Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1876-08-11
A Mathematical Prodigy.


Il great deal has been said and writ
ten about the great mathematical prodigy
"Reub." Fields, who lives at Fayettc
vile, in this county. and the more tba
is known Of him the greater wonder he
becomes. He does not possess the sim.
pie rudiments of a book educaton--
does not know a letter or figure from
sight--and yet he can solve the most
intricate problem in an instant, or can
perform calculation in less than a
minute that would require the work OF
an hour by ordinary modes For in
stance. We gave him the day of the
month and year of our birth and he told
in less than a minute our age in seconds,
minutes, days, and years. Give him
the day of the month and the year Of any
event, however remote, and he will in
stantly give the day of the week.
We spent two hours with him last
Saturday, and Notwithstanding we have
often talked with him and seen him dis
play his wonderful gifts, yet we always
find something new in him.
We placed column Of figures upon q
paper, equal in length to the columns Of
an ordinary-sized ledger, and called them
off to HIM in rapid succession, and when
the last number was called he gave the
sum without moments hesitation He
did not see the paper, and would not
have known character on it if he had
One hour later he repeated those numbers
in the exact order in which we called
them to him. We then began at the
bottom, and would call two or three
numbers correctly and then one incor-
rcctdy, and he would correct us by Civ
ing the proper number.
More mysterious than this to us is the
fact Of his ability to give correctly the
time of the day or night, whenever call
ed upon, without any reference whatever
to tme-piece.
In this town the timc-pieces are all
regulated by railroad or St. Louis time
If you ask 'Reub' the time he will say
Il am l53 minutes past 1 if you have
railroad time you have so and So" Civ
ing the exact difference between sun
time and railroad time.
Another remarkable fact is that he
gives the exact time of his locality. II
he is Washington city he gives Wash
ington city time; if in San Francisco
the time there. He cannot possibly dc
these things by any method of calculat.
ing the passing time, for he will give
the time as accurately when walked from
sleep at night as if it were day light anC
the sun shining
There seems to be nothing too grea
in numbers for his mind to grasp, anC
yet nothing too small He can tell wha
the interest of one cent would be fO
three seconds at the rate of ten pc
cent. per annum as readily and as easill
as VIC could tell the interest of one dol
lar for one year at the same rate pc
cent - Warrcnburg (No.) Democrat.
ONE THING An TIME.-Tf yol
would be successful in any occupation
never commence any piece of work ans
leave it aud begin something else, bu
stick to one thing till it is done. This
plan will prove decidedly advantageous
We often hear men, farmers especially
complain Of having so much to do that
they don't know where to begin There
is where they are delinquent Every
farmer should, first in the morning
make programme in his mind of the
work to be done during the day Their
work with energy and determination un.
til that plan is completed.
Thus you see, he will know just what
to do first, and when night comes he car
say, with the poet, Something at
tempted, something done" But Tho
men who are always commencing anf
seldom finishing, though they are exacr
in everything else, will not be prosperous
Boys are apt to mix work with PLAY
together little more than is considered
beneficial by their parents or teachers
One thing at a time boys If yoI
have lesson to learn, 60 to work, ant
study till you have mastered it afte
which, if you have any time to play yol
will enjoy it wonderfully.
/ llOW 10 NUkE THE OHlbLB. ~-- J ne lOI
lowing receipt for curing fever aud sgue
and the reason for its administration il
that form is given by the Journal o
Health To cure fever and ague take
twelve grains Of qulnine at one dose
about an hour before the chill is expect
ed. just one week from that hour take
another twelve grains Of qninine. The
disease will seldom return. This is the
dose for an adult. Children should take
smaller doses according to age. The
reason that decided doses Of quinine cure
fever and ague seems to be that the dis
ease receives n shock which breaks il.
Small doses Of quininc only hold it in
check during the time the medicine is
being taken, as soon as it is suspended
the disease usually returns. Hence the
popular notion that the quinine only
''feeds" the disease. The fault is not
with the medicine, but in the manner Of
administering it. While VIC do not be-
lieve in encouraging the employment Of
medicine, we are bound TO say that quiz
nine, periodically administered, has
proved the only "deaa-shot" for fever
and ague in our practice.