Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-06-24
A MATHEMATICAL MARVEL.
An UnIettered Rustic's Wonderful
Powers of Calculation.


clan. His name is Reuben Fields. Hav-
ing heard of him frequently through
farmers and others, who get him to do
their counting, determined short time
ago to make him a visit and ascertain
for myself if the remarkable stories told
of him were true.
| am free to confess that at first was
fully as lucredulous as many readers of
this paragraph will be-in fact, would
not have believed statements concerning
him had not the authority been undispu-'
tably 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 made my way. When
nearly there l met young man, appa-
rently about twenty-five years of age,
walking little lame, and who seemed to
be leisurely and vacantly gazing about,
and accosted him with, Does Reuben
Fields live in that house yonder"
Yes, sir"
Well, I've heard that Reub was a
great calculator, and | must 60 aud see
him" and started forward, when he
stopped me with,
I'm him."
"Well, Reub," said |, 81 have a few
questions | would like to have you
answer, and will make it worth your
while to do 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 or write a letter or figure; he says
if he could he should lose his gift. He
cannot explain anything, but says he has
a numeration table away on beyond
the books" He remarked you COM
mence at the bottom and work up-I
commence at the top and work down; it
is easier falling out of tree than climb
ing one" He frequently observes: :" IT
l could read aud 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 J, and 25 the sum will be
equal to l-6 of the time to midnight,
what is the hour?
Divide $ll so between two persons so
that one shall have 75 cents more than
the other.
A tree 1876 feet long fell and was
broke into two pieces; I Of the longer
piece equals 4 of the length of the
shorter What is the length of each
piece2
What is the interest of one cent for
one day at 6 per cent. per annum2
What is the exact length of one side
of a square acre2
These questions were all correctly an
swered, his answer to the last being, 1t
can't be told"
then said: '"Reub, hear that you
can tell what day of the week any given
date was, or will be, is that so2
Yes, sir.
what was July |, 1862"
Wednesday"
Correct"
"Wbat was the 22d of January,
1882"
Sunday"
(. What day will the Fourth Of July
come on this year2
Saturday" +"
New Year?
Friday"
IAN right. l 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 now2
"It is II minutes past 2 o'clock, rail-
road time-sun time is l3 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 state
ments, which they did. One Of the lead
ing citizens of the place told me he had
:ried "Reub" on the time question on
both clear and cloudy days, and also on
dark nights, and he always gave the cor
rect time. Reuben asked the gentle
man we were talking with to write down
a.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 re-
peat the numbers in the order in which
they were written, either forward or
backward.
The tax collector 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 A whole
sale firm in Kansas City heard of him
and sent for him to do some invoicing,
He told them he 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
a high stool with the clerks around him,
and he kept them busy giving the num-
ber Of articles, price of EACH and taking
down his answers. They gave him S45
for his days work. A firm in Fayette-
vile 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 a mistake Of $500.
Sometimes a witty person will try and
make a little fun at Reub's expense.
One asked him what be would do if the
doctors should catch him and take out
his brains to see in what respect they
varied from others. go around with