The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-07-09
A Missouri Boy as a Ready Reckoner,


A correspondent of the st. Louis Repub-
lican, writing from Tabo, MO, says: We
have quite marvel of man in our COM
munity. a natural mathematician. His
name is Reuben Fields. Having heard of
him frequently through farmers and others,
who got him to do their counting, de-
termined short time ago to make him q
visit, and to ascertain for myself if the re-
markable stories told of him were true.
am free to confess that at first was
fully as iLcredulous as many readers OF
this paragraph will be, in fact, would not
have believed statements made concerning
him had not the authority been undisputa-
bly, good.
Proceeding to Fayetteville, the small
village in which he lives, inquired for
Reub," and was told that he was in
town and was shown his residence, toward
which l made my way. When nearly
there met young man apparently about
twenty-five years of age, walking a little
lame, and seemed to be leisurely and va
cantly gazing about, and accosted him
with: "Dees Reuben Fields live in that
house yonder?' Z" Yes, SIR" ''Well, I've
heard that Reub was great calculator,
and must go and see him." and started
forward, when he stopped me with" I'm
him."
"Well, Reub,n said L, 81 have a few
questions would like to have You answer
and will make it worth your while to dc
So"
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 OF
write a letter or figure; he says if he
could he should lose his gift. He cannot
explain anything, but says he has q
enumeration table away on ''beyond the
books" He remarked: " You COM
mence at the bottom and work up-l com.
mence at the top and work down; it is
easier falling out of tree than climbing
one" He frequently observes IF L 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 corrected that on
!, recounting. The following are some OF the
questions asked him:
If. to the time past noon. there be added
its ], and %, the sum will be equal tC
l-6 of the time to midnight; what is the
hour?
Divide S11.50 between two persons 81
that one shall have 75c more than the other
A tree 136 feet long fell and was broker
into two pieces; twO-thirds vi the Longer
piece equals three-quarters of the length
, of the shorter. What is the length of eacf
piece?
! What is the interest of / cent for day
at per cent. per annum.
. What is the exact length of one side OF ;
, square acre?
These questions were all correctly an
swered, his answer to the last being, "
can't be told"
then said: "Reub, hear that you cal
t tell what day of the week any given dat
was, or will be is that so? % 6 Yes, siT.
, ''What was July l, 1S69?'' Wednesday.
, Correct. What was the 22d of January
, lS4S?r "Sunday." what day will tn
18th of July come on this year?' g Satur
dav." New Years?' Friday" ''Al
| right. have also heard, Reub, that you cal
tell the hour at any time of day or night
o. Is this sO?" eyes, sir" ''What time is i
now?" ''Itis Il minutes past 20 o'clock, rail
way time-sun time is IL minutes slower.
We walked around town and lie gave M
the hour several times, correctly each tim
within two or three minutes. Severa
, times he called on citizens of the place t
attest the truth of his statements, which
they did. One of the leading citizens o
| the place told me he had tried "Reub" OF
UIle IlIle QueSLl0n Oh DOLH ClelT anu ClOuC.
/ days, md also on dark nights, and he al
: ways gave the correct time. Reuben asket
: the gentleman we were talking with 4
: write down a column of figures, which h
, did; they were then read to him. thirteel
t numbers, two figures in each number, ant
/ he at once gave their sum, and could re
} peat the numbers in the order in whicl
: they were written, either forward or back
ward.
The tax collector got Reuben to Loo
over his work last fall. and Reuben sal
that he could remember the numbers in tn
/ column and the sum yet. County clerk
have sent from Kansas for him TO hel
5 straighten their books. A wholesale firm
r in Kansas City heard of him and sent TO
2 him to do some invoicing. He told then
+ he could do the work of ten men in max
ing computations. They told him if h
r could he should have the pay of ten men
He mounted a high stool with the clerk
7 around him, and kept them giving tn
e number of articles, price of each, an
taking down his answers. They gave hir
} SIS for his days work. A firm in Fay
: etteville selling out took an invoice of thei
| goods. Reub was sick at the time. bu
: they figured it out and sent it to him; h
: found mistake of $500.