The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-06-26
A Mathematical Marvel.
AN UNTAMED MISSOURI BOY AS A READY
RECEONER.

A correspondent of the St. Louis Re
publican, writing from Tabo, Mo-, says
We have quite marvel of a man in our
community, g natural mathematician
His name is Reuben Field Having
heard of him frequently through farmers
and others, who got him to do their igur-
ing, | determined a short time ago to
make him a visit, and to ascertain for my
self If the stories told of him were true
| am free TO confess that at first | was full
ly as incredulous as many readers of this
paragraph will be i'll fact, would not
have believed statements made concern
in him had not the authority been I'M
disputably good. Proceeding to Fayette-
vile, the small village in which hc lives,
/ inquired for ''Reub," and was told that
he was in town, and was shown his resi-
dence, toward which | made my way
When nearly there ! met young man,
apparently about twenty-five years of age,
walking a little lame, and seeming to be
leisurely and yacantly gazing about, and
accosted him with: ''DoeS Reuben Fields
live in that house yonder ?'' ''Yes, sir"
''WelI, Eve heard that Reub was great
calculator, and | must go and see him.
and l started forward, when he stopped
me with-'Im him." ''Well, Reub,
said l, Il have few questions l would
like to have you answer, and will make it
worth your while to do So" Gazing
around. he answered That's all right.
aud remarked that he could ''count" any
thing he could understand. | may here
remark that he cannot read or write let
ter or figure he said if he could he would
lose his gift. He cannot explain any
thing, but says he has numeratiOn table
away on beyond the books.'' lie re-
marked 4: ''Iou commence at the bottom
and work up-I commence at the top and
work down 1t is easier falling out Of a
tree than climbing one" He frequently
observes ''If | could read and write,
L 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 corrected that on recount
ing.
The following are some of the questions
asked him a.: If, to the time past noon,
there be added its !, 1-3 and 2-5, the sum
will be equal to 1-6 of the time 20 midnight,
what is the hour? Divide $11.5O between
two persons so that one shall have 75c.
more than the other. A tree 1876 feet long
fell and was broken into two pieces, two
thirds of the longer piece equals three
quarters of the length of each piece? What
is the interest of l cent for one day at
per cent. per annum. What is the exact
length of one side of square acre p
These questions were all correctly answer
ed, his answer to the last being, lit can't
be told.''
then said "Reub, I hear that you
can tell what day of the week any given
date was, or will be is that so ?'' "Yes, /
sir, ''What was July l, 1868 ?" "Wed- /
nesday," Correct" "What was the 22d /
of January, 1948 ?'' SUNDAY" ''What /
day will the 4th of July come on this
year," saturday" New Years ?'' /
Friday" "All right" II have also /
heard, Reub, that you can tell the hour at .
any time of day or night. Is that SO ?'' /
: \ es, Sir" ''What slime is it now - at /
is II minutes past 2 O'Clock, railway time T
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. Sew /
eral times he called on citizens of the .
place to attest the truth of his statements,
which they did. One Ofthe 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, thir-
teen numbers, two figures in each num-
Der, and he at once gayo their sum, and
could repeat the numbers in the order in
which they were written, either forward or
backward.
The tax collector got Reuben to look
over MS work last Tall, and Reuben said
that he could remember the numbers in
she columns and the sum yet. County
clerks have sent from Kansas for him to
help straighen their their books. 4 whole
sale firm in Kansas City heard of him and
sent for him to do some invoicing. He
old them he could do the work of ten men
n making computations. They told him
f he could he should have the pay of ten
nen. He mounted high stool with the
'lerks around him, and kept them giving
he number of articles, price of each, and
.aking down his answers. They gave
lim $40 for his days work. firm in
Fayetteville selling out took an invoice of
heir goods. Reub was sick at the time,
Dut they found him out and sent for him
he found mistake of $500.