National Republican., 1875-07-09
a NofABLE NK6K0.
He Can Keep Track Of 500 Hats-what BE
Knows About Horace areAlsy,a. Scraps.


The most notable memory possessed BY any man
In the United States, perhaps, is that Of Alfred
Dueling, an humble colored man, employed as
hat-rack waiter at the Metropolitan hotel In this
city. Alfred is apparently about thirty-hvs years
of age, and is bright and Intelligent in appear
ance. He has the faculty Of remembering faces.
names, facts, &C., that is very wonderful indeed.
II fifty men are in q room, and all are strangers
to him, he can walk around and inquire the name
of each and then go around again and call every
man by his proper name. Read page OF . book
to this remarkable person, and he will repest the
whole sfterward from memory. He can keep the
accounts of the steward of the hotel In his head
week or q month at q time, with items, expendi-
lures, &C., correctly, thus constituting himself
mental day-book and ledger.
The most curious illustration Of Alfred's powers
isin his remembering hats. 1t is his particular
business at the hotel to stand In the snte-room
leading to the dining hall to receive the hats Of
guests as they pass in. Alfred takes the hats and
places them on q rack, and when each guest
is handed his hat It has been said that this col
ored man can remember four hundred hats, and
the face Of the persons to whom they oelonged,as
he did on one occasion when there was large
fashionable ball at the Academy Of Music. He
told the Murcury reporter, however, that four
hundred was teo high figure, aud an exaggera-
thusiastic friends, but, said he, "I can remember
three hundred without any difficulty at all: !
have been In this business, the hats Of the most
distinguished men in the land.
There's poor old Uncle Horace Greeley-elsss q.
black hats, too, on the rack scores Of times"
His head was g twenty-four ineher, and was as
spect Uncle Horace was different from most per-
sons. Nineteen men out Of twenty have hats the
inside Of which fitting their heads resembles
pear, the forehead being narrow and the back
wide. The founder Of the Tribune seldom took
his hat from Alfred without bestowing quar-
tile. He was very liberal in this respect. Al
fred slways watched Horace to see that the
latter did not, in Mt Of Observation-Disclosures, put
his hat on hind side before.
One time the great editor had his hat fIdl Of
scraps cut from newspapers, and when he took It
off his head the scraps few all over the ioor and
some Of them blew out Of an open window. Some
what angry at the occurrence, Mr.. Greeley ex-
claimed: "There nswl See, there they go-al
eral walters who were standing near hastily
gathered up all the f1uttering pieces Of paper
that could be found and returned them to the
editor. The famous journalist looked them over,
and said: "Well, all that care about are here,
except one about Chinese coolie labor. I'll give
any one five dollars who will find that for me-"
The prospect of gaining this reward induced the
walters and bell-boys to make vigorous search,
which was prosecuted for some time in vain, AZ
Horace departed. Three or four hours afterward,
when It was IL or Il O'Clock at night, bell-boy,
who bad been more persevering than the others
coolie labor half buried in the mud in the area Of
the hotel The little fellow rushed breathless to
the Tribune office and up to the room the sec
ond story where Mr.. Greeley was busy writing.
There's your newspaper scrap" exclaimed the
little fellow, handing the mud bedsubed slip to
the editor. Mr.. Greeley took the slip, smiled be-
nignly on the boy, and gave him a hve-collar
note. The next morning the article appeared in
the TTf0une.
The most dilapidated hat ever placed on the
rack leading TO the Metropolitan dining room was
the tile Of Long John Wentworth, Of Chicago.
This identical hat worn by the noted Illinois
politician ten years, and then was taken to the
hatters and furnished with new band aRd lining,
and is probably still doing good service. On one
occasion Long John, who stands six feet eight In
his stocking feet, came to the dining-room door
and asked the waiter to remove bis hat for him.
.But can't reach your hal" said the waiter.
Nr. Wentworth replied, Get q chair and stand
| on 1t, and then you can" The waiter did as re-
the tallest man in Chicago, deposited It on the
rack. Long John ate his dinner, and when he
had finished one Of the bel-boys got upon q chair
and replaced the tile. The smallest man who
ever gave his hat into Alfreas keeping was Little
Mac" the minstrel.
Charles Sumner once dined at the Metropolitan
and left the dining room, forgetting to have his
hat returned to him. The waiter had to follow
the absent minded Senator clear out into the
street in order to give him his hat. sumner re-
declare forgot all about my hat. i have SO much
on my mind now that 1t is q wonder don't forget
my head and leave II somewhere"
Artemus Ward and q friend once came to the
dining room together, and had on hats exactly
alike. 1t puzzled Alfred to tell which hat be-
longed to the respective owners, and he had to
hand the tiles to the gentlemen at random. Al
fred never knew whether the two humortsts got
their right hats or not. The fact that Aired re-
members hats and their owners so readily is owing
membering things when he was boy.-N. Y.
Mercury.