The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-12-11
A WONDERFUL KENTucKIAN.
The Extraordinary Powers Of Prof
Fields-His Feats Of Time
and Figures,


At Moorefield an interview wa,
had with John Robinson, clever
farmer, whose wife is a cousin to {
remarkable character whose name
is Reuben Fields-"Prof. Fields
the Seventh Wonder" be calls him
self-and truly he is a wonder, 8
show, a study, a what is itr
Professor" Fields was born neal
Wyoming, Bath county, twenty
eight years ago, and never went to
school but one day in his life, and
on that day carried with him an old
tea kettle filed with snakes caught
with his own hands, and when the
teacher attempted to drag him into
the school room, threw the snakes
at him one by one from the kettle
until he broke up the school for
that day, and he never returned
again. He heartily cendemed the
idea of schools and school children
all his days up to the present, and
now rebukes all school children for
going, saying that they are "fools
for going to school to lose what lit
tie knowledge they inherited by ma
ture." Fields glories in the pos
session of a natural gift-that of
being a mathematician whose equal
is unparalleled. In fact, he is the
wonder of the little portion of the
world and the new rural scientists
with whom he has come in contact.
1t is positively asserted by those
who have known him from child
hood that he doesn't know figure
or even the numbers on a clock
dial, or even a letter of the alpha
bet, and yet he can instantly and
correctly compute any mathemat
ical problem read aloud to him,
even giving the answer to the low
est decimal fraction. He has been
tried on as much as two pages Of
invoice on foOiscap, of mercantile
goods of every description. and on
the last line of goods and figures
being read instantly gave the right
answer, and even commenced at the
last line and in reverse rotation re.
peated every word, article and fig
ure of the entire invoice to dot.
He never works at any other trade
than that of running up invoices
and making other mathematical cal
culations. The "Professor," be
sides being possessed of an unseen
and unaccountable world of figures
in his mind and the key to all math.
ematical problems, the solving of
which requires but an instantane
Gus flash of the mind, accompanied
by q quick closing of the eyes and
twitching of the muscles Of the
face, as if in great agony moment
arily, also carries in his mind per
petual and never-varying clock dial,
and can give the correct 'sunn time
to n second, and can also tell tho
time to a second by a watch in an
other pocket, never looking at a
watch or clock. He frequently tells
persons the difference between their
time and that of the sun. He has
been frequently asked the time by
certain clocks and watches out of
sight, and has never missed giving
a correct answer. The professor"
has so nonplussed conductors by
telling them the exact time by the
watches in their pockets, and in his
peculiar manner of interesting them
in his unique history, that he has
frequently made almost the entire
trip from Kentucky TO Kansas,
tryh 10
of charge, the conductors becoming
80 interested IN him that they would
almost invariably forget to collect
his fare. Fields claims that he is a
sealed Seventh Wonder, in the pos
session of gift which could easily
be taken away from him, and thro'
fear, therefore, refuses to receive
medical treatment for epilepsy, with
which he is afflicted, but sometimes
speaks of being willing to receive
treatment of a "faith" doctor with
whom he claims to be acquainted,
and who lives in the mountains Of
Kentucky. Fields is also possessed
of another gift almost equally mar
velous, VIZ: that of handling snakes
of all kinds, including the rattle,
the copperhead, garter, racer, ETC.,
and never was known TO have been
bitten. He also holds power over
all ferocious dogs-having gone
once into the yard Of James Upton
at Moorefield, where a most fero
cious bulldog holds sway unmolest
ed. The dog reared up on him and
played with him as he had never
done with any member of the home
family. He has also been known
to have fondled with the heels and
hind legs of bad kicking horses and
mules, and never been hurt. "Pro-
fessor" Fields is a bachelor who
never intends To marry, weighs 200
pounds, has red whIskers, and has
a small "grey eye Of destiny" and
says he can give no explation Of his
wonderful gift, save that it is a gift
similar TO that Of Blind Tom. Fields
is naturally of a sullen disposition,
refuses TO be interviewed, for fear
others will learn of him, seldom
permits an acquaintance TO be
formed with any one. The stage
driver, Mr.. McClelland Tully, in
formed the Times that he succeeded
in forming the acquaintance Of the
professor" by approaching him
with a checker board-he having a
special gift or charm for the game,
which be delights in and sees all
through at a glance. Mr.. Robin
son says he considers himself a hrst
class checker-player, but that Fields
beat him seventy three games out
OF seventy five at one sitting, and
that Fields ny gave hlm the two
games just TO encourage him 10 play.
This peculiar character, who is
indeed the greatest wonder Of the
age, refused several good offers 10
90 into the show business, and
claims that no amount OF money
would induce him thus 70 degrade
himself and ''lose his charmed gift"
He IS nov sojourning at Wyoming.
Bath county, frequently visits Mr.
Robinson's family near Moore6eld,
and is known by hundreds OF the
best citizens in Bath and Nicholas