Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-07-09

Gazing around he answered: THAT'S
all right" and remarked that he could
count" anything he could understand
may here remark that he cannot read
or write a letter or figure; he says if he
could he should lose his gift He cannot
explain anything, but says he has MI
meration table away on beyond the
books" He remarked >" You commence
at the 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: IF | could
read and write, | shouldn't know any
more than you do" 1t is said he never
makes mistakes. OF all the questions
gave him he made but one, and he cor
rected that on recounting. The follow
ing are some of the questions asked him
If to the time past noon there be added
its one-half, one-third and twofifths the
sum will be equal to, one-siNth of the
time to midnight, what is the hours
Divide 81 80 between two persons so
that one shall have seventy-tive cents
more than the other.
A tree 1876 feet long fell and was
broken into two pieces; two-thirds of the
longer piece equals three-fourths of the
length of the shorter. What is the length
of each piece?
What is the interest of one cent for
one day at & per cent. per annum?
What is the exact length of one side of
u square acre?
These questions were all correctly an
swered his answer to the last being, 1t
can't be told"
| then said: "Reub., | hear that you
III 4 -
date was, or will be-is that so?' "Yes,
sir" What was July /, 1862" Wednes-
day" Correct" What was the
22d of January, 1882" Sunday"
What day will the Fourth of July come
on this year?' Saturday" New
Years." FRIDAY" IAN right" 81
have also heard, Reub, that you can tell
the hour at any time of day or night. Is
that so?" yes sir" "What time is it
now" "It is II minutes past O'Clock,
railroad time-sun time is thirteen
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 to attest the truth
of his statements, which they did. 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 always
gave the correct time. Reuben asked the
gentleman we were talking with to write
down column of figures, which he did;
they were then read to him, thirteen
numbers, two figures in each number, and
he at once gave their sum, and then could
repeat the numbers in the order in which
they were written, either forward or
backward.
The x-colcctor got Reuben to look
over his work last fall, and Reuben said
that he could remember the numbers in
the column and the sum yet County
clerks have sent from Kansas for him to
help straighten their books 4 whole
sale firm in Kansas City heard of him
and sent for him to do some invoicing.
He told them lie could do the work of ten
clerks in making computations. They
told him if he could he should have the
pay of ten men. He mounted high
stool with the clerks around him, and
kept them busy giving the number of ar
ticles, price of each, and taking down his
answers. They gave him forty-tive dol
lars for his days work. A firm in Fay
etteville selling out took an invoice of
their goods. Reub, was sick at the time,
but they made it out and submitted it to
him; he found mistake of $500
Sometimes witty person will try and
make a little fun at Reub.'s expense. One
asked him what he would do if the doc
tors should catch him and take out his
brains to see in what respect they varied
from others. $50 around without any
brains like YOU do was the ready re-
ply.
He is, indeed, a wonder; probably with
out any equal in that respect; and yet it
is said he will not work or try to learn
anything from books. He travels wher-
ever he chooses without any further
charge than counting" for conductors
or other officers. People have tried to
get him to travel and give exhibitions of
his mathematical propensities, but it al
ways results in failure; he will not do it.
-7abo (Uo) Cor ST. LINUS Republican.
a. tgIt 81, 6,