Daily globe., 1879-05-31
PATERsON's PRODIGY.
Remarkable Seven Year-Old Bou-- Total
Depravttv Erenpltt ttsed--The Cler0y PNs-

80
New York Herald.
The clergy of Paterson, n. -, having tired
OF wrestling with each other over the various
modes4of baptism; by dipping, sprinkling,
immersion, and of discussing total depravity
in the abstract, are combining to devise
measures for the reformation Of q big
headed infant about years Of age, who is
regarded BY the ssunco guild" and even by
the tolerably wicked, as the very incarnation
Of total deprayity III the concrete. George
Lee, the infant prodigy, is regarded ct once
as the wickedest and the wisest boy baby in
the State, if not in the Union. AS to the
wickedness, the catalogue is too long for re-
profanity, in which he is fully the equal of
which line he can hold his own with the
average adult and with as little inconven-
ience. But the greatest wonder of all is the
boys head, which is SO large and heavy that
his little frame seems scarcely able to sup
port the weight. His head has always been
of immense size, nearly as large as it is now,
and it is conceded that George has known
more, when sober, at any time since he was
years of age than nine oht OF ten adults
selected from the uneducated class. Where
his wit and wisdom come from is marvel,
for neither his father, James Lee, who
abandoned his family years ago and went
West, nor yet his mother, q neat and indus
trious woman, who labors daily to support
herself and boy, were ever noted for their
superior intelligence. From the cradle he
has semeed to take in as if by absorption
all knowledge-of of whatever scrt-that has
come within his reach.
He comes out especially strong In language,
and already q year or two since would listen
to temperance lecture, or q political haran-
que, or any like effort, and so vigorous was
his memory that few hours afterward he
would be found perched on dry goods box
| or some other improvised rostrum rehearsing
the whole speech to an admiring audience,
both matter and manner being marvelously
perfect. Tho finale would most probably
be succession Of treats by his listeners
until the bright intelligence was drowned
out by beer or stronger liquor, and this baby
bacchanal was assisted home and to bed like
the most inyeterate of old topers. If moi
quite so far gone he might be met with OF
the street singing ribald songs in his queer
piping tones, or dancing to the music Of .
hand organ, or glibly cursing some one who
had s'lnsulted'' him. The Lees occupy
humble dwelling in Marshall street, ant
George has been picked up and carried
home intoxicated SO many times tha
nothing is thought of it, and it causes III
more remark than the most ordinary oe
currence. Despite all his mothers efforts Il
restrain him, at times by locking him up
prisoner in the house while she is out at he
work, deorgie continues his drinking habit
and tipples whenever he can obtain money
until now, at less than years of age, b
may be-, and is, regarded as q confirme,
drunkard.
Recently, when he had been imprisone,
by his mother to prevent his getting
trouble, he forced the window in her absenc
and jumped from the second story windo'
to the ground, and soon after this..ent ant tel
rSble was sauntering leisurely down the mai
: street, touching his hat to his friends, an
tossing kisses to the ladies on the opposit
sidewalk or in upper windows. A few day
since ex-Gov. Bedle was engaged in a liig;
ton in the circuit court att Paterson, when
: encountered George, who has. the entree {
all public and most private places abol
, town. The ex-G Governor was SO amazed
the boys precocity, as exhibited in his LAT
guage, logic, elocutioh, etc, that he ga,
A4AA q AoAl-NOAoA 0Vt k1al tIutS. NCOASlo We
, advised by a.lawyer friend to take it dire
: to his mother, to which the besotted infa1
/ made answer, 'No-o-o; regard this as
3 proyidential i4dication that I am
= sbeer up In the evening of that dt
. George was carried home in helpless col
d dition, and having overindulge
8 even for him, he came near to death. Th
later escapade of the boy was the imm
diate cause of the present clerical effort f
the reformation of Paterson's baby drum
ard. But Georgie's head is much too lars
> too admit of his reformation, and unle
his extraordinary cerebral development c.
o be reduced there is little chance of al
change. In this respect he is real mo-
strosity, there being few men, comparative
1t speaking, who require 80 large hat;
i wears hat No. "a. A queer little pinch,
J. face, with an ancient, faded look, an pndt
= sized figure, clad in short trowsers, lit
y white jacket, cardinal hose and neat boo
!. !. and bristling all over with aggressivenes
= an enormous head surmounted with man
hat cooked knowingly this is Geort
~ Lee, Paterson's wickedest small boy.
lo 1rxN <Y0~y r,rr~~H,