The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-08-21
Miscellaneous,
AMIssouri Roy as a Ready Reckoner.

A correspondent OF the St. Louis
Republican, writing from Tabo,
No., says: We haye,qnite a mar
vel Of a man in our community, q
natural mathematician, His name
is Reuben Fields. Having heard
ofhim frequently through farmers
and others, who got him to do
their counting, | determined a. short
time ago TO make him a visit, and
to ascertain for myself if the re-
markable stories told Of him were
true. -s's.''''' ~. .s-'.s. '-""Fs's's
am free to confess that at first
| was fully as iIcredulous as many
readers. OF this paragraph will be,
in fact, would not have believed
statements concerning him bad not
the authority been undisputably
good. s -- 81 ~
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 I made
my way. When nearly there |
met a young man apparently about
twenty five years ofage, walking a
little lame, and seemed to be
leisurely and vacantly gazing about,
and accosted him with: "Does
Reuben Fields live in that house
yondeF?' "Yes sir" swell, Pve
heard that Renb was a great cal
culator, and | must go and see
him." and I started forward, when
he stopped me With" 7"I'm him." g
"Well, Reub," said I, 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 be
could understand. aah5as
I may here remark that he. can
not read or write q letter or figure;
he says if he could he should lose
his gift. He cannot' explain any
thing, but says he has nimeratidn
table away on "beyond the books"
"Yon commence at the bottom and
work up--I commence at the top
and work down; it is easier falling
ont ola tree than climbing one"
He frequently observes "If 4
could read and write, / shouldn't
know any more than you do" i
ia said he never makes mistakes.
Of all these questions gave him,
he made but one, and he corrected
that on recounting. The following
are some OF the questions asked
him:
II, to the time past noon, there
be added its !, / and 2-5, the sum
will be equal to l.6 OF the time to
midnight; what is the hourH
Divide $11.50 between two per-
cons so that ono shall have Toe
more than the other.
A tree 1856 feet long tell and was
broken into two pieces !; two-thirds
of the longer piece equals three
quarters OF the length Of the short
er. What is the length OF each
piece2 .i3J.,
What is the interest of | cent tor
i day at 8 per cept; per annnsH: !
.,,sl ssl What is the exact leligth' Of one
vide Of . square aclep
,asa These questions were all correct
" answered, his answer totlie last
being, tTt cant be told"
I then said "lseub, I hear that
YOU can teltwhat day Of the week
any given date was, or will be; is
that sop t"Yes. sir.'' 'SWhat
was Jnlysl, 1852" "Wednesday."
Correct. What was the 22d Of
January, .1S4S?" Sunday" "Nhat
day will the 4th Of July come on
this year?' Saturday" "New
Years?'' "Friday." can right"
] have also heard, Reub, that you
can tell the hour at anytime ofday
OF night. Is this sop eyes, SIR"
"Whst time, is it nowS' eft is II
minutes past z O'clock, railway
tima.---s11n time 4, l3 minutes slow.