The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1874-07-16


A correspondent Of the st. Louis R.pn5-
lioan, writing from Tabo, No., says: We
have quite marvel Of man IN our COM
munify-a natural mathematician. His
name IS Reuben Fields. Having heard Of
him frequently through farmers and Others,
who got him to DO their counting. deter
mined a short time ago 70 make him visit,
and 10 ascertain for myself Il the remarlga-
bic stories told Of him were true.
/ am free 70 confess that at first was
fully As incedulous as many readers Of
this paragraph win be, In fact, would not
have believed statements made concerning
him had not the authority been indisputa-
bly, good.
Proceeding to Fayetteville, tho small vil-
lage in which he lives, / inquired for
= Reub, and was told that he was IN town,
and was shown his residence, toward which
| made my way. When nearly there
met young man, apparently about twenty
five years Of age, walking little lame end
seemed to be leisurely and vacantly gazing
about and accosted him with: Does
Reuben Fields live in that house yonder4n
- Yes, sir. Well, I've heard that Reuh
was a great calculator, and must 20 and
see him, and started forward. when he
stopped me with, I'm him.
Well Reub, said !, II have a few
questions would ike to have sou answer
land viii make it worth your while 70 do
Gazing around, be answered s'Thai's
al right, and remarked that he conld
count anything he could understand.
may here remark that he cannot read or
write letter or figure; he says g he could
he should lose his gift. Ho cFnnot explain
anything, but says he has , numeration
table away on Abeyond tho books He re-
marked: "You commence at tho bottom
and work up--I commence at the top and
work down; it is easier falling out Of
a tree than climbing one. He frequently
observes: s'If / could read and write, +
shouldn't know any more than you do It
is said he never makes mistakes. OF all The
questions gave him, he made but one. and
he corrected that on recounting. The fol-
lowing are some oi the questions asked
him:
II, to the time past noon, there be added
its 1-2, Is and 2-5, the sum win be equal to
1-6 Of the time to midnight; what Is the
hourg
Divide $i1.5O between two persons so
that one shall have 75 cents more than the
other.
A tree 1856 feet long fell and was broken
into two pieces; two-thirds Of the longer
piece equals three-quarters Of tho length
of the shorter. What is the length Of each
pieces
What is the interest Of one cent for one
day at per cent. per annuml
What is the exact length Of one side Of q
square acreg
These questions were all correctly an
swered, his answer to the last being, st
can't be told.n
then said: ''Reub, hear that you can
tell what day of the week any given date
was or will be; is that sog'' s'Yes, sir.
s'What was July /, 1s6slp "wednesday"
Correct. What was January %. i64el"
Sunday ssWhat day viii the fourth Of
July come on this yearln Saturday"
New 4earf Friday" "Al right.
/ have also heard, Reub, that you can tell
the hour at any time Of day or night 3
this sof, eyes, sir.D ''What time Is Il
now9v cit is IL minutes past o'clock. rail-.
way time-sun time is 13 minutes slower
We walked around town and he gave me
the hour several times, correctly each time
within two or three minutes. Several
times he called on citizens Of the place 10
latest the truth Of his statements, which
theysdid. One of the leading citizens Of
the place told me he had tried Reub" on
the time question on both clear and cloudy
days and also on dark nights, and he al
...,. .llS ss,ltleI11n VIC Wer6 tllkiuIy Uls1
/ WTIIC tUUW ~. ~ n
did; they were then read TO him, thirteen
numbers, two figures in each number, and
he at once gave their sum, and could rc-
peat the numbers in the order in which
they were written, either forward or back
ward.
The tax collector got Reuben 20 look
over his work last fall, and Reuben said that
he could remember the numbers in the coll
umn and the sum yet. County clerks have
sent from Kansas for him 70 help straightcn
their books. A wholesale firm in KANSAS
City heard Of him and sent for him 20 do
some invoicing. He told them he could do
4 The work Of ten men in making cemputa-
tions. They told HIM II he could he should
have the pay Of ten men. He mounted Q
high stool with the clerks around him, and
kept them giving the number Of articles,
price Of each, and taking down bis answers.
They gave him forty-fye dollars for his
days work. A firm in Fayetteville, selling
out, took an invoice Of their goods. Reub
was sick at the time, but they figured II out
and sent it TO him; he found q mistake Of
three hundred dollars.