches
of mathematics. But in this was dis
{ appointed. Here follow some OF tht
questions | put to him and his answers
/ said, Can you feline how many seconds
old /! was last March, the 18th day, wheI
II was twenty-seven years old? lie re
piled instantly, 852,055,200. Then sa.,
III, The hour and minute hands Of cocl
, are exactly togather at l2 o'clock: wher
are they next together! Said he, as
!, quick as thought, "lh. 5 Slim" Anc
! here | will remark, that | had only tc
read the sum to him once. He did no
care to see it, but only to hear il announ
) ced once, no matter how long. Let this FAC
!, be remembered in connection with some
of the long and blind sums which | shall
: hereafter name, and see if it does no
, show his amazing power ofpercePtion aNc
comprehension. Also, he would perform
the sums mentally and also on a slate
working By the brelest and s!rlctes
, rules, and hurrying on to the answer
!, with a rapidity outstripping all capacity
to keep up with him. The next sum
gave him was this: A man and his wife
usually drank out cask of beer IN Il
DAYS; but when the man was from home
] it lasted the woman thirty days: no"
many days would the man alone be drink
ing it? He whirIed about, rolled up hl'
eyes, and replied at orce. "2O days
Then said |, What number is that which
!, being divided by the product gifts dIglts
the quotient is 3; and il 10 be added, the
diglts will be inverted? He flew out OF his
chair, whirled around, rolled up his wild
flashing eyes, and said, in about minute
: I"24." Then said |, two persons, an(
b, departed from different places at the
sa me time, and travelled toward eact
other. On meeting, it appeared that a
had travelled 10 miles more than b; anc
that A could have gone 81 journey in Isl
days, but B would have been % days IN
performing AS journey. How far did each
travel? lie flew round the room, round
the chairs, wrlhing his little body asst n
agony, and in about a minute sprung up tf
me and said, "A travelled ~ miles and b
81 miles; didn't they? Yes" Then said
III, Whatlwo numbers are those whose sum
multiplied by the greater, is equal to 77i
and whose difference, multiplied by the
less, is equal to l22 He again shot out Of
his chair like an arrow, flew about the
room, his eyes wildly rolling in their sock.
cts. and in about minute said, ~ and ~
Well, said |, the sum Of two numbers is
8, and their cubes 1853; what are the num-
bers? Said he, instantly" 3 and o."
Now in regard to these sums they are
the hardest in Davies Algebra. have
had classes of one hundred who have not
been able to perform several ,ot them
But young Stafford, at one reading com
pretended them at fash, and returned
almost instantly, correct answers ne
also gave me correct AIgebralc formulas
Il