Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-07-07
n .u.TRI.BLOUs .I.1.v.

Instances of remarkable memory are by
no means rare in history. Cyrus the
Younger could call by name every soldier
in his immense army, Numbering several
hundred thousand men. There have been
people so singularly gifted that they could
repeat, after one hearing, whole book Of
the Had, n sermon, q. speech, Paradise
Lost, or one of the plays of Shakespeare.
But It is doubtful If more extraordinary
case Of this kind was ever put ON record
than that Of Daniel Mccartney, poor
and obscure man, almost wholly untaught,
and resident during a great part Of his
life Of the State of Ohio, his home having
latterly been in Washington Township,
Morrow County.
Mr.. Cartney was born la 1917, and Is now
in his 4th year. His parents, like himself,
were natives of Pennsylvania He has suf-
ferod all his life from defect of vision
amounting nearly to total blindness, which
his advancing age seems 10 have partially
relieved, as he can now see sufficiently well
to read large print very slowly. His con-
dition from birth has been that Of extreme
poverty, and his livelihood has been earned
by wood-sawing, corn-husking and the
like humble employments. Schooling he
has had none, nor opportunities of reading
such as people enjoy, even in abiect pow
erty, who have the faculty If sight in full
possession. In appearance, manners and
general character he is one of the plainest
of men, and evinces by no outward feature
the one matchless gift which nature has
bestowed upon him. Utterly untalented
in other respects, in the power of memory
and calculation he is prodigy such as tho
world has seldom known.
He can recall the day of the week of any
day Of the month of any year since the lst
of January, 1927, and the kind of weather
which prevailed Oh each day. He can de-
scribe, from recollection, incidents which
occurred in his family when he was but
fifteen months old. When seven years old
he could give Methuselah' ; age in minutes
working the problem in his head. At ten
he extracted square and cube root by the
mental process solely. At twelve he could
in the same way raise number to the sew
enth power, and at sixteen was in complete
possession Of the faculties which he now
employs.
Repeat to him any passage in the Bible
especially in the New Testament, and hC
will rarely fail to correct the rendering il
false, and give the book, chapter and verse
He acquired this gift by hearing other-
read the scriptures at home and at church
Give him any date in the last forty-foul
wears and he will describe any imDOrtant
event, if it was ever known to him, which
occurred on that day. lie ON one occasion
extracted the cube root of IL ,592 in ttCo sec
OndS, and the cube root Of ls,609,625 in 81
minutes. Being asked what was the sixth
power of 50, in fourteen minutes he replied
496, ,9sl 900, ,96l, being delayed in the earlier
steps of the process by questions as to his
method of operation. In these perform
ances no written characters whatever were
used, the solutions being reached by "head-
work" solely. Mr.. Mccartney using some
abridged and labor-saving methods pecu-
lSar b. himsell. and possible only by. thu
aid of his prodigious memory. We do moi
speak of him by heresay merely, having
personally witnessed his exploits and test
ed his powers with suco examples as thos'
already cited. He has but recently appear
ed belor- the public, his gift having untl
lately boon nero food for neighborbcod
gossip and diversion in the locality of his
humble home; but he can hardly fail tc
become famous, now that the world has
heard of his marvellous capabilities. .- Me-
chdRicdl NeiCS.